"Icebox" sized melon experience anybody?

[Jared77]

Just wondering if anybody has grown the smaller icebox melons?

Saw them posted here and it got me wondering. We like our watermelon but when there's only a handful of us eating them its tough to justify some of the big old time melons that I remember as a kid. I had thought to split up our garden with 2 kinds of watermelons so we'd have some for family get togethers and others for personal use. The short vines are also an attractive option.

Was wondering if anybody has any feedback on them? Taste? Production? Would you grow them again?

Thank you

Jared

 

[lesa]

I have only grown the sugar babies. They are great. A gigantic watermelon is a bit much for us, too. They are ready to harvest a lot earlier, which is very important here in zone 4. The vines on mine, were very compact, but had tons of fruit.

 

[hoodat]

I second the sugar babies. Just the right size for one or two people. There is also a yellow form of it if you prefer the yellow fleshed watermelons.

 

[wifezilla]

I buy sugar babies at the farmer's market. Good stuff. Another good option is the collective farm woman melon. Single serving size and easy to grow.

 

[sheaviance1]

I thought all watermelons were single serving

I agree, you can't go wrong with the sugar babies. Not only are they super sweet, but they stay small and produce quite a few melons. I love the color of the rinds too, makes a striking piece of melon with the deep green rind and deep red flesh.

 

[hoodat]

BTW Sugar Baby is also the preferred pollinator for seedless watermelons.

 

[Nyboy]

Wow. I didn't think you could grow watermelon in NY.

 

[wifezilla]

I can't grow it well in my area. That is why I grow Collective Farm Woman melons and buy my sugar babies from the farmer's market.

 

[digitS']

Wow. I didn't think you could grow watermelon in NY.

And, it isn't much of a sure thing here, either. Sugar Baby is only ripe at the last minute of the season. Aaaaand, I'm not terribly happy with all the seeds.

The yellow melons are said to be a little earlier, in the catalogs. I don't get any interest from DW in a "yellow" watermelon but I just may sneak some in to see how they do.

I will go back to growing Honey Girl charentais since another early variety of that type (Edonis), essential failed this year. Honey Girl isn't a sure thing but probably 4 years out of 5, I've got lovely charentais .

I'd better try something different than Fastbreak as my cantaloupe choice. Maybe plant some seeds of that one but I really need to get one just a little earlier . . . maybe a single-serving type.

Passport galia melons are my best bets . I don't think the "official" days-to-maturity is much shorter but, apparently, they can grow a little better with our cool nights. It isn't that I'm hopelessly enamored with the flavor (may save that passion for Honey Girl ) but a ripe melon is a ripe melon . . . and, the earlier they begin to show up the better!

Steve

 

[wifezilla]

charentais

I got one melon from 1 plant this year...but it was

Squirrels got the rest. Evil jerks.