Watermelons can now be found in stores almost all year round, which is especially true for the easier-to-transport, small-fruited Sugar Baby variety. You can also plant the delicious fruits yourself in a warm location in the garden.
How to grow watermelon from seeds?
To grow watermelons from seeds, choose suitable seeds such as Crimson Sweet or Sugar Baby, take seeds from commercially available fruits or buy them from specialist stores. Grow the seeds indoors from mid-April and plant them in May when temperatures are frost-free.
The cultural and historical significance of watermelon seeds
The watermelon botanically belongs to the so-called pumpkin family (Cucurbitaceae), as it is closely related to pumpkins and looks relatively similar to them with the growth of its 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 a flesh as the watermelon we know. However, what contributed to the spread of melons around the world was the fact that, despite their rather bitter taste, seafarers took them with them as provisions on longer passages a few centuries ago. This was due to the abundance of seeds in these early watermelons, because the seeds could be used to prepare nutritious dishes and also grind them into flour. The watermelon spread early in Egypt, Persia and Asia Minor.
Select suitable seeds for cultivation
When selling seeds, specialist retailers usually base their cultivation of watermelons on the standard varieties of the commercial trade. These are the Crimson Sweet with its huge fruits and the smaller, but also slightly sweeter tasting Sugar Baby. 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 of a maximum of 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 carefully
Grow the seeds in loose, nutrient-rich soil on the windowsill from mid-April so that you can plant them in May when the temperatures are frost-free. So that you don't injure the sensitive roots, it is advisable to sow two or three seeds in a spring pot or in another pot that can rot.
Tips & Tricks
Please note that hybrid varieties are generally not suitable for further breeding over subsequent generations.