6 Best Watermelon Starts For Short Growing Seasons Old Farmers Swear By
A short growing season doesn’t mean no watermelon. Discover 6 fast-maturing, farmer-tested varieties for a sweet, reliable harvest before the first frost.
There’s nothing more disappointing than thumping a watermelon you’ve babied all summer, only to cut it open and find a pale, flavorless interior. For those of us with short growing seasons, that risk feels a lot higher. The window between the last spring frost and the first autumn chill is tight, and a long-season melon is a gamble you often lose.
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Why Days-to-Maturity Matters for Melons
The number on the seed packet, "days to maturity," is your most important starting point. This isn’t just a suggestion; it’s a critical piece of your garden planning calendar. It tells you the approximate time from transplanting a healthy seedling into the garden until you can expect a ripe melon.
Many gardeners make the mistake of counting from the day they sow the seed, but the clock really starts once the plant is in its final outdoor home. You need to take that number, add a couple of weeks as a buffer for cool weather or slow starts, and then count backwards from your average first frost date. If that lands you planting before your soil is warm enough (at least 65-70°F), that variety is a poor fit for your climate.
For northern gardeners or those at high elevations, a melon that needs 95 or 100 days is a recipe for failure. Choosing a variety that matures in 70 to 80 days drastically increases your odds of success. It’s the difference between a sweet, juicy harvest and a compost-pile disappointment.
Sugar Baby: The Classic Icebox Watermelon
If you ask a seasoned gardener to name a reliable, fast-growing watermelon, "Sugar Baby" is often the first one they’ll mention. It’s been a backyard staple since the 1950s for good reason. It’s dependable, productive, and doesn’t demand a massive amount of garden space.
Maturing in about 75 days, Sugar Baby fits comfortably into most shorter seasons. The melons are small, typically 6 to 10 pounds, with a dark green rind and classic bright red flesh. Their "icebox" size means they actually fit in the refrigerator, a practical consideration many people overlook. The flavor is consistently sweet and the texture is crisp, making it a perfect all-around choice for anyone who just wants a guaranteed good watermelon.
Blacktail Mountain: A Cold Climate Champion
This melon is a true game-changer for anyone who thought they couldn’t grow watermelons. Developed in Idaho, Blacktail Mountain was specifically bred to thrive in cool nights and short seasons. It’s one of the most reliable and fastest-maturing heirlooms you can find.
With a maturity date of around 70 days, it’s often one of the first melons to ripen in the patch. Don’t let its cold tolerance fool you; the 7-to-12-pound fruits have a deep red, incredibly sweet flesh that rivals any long-season variety. It holds well on the vine and even better after picking, getting sweeter for a week or two in storage.
For growers in places like Montana, Maine, or the Pacific Northwest, this isn’t just an option; it’s often the option. Its ability to set fruit in cooler temperatures where other varieties stall is its defining characteristic. If you’ve failed with melons before because of a cool summer, Blacktail Mountain is the variety to try.
Golden Midget: A Self-Indicating Ripe Melon
Guessing when a watermelon is ripe is an art form that frustrates even experienced growers. The Golden Midget takes all the guesswork out of the equation. This small, personal-sized melon has a brilliant trick: its rind turns a vibrant golden-yellow when it’s perfectly ripe.
Maturing in a quick 70 days, this variety is ideal for very short seasons and for gardeners new to growing melons. The fruits are small, just 3 to 5 pounds, making them perfect for single servings or small families. The flesh is a lovely salmon-pink color with a refreshing, sweet flavor.
The self-indicating rind is more than a novelty; it’s a practical tool. It teaches you what a ripe melon looks and feels like without the risk of cutting one open too early. For anyone tired of the "thump and guess" method, the Golden Midget is a foolproof and delicious solution.
New Hampshire Midget: Northern Garden Staple
Developed by the University of New Hampshire in the 1950s, this melon was engineered for one purpose: producing ripe fruit in the short, cool summers of New England. It’s an early, compact, and reliable producer that has earned its place in northern gardens for decades.
This variety matures in about 70-75 days, producing small, 3-to-5-pound melons with a light green, striped rind. The vines are much more compact than traditional watermelon plants, making them suitable for smaller gardens or even large containers. The flesh is red, sweet, and has a fine texture.
The New Hampshire Midget is a workhorse. It may not be the flashiest melon in the seed catalog, but it consistently delivers a harvest when other, more ambitious varieties fail. It’s a testament to the power of choosing a plant that is bred for your specific climate challenges.
Cream of Saskatchewan: Unique Heirloom Choice
For those looking for something a little different, the Cream of Saskatchewan is a fantastic heirloom with a story. Originating with Russian immigrants who settled in the Canadian prairies, this melon is naturally adapted to short, cool growing seasons. Its name tells you everything you need to know about its hardiness.
Maturing in around 80 days, it’s on the longer end of this list but still well within reach for most northern gardeners. The melons are round, about 8 to 10 pounds, with a thin, light green rind striped in dark green. The real surprise is inside: the flesh is a creamy white to pale yellow color, with a delicate, crisp texture and a wonderfully refreshing sweetness.
Because the rind is so thin, it’s not a great melon for shipping, which is why you’ll rarely find it in a store. That makes it a perfect choice for the home gardener. It offers a unique flavor and color that stands out from the typical red-fleshed melons.
Little Baby Flower: A Fast Hybrid Producer
Sometimes, you just want speed and productivity, and that’s where a modern hybrid can shine. Little Baby Flower is a compact, fast-maturing hybrid known for its vigor and high yields. If your primary goal is to get as many ripe melons as possible from a small space in a short time, this is a top contender.
This variety is exceptionally fast, often ready in just 70 days from transplant. The personal-sized, 2-to-4-pound melons are nearly seedless with a crisp, super-sweet red flesh. The vines are compact and manageable, and they set fruit reliably, even when conditions aren’t perfect.
The main tradeoff here is that, as an F1 hybrid, you can’t save the seeds and expect them to grow true-to-type next year. But for the hobby farmer focused on a successful harvest this season, the reliability and speed offered by a variety like Little Baby Flower can be a very smart choice.
Giving Your Watermelons a Vital Head Start
Choosing the right variety is half the battle; the other half is technique. Watermelons are heat-loving plants, and our short seasons often feature cool, wet springs that can stunt or kill young seedlings. The single best thing you can do is give them a head start indoors.
Start your seeds in 3- or 4-inch biodegradable pots about 3 to 4 weeks before your last expected frost date. Using peat or coir pots is crucial because watermelons hate having their roots disturbed. You can plant the entire pot directly in the ground, minimizing transplant shock.
These seedlings need warmth to thrive. A simple heat mat set to 75-85°F under your seed trays will dramatically improve germination rates and early growth. Once the seedlings are up, give them plenty of light from a south-facing window or a simple shop light to keep them from getting leggy.
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Before moving them outside, you must harden them off. This means gradually acclimating them to outdoor conditions over 7 to 10 days. Start with an hour in a sheltered, shady spot and slowly increase the time and sun exposure each day. This process strengthens the plant and prepares it for the rigors of the garden, ensuring your head start isn’t wasted.
Success with watermelons in a short season isn’t about luck; it’s about strategy. By pairing a fast-maturing, cold-tolerant variety with the simple technique of starting seeds indoors, you can tip the odds decisively in your favor. This year, you can be the one cutting into a perfectly ripe, homegrown watermelon, enjoying the sweet taste of a well-planned harvest.
