Watermelon

	Crimson Sweet WATERMELON 3g seed, USDA Certified Organic Code: 55101 Price:$2.35 Quantity in Basket: none
85 days. [Introduced 1964. AAS winner.] Medium-sized, striped melon with tolerance to anthracnose (race 1 and 3) and Fusarium (race l and 2). Melons are typically l0" x 12", weighing in the range of 23 to 27 lbs. Requires more space but has advantage of disease tolerance where disease is a problem. A reliable variety for the southeast. A unique feature of this variety is its ability to promote beneficial soil fungi that inhibit fusarium wilt. Pkt. (3 g) Limit 2 Packets.
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	Moon and Stars, Long Milky Way WATERMELON 2g seed Code: 55105 Price:$2.90 Quantity in Basket: none
95 days. [Developed by breeder Glenn Drowns. Introduced 1992 by SESE.] This elongated version of 'Moon and Stars' has a large yellow moon and a dark green rind, speckled with bright yellow pinpoint stars (resembling a panorama of the Milky Way). Selected especially for color and flavor this variety has the largest moons and best flavor of its class. Productive vines bear heavily, producing 35 lb fruits with bright-red, delicious flesh. Pkt. (2 g) Limit 2 Packets.
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	Moon and Stars, Yellow Fleshed WATERMELON 3g seed, USDA Certified Organic Code: 55106 Price:$2.35 Quantity in Basket: none
[Early 1900 family heirloom from Georgia. Introduced 1987 by SESE. Years ago, a melon of this description was routinely shipped from Bermuda to some southern states around Christmas time.] This rare white-seeded, yellow-fleshed variety has good flavor though it is not quite as sweet as other melons of the 'Moon and Stars' type. Appears to have some tolerance to disease and drought. Fruit rinds have many small yellow stars and some moons. Serving suggestion: Halve melons and scoop out the insides using a melon ball scoop. Scallop the edges and fill with melon balls of red and yellow watermelon, cantaloupe, and assorted fruit. Pkt. (3 g) Limit 2 Packets.
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	Strawberry WATERMELON 3g seed, USDA Certified Organic Code: 55110 Price:$2.35 Quantity in Basket: none
85 days. [Selected from a Florida heirloom by Walt Childs and introduced by SESE in 1989.] An excellent garden variety watermelon with intensely colored, strawberry-red flesh which ripens to within 1/2" of the rind. The texture is delicate and the sweet flavor is outstanding and distinctive, one of the best we offer. The melons are long (8" x 20"), dark green, with darker green stripes. Fruits have fewer seeds and range between 15-25 lbs. Disease resistance is very good. Pkt (2g) Limit 2 packets. "Market growers do not overlook this variety. A strong one to choose if you want to build a reputation as the one with the best tasting food." -Cricket Rakita
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	Sugar Baby WATERMELON 3g seed, USDA Certified Organic Code: 55111 Price:$2.35 Quantity in Basket: none
77 days. Space saving variety. [Introduced 1959.] Produces icebox-sized, 6 to 8" melons with a hard rind which turns green-black when ripe. Handles drought well. Fruits range from 6 to 10 lbs. with red flesh and small seeds. 'Sugar Baby' is a consistently reliable and widely adapted icebox melon. Pkt. (3 g) Limit 2 Packets.
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	Black Tail Mountain WATERMELON 1g seed, USDA Certified Organic Code: 55113 Price:$2.90 Quantity in Basket: none
73 days. [Developed by Glenn Drowns in 1977.] Small fruited, earliest of all. An excellent small fruited, fast maturing, highly productive watermelon that can be successfully grown in northern, cool short season areas or southern hot, humid, areas. 'Black Tail Mountain' was the earliest of 114 varieties that developer Glenn Drowns grew in 1994. The perfectly round fruits have a dark-green rind, patterned with narrow, darker-green stripes. The flesh is orange-red, of fine texture, with sweet rich flavor. The small brown seeds have a "black tail". This is a widely adapted, dependable variety, especially suited for small gardens. Pkt. (1 g) Limit 2 Packets.
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	Quetzali PVP WATERMELON 2g seed Code: 55115 Price:$2.65 Quantity in Basket: none
83 days. This new watermelon topped our 1999 taste trials. The fruits have a pleasing texture and are very sweet. The rind is unusually thick, so loss to splitting tends to be low. Fruits are covered with alternating dark and light green stripes. Produces small (7 to 13 lb.) fruits. Pkt. (2 g) Limit 2 Packets.
