Watermelons can now be found on the market almost all year round, which is particularly true for the Sugar Baby variety, which is easier to transport and has small fruit. You can also plant the delicious fruits yourself in a warm spot in the garden.

The cultural and historical significance of watermelon seeds

Botanically, the watermelon belongs to the so-called pumpkin plants (Cucurbitaceae), as it is closely related to the pumpkins and looks relatively similar to them with the growth of their tendrils. The origins of the plant can be traced back to West Africa, where a wild original form, the so-called Tsamma melon, still exists today. However, this does not have nearly as sweet flesh as the watermelon that we know. However, it has contributed to the spread of the melons around the world that, despite their rather bitter taste, they were taken along by seafarers as provisions on longer passages a few centuries ago. This was due to the high number of seeds in these early watermelons, because nutritious food could be prepared from the seeds and these could also be ground into flour. The watermelon found its way to Egypt, Persia and Asia Minor early on.

Select suitable seeds for cultivation

When it comes to selling seeds, the specialist trade usually orients itself towards the cultivation of watermelons on the standard varieties of commercial trade. These are the Crimson Sweet with its huge fruits and the smaller, but also slightly sweeter tasting Sugar Baby. However, the seeds can also be taken from commercially available fruits, provided they are not seedless cultivated forms. The following steps must be followed:

  • removing all pulp from the seeds
  • drying the seeds at temperatures not exceeding 40 degrees Celsius
  • well-ventilated and dry storage until sowing

Only well-cleaned watermelon seeds survive the storage period and the germination phase without becoming moldy.

Prefer the plants and plant them out carefully

Start growing the seeds in loose, nutrient-rich soil on the windowsill from mid-April so that you can plant them out in May when temperatures are frost-free. So that you do not injure the sensitive roots, it is advisable to sow two or three seeds in a spring pot or in another decomposable pot.

tips and tricks

Note that hybrid varieties are usually not suitable for further breeding over subsequent generations.

WK

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Vegetable garden