Watermelon Crimson Sweet
Citrullus lanatus 'Crimson Sweet'
The gold standard watermelon that has dominated home gardens for decades with its perfect balance of reliability and flavor. This variety produces large, round fruits with distinctive light and dark green stripes and incredibly sweet, deep red flesh. Crimson Sweet is beloved for its consistent performance, disease resistance, and classic watermelon taste that defines summer.
Harvest
80-100d
Days to harvest
Sun
Full sun
Zones
4–11
USDA hardiness
Height
4-8 inches
Planting Timeline
Showing dates for Watermelon Crimson Sweet in USDA Zone 7
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Watermelon Crimson Sweet · Zones 4–11
Growing Details
Zone-by-Zone Planting Calendar
| Zone | Indoor Start | Transplant | Direct Sow | Harvest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zone 3 | May – May | June – July | June – August | October – October |
| Zone 4 | April – May | June – June | June – July | September – October |
| Zone 5 | April – April | May – June | May – July | September – October |
| Zone 6 | April – April | May – June | May – July | September – October |
| Zone 7 | March – April | May – May | May – June | August – October |
| Zone 8 | March – March | April – May | April – June | August – September |
| Zone 9 | February – February | March – April | March – May | July – August |
| Zone 10 | January – February | March – March | March – April | June – August |
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
Store whole Crimson Sweet watermelons at room temperature for up to one week or refrigerate for 2-3 weeks maximum. Avoid storing below 50°F, which causes chilling injury and degrades texture. Once cut, wrap tightly and refrigerate for 3-5 days—the high sugar content makes cut melons prone to rapid spoilage.
For preservation, cube the flesh and freeze in single layers on baking sheets before transferring to freezer bags—perfect for smoothies though texture becomes soft when thawed. Dehydrate thin slices at 135°F for 8-12 hours to create concentrated watermelon leather. The rinds make excellent pickles when processed with vinegar and spices, extending your harvest enjoyment well into fall. Juice extraction works beautifully with overripe fruits, and the juice freezes well in ice cube trays for year-round use in beverages.
History & Origin
Crimson Sweet was developed by Dr. Charles Hall at Kansas State University in the 1960s through careful selective breeding aimed at creating the perfect home garden watermelon. Released commercially in 1963, this hybrid quickly became the gold standard against which all other watermelons are measured. Dr. Hall specifically bred for disease resistance, consistent fruit size, and exceptional sweetness while maintaining the classic striped appearance that defines the archetypal American watermelon.
The variety gained widespread adoption during the 1970s and 1980s as home gardening surged in popularity, becoming synonymous with backyard summer harvests. Its name reflects the deep crimson flesh color that was revolutionary at the time—many earlier varieties had pale pink or white flesh. Today, Crimson Sweet remains the most widely grown watermelon variety in home gardens across North America, testament to Dr. Hall's breeding genius. Its genetic influence appears in countless modern watermelon varieties, making it truly the founding father of contemporary watermelon breeding programs.
Advantages
- +Attracts: Bees
- +Edible: The fruit can be eaten raw or pickled. The rind is edible after cooking.
Companion Plants
Plant Together
Nasturtiums
Repels cucumber beetles, aphids, and squash bugs that commonly attack melons
Marigolds
Deters nematodes and various insects while attracting beneficial pollinators
Radishes
Helps break up compacted soil and may deter cucumber beetles and squash vine borers
Beans
Fixes nitrogen in soil to benefit heavy-feeding melons without competing for space
Sunflowers
Provides natural trellis support and attracts pollinators and beneficial insects
Oregano
Repels aphids, cucumber beetles, and other pests while attracting beneficial insects
Corn
Provides wind protection and vertical growing space without root competition
Catnip
Strongly repels aphids, ants, and cucumber beetles that damage melon plants
Keep Apart
Potatoes
Compete for similar nutrients and may harbor diseases that affect melon family plants
Fennel
Inhibits growth of most garden plants through allelopathic compounds
Sage
May inhibit melon growth and development through allelopathic effects
Nutrition Facts
Per 100g serving. % Daily Value based on 2,000 calorie diet. Source: USDA FoodData Central (FDC #167765)
Pests & Disease Resistance
Resistance
Resistant to anthracnose and fusarium wilt
Common Pests
Cucumber beetles, aphids, squash vine borers, spider mites
Diseases
Powdery mildew, downy mildew, bacterial fruit blotch, gummy stem blight