Sugar Baby Watermelon
Citrullus lanatus var. lanatus
Round fruits, 6-8" in diameter, averaging 8-10 lb. Ripe melons are almost black. Good flavor. Tough rinds resist cracking. The standard of "icebox" melons for many years. Avg. 1-2 fruits/plant.
Harvest
76d
Days to harvest
Sun
Full sun
Zones
3–11
USDA hardiness
Height
4-8 inches
Planting Timeline
Showing dates for Sugar Baby Watermelon in USDA Zone 7
All Zone 7 melon →Zone Map
Click a state to update dates
Sugar Baby Watermelon · Zones 3–11
Growing Details
Zone-by-Zone Planting Calendar
| Zone | Indoor Start | Transplant | Direct Sow | Harvest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zone 3 | May – May | June – July | June – August | September – October |
| Zone 4 | April – May | June – June | June – July | September – October |
| Zone 5 | April – April | May – June | May – July | August – October |
| Zone 6 | April – April | May – June | May – July | August – October |
| Zone 7 | March – April | May – May | May – June | August – September |
| Zone 8 | March – March | April – May | April – June | July – September |
| Zone 9 | February – February | March – April | March – May | June – August |
| Zone 10 | January – February | March – March | March – April | June – July |
Complete Growing Guide
Light: #yellow flowers#showy fruits#vegetable garden#edible fruits#edible garden#fruits summer#vine#warm season vegetable#edible#annual#early childhood#child#children#preschool#early care#easy edibles#hortcontest. Soil: Loam (Silt). Soil pH: Neutral (6.0-8.0). Drainage: Good Drainage, Moist. Water: SIT-troo-lus la-NAY-tus. Height: 0 ft. 4 in. - 0 ft. 8 in.. Spread: 5 ft. 0 in. - 10 ft. 0 in.. Growth rate: Medium. Maintenance: Medium. Propagation: Seed. Regions: Coastal, Mountains, Piedmont.
Harvesting
The plant produces melons which are large modified berries called a pepo. They are rounded to oval mottled green with darker green rind. Black, cream or mottled colored elliptic seeds. Flesh general red or pink but can also be yellowish.
Color: Green. Type: Berry. Length: > 3 inches. Width: > 3 inches.
Garden value: Edible
Harvest time: Summer
Bloom time: Spring, Summer
Edibility: The fruit can be eaten raw or pickled. The rind is edible after cooking.
Storage & Preservation
Whole Sugar Baby watermelons store best at room temperature (70-75°F) for up to one week, developing better flavor than those immediately refrigerated. Once cut, wrap pieces tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 5 days — the compact size makes this variety perfect for standard refrigerator storage.
For preservation, cut flesh into cubes and freeze in freezer bags for up to 6 months — perfect for smoothies and agua fresca, though texture becomes soft when thawed. Pickle the rinds by removing the green skin and pink flesh, then cutting white rind into strips for traditional pickled watermelon rind recipes. Dehydrate cubes at 135°F for 8-12 hours to create chewy watermelon leather, or juice the flesh and freeze in ice cube trays for convenient smoothie additions.
History & Origin
Sugar Baby watermelon was developed by M.C. Parker at the Oklahoma Agricultural Experiment Station and introduced commercially in 1956. This breakthrough variety was specifically bred to solve the home gardener's dilemma — traditional watermelons were simply too large for small families and refrigerators, often reaching 20-30 pounds or more.
Parker crossed smaller "icebox" type melons to create a compact variety that maintained the sweet flavor and crisp texture of full-sized watermelons while producing manageable 6-10 pound fruits. The name "Sugar Baby" reflected both its sweetness and smaller stature compared to field varieties.
This variety revolutionized home watermelon growing and sparked the development of numerous other compact watermelon varieties. Sugar Baby became the standard by which other personal-sized watermelons were measured and remains one of the most popular home garden varieties nearly 70 years after its introduction. Its success proved that smaller could indeed be better, making homegrown watermelon accessible to suburban gardeners with limited space.
Advantages
- +Attracts: Bees
- +Edible: The fruit can be eaten raw or pickled. The rind is edible after cooking.
Companion Plants
Plant Together
Basil
Repels aphids, whiteflies, and mosquitoes while potentially improving melon flavor
Marigolds
Repel cucumber beetles, aphids, and nematodes that commonly attack melons
Nasturtiums
Act as trap crop for cucumber beetles and aphids, drawing pests away from melons
Radishes
Deter cucumber beetles and squash bugs while improving soil structure
Bush Beans
Fix nitrogen in soil to benefit heavy-feeding melons without competing for space
Oregano
Repels ants, aphids, and cucumber beetles with strong aromatic compounds
Sunflowers
Provide beneficial shade and attract pollinators essential for melon fruit set
Lettuce
Acts as living mulch, conserving soil moisture that melons require
Keep Apart
Fennel
Releases allelopathic compounds that inhibit growth of melons and most garden plants
Potatoes
Compete heavily for nutrients and may harbor diseases that affect melon vines
Aromatic Herbs (Sage)
Strong oils can inhibit melon seed germination and slow vine growth
Nutrition Facts
Per 100g serving. % Daily Value based on 2,000 calorie diet. Source: USDA FoodData Central (FDC #167765)
Pests & Disease Resistance
Resistance
Good resistance to anthracnose and fusarium wilt
Common Pests
Cucumber beetles, squash bugs, aphids, spider mites
Diseases
Powdery mildew, downy mildew, bacterial wilt, gummy stem blight