Sugar Baby Watermelon : Watermelon has an amazing impact on people’s health and it fulfills the water requirement of the body but have you ever heard of any variety of watermelon? If not then today I will tell you about its most famous and well cultivated variety which is Sugar baby watermelon.
How many sugar baby watermelons per plant?
Sugar baby watermelon yield 3 to 5 melons per plant vine. If there are 3 vines in this plant then it produces 12-15 per matured plant. With Different Variety it can be more than 5 melons and if grown strong vines they will spread about 6-8 feet long and the bigger watermelon can be seen spreading about 13 -18 foot long means it needs a bigger landscape to grow.
These are smaller versions of watermelon with round shape that are easily stored in refrigerator. Inside it has very sweet taste and outside they look dark green with compact vines.
They are great source of water in summers and its best for gardeners with less space as they are small in size but gives all the benefits of bigger watermelon.
They even take less time to grow than the bigger watermelon.
Now Let’s talk How to grow them and what are the benefits of growing them.
Background Information
Sugar baby watermelon has been around for decades and it is the healthiest fruit which can do lots to improve human health. It is Vine based flowering plant which was first discovered in West Africa.
It is Moist popular fruit that is cultivated and it has over 900+ varieties available.
The Scientific name of this fruit is Citrullus lanatus and it comes from the Cucurbitaceae family.
Nutrition Value for every 152 gm of Cup
Carbohydrates : 4%
Iron : 2%
Sodium : 0%
Potassium : 4%
Calcium : 1%
Dietary Fiber : 2%
Fats : 0%
Cholesterol : –
Calories : 46
For Health benefits please Check the Article below.
How to Grow Sugar Baby Watermelon
To grow this Fruit You need to plant them in direct sunlight as they grow much faster in full light conditions.
It needs well fertilized soil which can give it the nutrients it requires to grow better and healthy.They need their soil to be moist & once the fruit starts to grow they need more water for its overall growth. Now lets one by one give you what you need to grow these little melons successfully.
Seeds
First You need its seeds , that you can buy from gardening stores or online e com sites. Once you get the seeds , Put 2-3 seeds in a potting mixture.
Temperature
The Seeds need at least 71 – 89 °F temperature to grow and So your soil needs heat , it is best if you grow them indoors.
Transplanting
Once the seeds start to show some growth like leaves appearing , move it to a garden or big container. All seeds now have to be dug in 48 -60 inches space.
Light
When you plant the seeds in the garden make sure it should get all the sunlight it needs to grow. These fruits love direct sunlight and they grow fast in proper light.
Soil
Make Sure you Put some mulch above the soil surface so it can retain water , they need to be moist until the fruit starts to grow. Make sure to water this vine plant whenever it needs and feels dry. They can handle drought conditions but don’t make them hungry for water for a long time.
Pests and Diseases
Pests can be the Problem here so you can use pesticide and if it gets any fungal disease you can use organic fungicide.
I can Suggest you can use Neem oil if you see any pests spoiling the plant growth
Seedling , Growth Time and Maturity
It can take more than 9-10 days for seed germination & 2-4 weeks for further growth. Final Maturity and Ripening of fruit can be seen after 70 to 90 days. On cold days it may take more time to ripen.
Harvesting
To know when it’s ready to pick and properly ripen. We need to know some signs like the bottom surface of the fruit can be seen becoming yellowish and the other sign is stem nearby melon can be seen brown and dry.
Also you can use a traditional method which is to knock the melon , if you hear a dull thump its ripen otherwise you can get a hollow sound.
Also Read : Honeysuckle Vine – Care, Propagation, Pruning, Sale (Growing Guide)
Sugar Baby Watermelon Care
To care for this vine fruit it requires frost blankets in winters when the temperature is below 33°F , if not done this can lead to watermelon becoming faded and eventually dying.
Also Protect them from Fungal diseases like downy mildew , gummy stem blight , leaf spots etc and use fungicide for that.And to get rid of pests it needs organic pesticide like Neel oil that can prevent any melon aphids or other beetles. Regular water should be given to watermelon so that it can get moist , don’t make the swim in water.
Water it whenever you see its soil gets dry. Fertilizer is necessary for its proper growth.
Light should be full sun and direct , Shade area is not their choice location.
Sugar Baby Watermelon Propagation
To propagate this fruit , It can only be done using its seeds either you use an existing fruit and take out its seeds or purchase it from the market.
Sow 3-4 seeds in a pot and wait for 2 weeks to see any growth. Once it starts to grow , Put them in the ground with 48-66 inches( 4 to 6 feet) of space between each seedling. It can take more than 2.5 to 3 months to ripen then take out and eat your own growing garden fruit. You can store it in the refrigerator and it will be fresh for 2-3 weeks.
Sugar Baby Watermelon Pruning
Pruning is not necessary in this fruit plant cause it can damage your plant growing fruit directly or indirectly.
These plants grow at their own speed and pruning can be a red signal on its growth. It’s vines or stems are directly connected to fruits and you can cut them. It is a disaster for your side if you do any trim on melon variety. How they grow is their way to grow and produce fruit, Pruning is an important factor to many plants growth but not this one.
They don’t require pruning so don’t do that otherwise fruit can be spoiled.
