Citrullus lanatus.
The perfect little watermelon for nordic climates — a variety introduced in 1956 specifically to make watermelon culture possible in short-season regions. Where the great traditional round watermelons demand 90 to 110 frost-free days, Sugar Baby produces its fruits in just 75 to 85 days — a difference of a few weeks that makes the culture imaginable in Québec, where it is still rare and precious.
The English name icebox watermelon recalls an equally practical use: these small melons of 3 to 5 kg fit whole into most fridges, unlike the 10-to-15-kg behemoths you have to cut up to store. But the watermelon's history is far older than this modern variety — Citrullus lanatus originates in West Africa (the Sahel-Sudan region), where it was domesticated about 4,000 to 5,000 years ago. Seeds have been found in Tutankhamun's tomb (around 1325 BC), testimony of its diffusion to ancient Egypt.
A climbing plant with a spreading habit — 3 to 4 m of vines, with large divided dark green leaves and yellow flowers typical of the Cucurbitaceae family (with cucumbers, squashes, melons and loofah already described in our pages). Modest production: a single plant generally gives 2 to 4 fruits, but of such quality that it is amply compensated. Flattened-round fruits 15 to 20 cm across, 3 to 5 kg, with uniform almost-black green skin. Intense scarlet-red flesh, juicy, sweet (10 to 12 % brix at the ideal stage), with glossy black seeds but few in number.
Classic summer watermelon flavour: refreshing, sweet-juicy, lightly perfumed. Uses: sliced into wedges for direct snacking (the use par excellence), in cubes in Greek-inspired watermelon-feta-mint salad, in Andalusian watermelon gazpacho; as granita (frozen purée crushed with a fork), as pressed juice for Mexican agua fresca, or in cocktails (the famous watermelon margarita).
Grower's tip: Indoor start essential in Québec — 4 to 6 weeks before transplanting, at 25-28 °C on a heat mat. Transplant early to mid-June once nights are stable above 15 °C, in the warmest spot in the garden (south wall ideal, with black-plastic mulch to warm the soil — an essential trick for melons at our latitudes). Space generously, 1 to 1.5 m between plants. For pollination, as with squashes and cucumbers already described, the watermelon is monoecious and needs bees to carry the pollen from male to female flowers. Harvest at full maturity — three converging signs tell you the melon is ready: (1) the underside patch (the zone touching the ground) shifts from greenish-white to creamy yellow, (2) the tendril closest to the fruit dries and browns, (3) the melon, tapped with a finger, returns a hollow, deep sound rather than a sharp one. Harvested too early it's bland; too late, mealy — mastering the moment of harvest is an art in itself.
- Open-pollinated. Heirloom variety (1956). Annual. Monoecious, bee-pollinated, so crosses with other Citrullus lanatus, but NOT with cantaloupes (Cucumis melo), cucumbers, squashes or loofahs (different genera).
- Vine length: 3 to 4 m.
- Maturity: 75 to 85 days after transplant.
- Exposure: full sun, maximum warmth.
- Very rich, well-drained, warm soil. Generous compost application at planting. Black-plastic mulch strongly recommended in Québec. Space plants 1 to 1.5 m apart.
- Indoor start 4 to 6 weeks before transplanting at 25-28 °C. Transplant early to mid-June once nights are above 15 °C. Harvest when the ground spot yellows and the adjacent tendril dries.