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	Northstar (Planet and Stars) WATERMELON 2g seed Code: 55116 Price:$2.65 Quantity in Basket: none
100 days This white-seeded “Moon and Stars” selection from grower Merlyn Neidens is an excellent producer. Large melons with sweet pink flesh and dark green rind covered with small dots and speckles can weigh in at up to 40 pounds. Perfect for family get-togethers and summer picnics. Pkt. Limit 2 packets.
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	Stone Mountain WATERMELON 2g seed Code: 55117 Price:$2.65 Quantity in Basket: none
[1923. A commercial bestseller from the ‘30s and ‘40s – thanks to grower Rodger Winn for bringing back this old Southern favorite.] Slightly oval 30-lb fruits with a dark green rind and sweet, juicy red flesh. Thick, split-resistant rind makes it great for shipping and storage. Pkt (2g) Limit 2 packets.
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	Crimson Sweet, Virginia Select WATERMELON 3g seed Code: 55118 Price:$2.65 Quantity in Basket: none
It's hard to improve on Crimson Sweet's vigor and great flavor, but Pam Dawling is at it! Since 2001, she's been saving this locally adapted strain, selecting for large, early melons with good flavor and healthy foliage. Pkt. Limit 2 packets.
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	White Wonder WATERMELON 2g seed Code: 55119 Price:$2.65 Quantity in Basket: none
80 days. [Rare today, white-fleshed melons were common in the 1800s.] This rare variety produces a good crop of 3-10 lb icebox-size melons. Creamy white flesh is crisp with a fresh sweet taste. Green with darker green stripes this unique white fleshed melon will be a hit at farmers market or on the picnic table. Pkt. Limit 2 packets.
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	Wilson Sweet WATERMELON 3g seed Code: 55120 Price:$2.65 Quantity in Basket: none
85 days. The sweet red flesh and crisp juicy texture of this melon draws comments like “the best melon I ever tasted.” The unusual green mottled rind protects from sun scald. Thanks to Sandhill Preservation Center and grower Merlyn Niedens for saving this excellent melon from near extinction. Try it, we think you’ll like it! Pkt. Limit 2 packets.
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	Katanya WATERMELON 2g seed Code: 55121 Price:$2.65 Quantity in Basket: none
85-90 days [Russian heirloom] Produces lots of 10-20 lb round green melons. Reddish-pink flesh is very sweet with small seeds. Needs a fair amount of room to grow, but isn’t as aggressive as melons that bear larger fruit. Pkt. Limit 2 packets.
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	Early Moonbeam WATERMELON, YELLOW 2g seed, USDA Certified Organic Code: 55123 Price:$2.90 Quantity in Basket: none
76 days. [Alan Kapuler] Sweet, crisp yellow icebox melon, 5-8 lbs. Thin, light green rind. Short vines make this a great melon for small gardens. Pkt (2g, 38 seeds) Limit 2 packets
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WATERMELON (Citrullus lanatus) CULTURE: Culture of watermelon is similar to cantaloupe. Watermelon vines require anywhere from 36 to l00 square feet of vine space per hill, depending on variety. Be careful not to disturb watermelon vines while cultivating around them. Watermelons are planted in cool soil and seedlings emerge over a period of several weeks. When planted in good melon soil under good environmental conditions melons will do well but are not as consistent producers as some other crops. HARVEST: For most varieties, fruit is mature and most desirable during a 10- to 14-day period. It may take some experience to tell when a watermelon is ripe. There are four methods commonly used to determine peak harvest stage: (l) The spot where the fruit touches the ground turns yellow. (2) Look for the presence of a dried-up tendril on the portion of the vine nearest the fruit. (3) The rind feels slightly rough and has a dull, opaque appearance, whereas immature fruit are smoother and glossier. (4) When a watermelon is ripe, it will have a hollow sound when you thump it with your knuckles: the melon sounds more like your chest when it is ripe; when green, it sounds more like your head; when over-ripe, it sounds more like your stomach. Mark Twain described it this way: A ripe melon says "punk" when thumped, a green one says "pink" or "pank". SEED SAVERS: Isolate varieties by at least 1/8 mile for home use, or 1/2 to 1 mile for pure seed. PACKET: 2 to 4 g (about 20 to 77 seeds, depending on variety, average 39 seeds). NOTE: All watermelons are limited to two packets per variety.