Also Read : Blue Atlas Cedar – 8 Tips on How to Grow and Care (Cedrus Atlantica)
Sugar Baby Watermelon Benefits
– Source of ENERGY in 100 gm it has 120+ KJ.
– It has minerals like potassium, manganese, manganese for normalizing blood pressure to build bone and brain health.
– It has Vitamin A, C , lycopene. What these 3 do is A is for Good vision , C is for better immunity and lycopene is an antioxidant which prevents cells from losing their major functioning.
– Provides dietary fibre needed for normal bowel movement.
– To control sugar as they provide natural sugar.
Most Search Questions
Sugar baby watermelon Taste
It has sweet and fleshy , it makes my mouth watery , It can fulfill water requirements for 1 person. It is small version but has same taste and flavor.
Sugar baby watermelon Spacing
It grows about 55-65 inches or 5-6 feet apart from each other. This Spacing is used so that it can easily spread its vines and grow better and bigger faster.
Sugar baby watermelon Maturity
Maturity period is 70-90 days meaning about 2.5 to 3 months time to be mature fully.
It grows small sized fruits which are very healthy and tasty , and the seeds from existing plants can be used to regrow another sugar baby watermelon.
Sugar baby watermelon price
It is $11 to $40 for its seeds , this variety is only available in minimum stores so you can buy it from here.
Sugar baby watermelon yield
Sugar baby watermelon yield 3 to 5 melons per vine. If there are 3 vines in this plant then you can expect 12-15 sugar baby watermelon per plant. With Different Varity it can be more than 5 melons and if grown strong vines they will spread about 6-8 feet long and the bigger watermelon can be seen spreading about 13 -18 foot long means it needs a bigger landscape to grow.
If your sugar melon has good growing conditions then it will surely bring more fruits than it can be before. The basic number would be 2-5 as per my experience and my neighbor who grew them in their respective gardens.
The sugar baby watermelons are grown via seeds initially and it was sown in 7-8 weeks before planting them outside of the garden. This is because we want to provide the seeds moisture, low light, moderate humidity which helps the seeds to germinate and let the seedlings come up to a length so that we can move it outdoors.
Placing your baby watermelon in full sun could be a beneficial approach but make sure they get water to support the future developments of the plant. If the water in the soil dries out then it was a problem for sugar baby watermelon.
Many of many friends get to see at least 3 watermelon per vine and some got more than 4 watermelon because the difference in number per vine happen due to the fact that some of my friends use a particular potting mix which is high in nutrients, even they cared for the sugar baby watermelon more that might be the reason behind their yield is higher compared to those who has grown same number of sugar baby watermelon.
You can get the seeds at cheap rates and there is no need to spend more money on watermelon seeds. Did you know the actual large sized watermelon seeds can be sowed in soil to produce fresh watermelon but your garden or container soil should be high in nutrients and can be given water daily or on alternative days so that it has enough water in it to grow watermelon. The size of this fruit is large, that is why the watering requirement is also big.
Sugar baby watermelon calories
Sugar baby watermelon calories are 45-46 Cal and they are rich in water that helps dehydration. Baby Watermelon has 10g sugar and 12g carbohydrates. The Nutrition profile has Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Calcium, Iron & this fruit don’t have any protein or fat.
Normally a watermelon has 30-31 cal per piece. Most content in watermelon is either carbs or water which is why it fulfills the needs of a person who is thirsty. It is one of the low calorie fruits that is also good for our overall health.
Also Read : Red Twig Dogwood – How to Grow, Care, Varieties, Propagation [Full Guide]
FAQ’s
How long does it take for a Sugar Baby watermelon to ripen?
Sugar Baby variety can take 70 to 90 days to ripen which means 2.5 -3 months and when it comes to bigger watermelon it takes 120 days to ripen & don’t overthink with its small size it provides every tasty and nutrition value the full sized watermelon gets.
How do you know when a Sugar Baby watermelon is ripe?
To check if the sugar baby watermelon is ripe , you need to see its bottom part of the melon . If it turns brown then it will ripen , if not it will not ripen and it will take more time. Another way to know is to check its side vines if they are dry and getting pale. It’s the sign it is already ripe.
Can you Trellis Sugar Baby watermelon?
Yes You can Use trellis for sugar baby watermelon but its not recommended as watermelon can grow bigger which makes it hard to support trellis. Sugar babies can be used in trellis but not bigger sized watermelons. but again it’s not recommended they grow on ground is the best option.
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Are sugar baby watermelons self pollinating?
Yes they do Self pollinate , Either bees carry the pollen from male flower to female flower or if your area doesn’t have many bees you can gently do it by hand using cotton and take pollen from yellow flower bloom and give it to female flower bloom that leads to pollination.
Can you grow sugar baby watermelon in a container?
Yes you can grow this in a container but you need a bigger one as single vines will be giving 4-5 melons and it takes a bigger container. It may be around 5 gallon (20 kg) and they also need more water and enough sunlight to grow correctly.
Conclusion
It is great and beneficial for our health , it can be grown with its existing fruit seeds that is a plus point. a very good source of freshwater, overall it is good for small gardeners who want to grow melons in small areas.
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