Mini watermelons are perfect for small gardens because they can be grown vertically on a trellis, wire fence or other vertical structure.
Small watermelons (Citrullus lanatus) are just as sweet and juicy as large watermelons and they’re small enough to easily fit in the refrigerator.
Here are 10 compact, small watermelons to plant in your garden.
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10 SMALL WATERMELON VARIETIES
1. Sugar Baby
Sugar Baby is one of the most popular small watermelon varieties.
The melons are round shaped and 6 to 8 inches (15 to 20 cm) in diameter.
Sugar Baby watermelons are ready to harvest 12 to 14 weeks after planting.
2. Mini Yellow
Mini Yellow is another small watermelon variety with sweet, yellow flesh.
They grow to about the same size as a cantaloupe (rockmelon), and they’re ready to harvest in 15 to 20 weeks.
3. Yellow Baby
Another small watermelon with yellow flesh is Yellow Baby.
It has a thin rind, weighs only 8 to 10 pounds (3.6 to 4.5 kg) and is ready to harvest in only 75 days.
4. Mini Love
Mini Love is a compact hybrid variety that produces small round watermelons that are perfect for one person to eat in a single serving.
Each melon weighs between 3 to 6 pounds (1.3 to 2.7 kg), and the plants produce about six fruits per vine.
Mini Love watermelons are ready to harvest around 70 days after planting.
5. Blacktail Mountain
Blacktail Mountain is a small melon with sweet, juicy flesh.
Each fruit weighs about 5 to 6 pounds (2.2 to 2.7 kg) and they’re ready to harvest in only 75 days.
6. Sweet Beauty
Sweet Beauty is a small icebox watermelon variety, with fruits weighing 6 to 7 pounds (2.7 to 3.1 kg).
The melons are rectangle shaped and the flesh is sweet and crisp.
7. Golden Midget
Golden Midget is one of the smallest watermelon varieties, producing melons that weigh only 3 to 5 pounds (1.3 to 2.2 kg).
The sweet flesh is salmon-colored and the melons are the perfect size for one.
8. Yellow Petite
Yellow Petite watermelons are ideal for small gardens and weigh 6 to 10 pounds (2.7 to 4.5 kg) each.
The fruits are ready to harvest in just over 2 months so they’re great for areas with a short growing season.
9. Cream of Saskatchewan
Cream of Saskatchewan is an unusual white-fleshed heirloom watermelon that is suited to cooler climates.
The melons are small, round and weigh 4 to 10 pounds (1.8 to 4.5 kg).
10. Little Darling
The last small watermelon variety on this list is Little Darling, a small, fast growing hybrid watermelon variety that has dark green rind and sweet, red flesh.
Each melon weighs 5 to 7 pounds (2.2 to 3.1 kg) so they’re ideal for one person.
GROWING SMALL WATERMELONS
Watermelons can be grown year round in tropical climates, but in temperate and cool climates they can be planted in early to mid spring.
Watermelons grow best in full sun, so choose a spot that gets at least 6 hours of sunlight during the day.
Watermelon seeds are best sown directly in the garden but in cooler climates you can raise them in pots and transplant them out to the garden after 3 to 4 weeks.
The temperature will need to be at least 64 to 68°F (18 to 20°C) for the seeds to germinate. [1]
Mini watermelons can also be grown in large pots that are placed near a trellis for them to climb up.
Fertilize the plants every two weeks once the plants are established and keep them well watered, but avoid overhead watering to reduce the risk of fungal diseases.
Small watermelons are ready to harvest 70 to 105 days after planting, depending on the variety.
They’re ready to pick when the tendrils have dried out and turned brown. If you tap on the fruit it will produce a hollow sound when it’s ripe.
Cut the watermelon from the vine using a sharp knife and eat it straight away or refrigerate it for a cool, refreshing summer snack.
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So there are 10 small types of watermelons to plant in your home garden.
Have you tried growing any of these mini watermelons? I’d love to hear which varieties you’ve had the most success growing.
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