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Melons — Watermelon, Cantaloupe, Honeydew (Citrullus lanatus / Cucumis melo)

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Melons — Watermelon, Cantaloupe, Honeydew (Citrullus lanatus / Cucumis melo)

layout: base.njk title: Melons description: Growing Melons in West Virginia (Zone 6b/7a) category: warm-season

Quick Reference: See detailed growing information below

Type: Annual
Family: Cucurbitaceae (Gourd/Squash Family)
Sun: Full sun (6-8+ hours)
Water: Moderate to High (1-2" per week; reduce near harvest for sweeter fruit)
Soil pH: 6.0-6.8
Hardiness: Annual (frost-tender, heat-loving)

🌱 Expected Yield

  • Watermelon: 2-4 fruits per plant (10-30 lbs each, variety dependent)
  • Cantaloupe: 4-8 fruits per plant (2-4 lbs each)
  • Honeydew: 2-4 fruits per plant (4-8 lbs each)
  • Per hill (3 plants): 6-12 melons total
  • Notes: Melons require long, warm growing season—challenging but possible in Zone 6b/7a. Black plastic mulch essential for soil warming. Adequate pollination critical (multiple visits by bees needed for proper fruit set).

Reduce watering near harvest for sweeter, more flavorful fruit..

🏺 Heirloom Varieties

WATERMELON (Citrullus lanatus)

'Sugar Baby'

  • Source: Baker Creek (rareseeds.com), Seed Savers Exchange (seedsavers.org), Southern Exposure (southernexposure.com)
  • Days: 75 days
  • Notes: Icebox type (small, 8-10 lbs). Dark green rind, deep red flesh. Sweet, crisp. Early maturing—best for short seasons. Bush habit. Excellent for Zone 6. 1950s variety.

'Black Diamond'

  • Source: Seed Savers Exchange, Baker Creek, Southern Exposure
  • Days: 90 days
  • Notes: Large (30-50 lbs). Dark green-black rind. Red flesh, sweet. Traditional Southern variety. Requires long season. Good storage. Heirloom from 1920s.

'Moon and Stars'

  • Source: Baker Creek, Seed Savers Exchange, Southern Exposure
  • Days: 90 days
  • Notes: Distinctive spotted rind (dark green with yellow spots). Pink-red flesh. 20-40 lbs. Sweet, excellent flavor. Russian heirloom. Beautiful and delicious. Requires warm season.

'Crimson Sweet'

  • Source: Baker Creek, Southern Exposure, most seed companies
  • Days: 75 days
  • Notes: Striped green rind. Red flesh. 20-25 lbs. Sweet, reliable. Disease-resistant. 1960s variety. Good for Zone 6. Standard commercial variety for decades.

'Georgia Rattlesnake'

  • Source: Seed Savers Exchange, Baker Creek, Southern Exposure
  • Days: 90 days
  • Notes: Pre-1870 Southern heirloom. Gray-green rind with darker stripes ( resembles rattlesnake). Red flesh. 30-50 lbs. Sweet, excellent flavor. Heat-tolerant. Cultural significance in African-American communities.

'Charleston Gray'

  • Source: Seed Savers Exchange, Baker Creek, Southern Exposure
  • Days: 85 days
  • Notes: Light gray-green rind. Red flesh. 30-40 lbs. Sweet, crisp. Disease-resistant. 1950s variety. Good shipping quality. Standard Southern commercial variety.

'Allsweet'

  • Source: Baker Creek, Southern Exposure
  • Days: 85 days
  • Notes: Light green rind, minimal striping. Red flesh. 25-35 lbs. Sweet, firm. Good storage. 1960s variety. Reliable producer.

'Yellow Doll'

  • Source: Baker Creek, Seed Savers Exchange
  • Days: 70 days
  • Notes: Early yellow-fleshed watermelon. 5-7 lbs. Sweet, honey-like flavor. Icebox size. Bush habit. 1960s. Good for short seasons. Unique color.

'Desert King'

  • Source: Baker Creek, Southern Exposure
  • Days: 80 days
  • Notes: Light green rind. Pink-red flesh. 15-25 lbs. Exceptionally sweet. Heat-tolerant. 1980s. Good for Zone 6. Reliable producer.

'Blacktail Mountain'

  • Source: Baker Creek, Seed Savers Exchange
  • Days: 70 days
  • Notes: Very early. Dark green rind. Red flesh. 6-12 lbs. Sweet, crisp. Bush habit. Developed for short seasons (Montana). Excellent for Zone 6.

'Golden Midget'

  • Source: Baker Creek, Seed Savers Exchange
  • Days: 70 days
  • Notes: Small (3-5 lbs). Rind turns golden when ripe (easy to tell maturity). Pink flesh. Sweet. Bush habit. 1950s. Good for children's gardens.

'Orangeglo'

  • Source: Baker Creek, Seed Savers Exchange, Southern Exposure
  • Days: 90 days
  • Notes: Green striped rind. Bright orange flesh. 20-30 lbs. Sweet, tropical flavor. Heirloom. Unique color. Requires warm season.

'Jubilee'

  • Source: Southern Exposure, Baker Creek
  • Days: 85 days
  • Notes: Light green rind, minimal stripes. Red flesh. 25-35 lbs. Sweet, crisp. Disease-resistant. 1960s. Reliable producer. Standard commercial variety.

'Peacock Paw'

  • Source: Seed Savers Exchange, Baker Creek
  • Days: 85 days
  • Notes: Striped rind with peacock feather pattern. Red flesh. 20-30 lbs. Sweet, excellent flavor. Russian heirloom. Beautiful. Requires warm season.

'Cream of Saskatchewan'

  • Source: Baker Creek, Seed Savers Exchange
  • Days: 80 days
  • Notes: Striped rind. Pale yellow-white flesh. 15-20 lbs. Sweet, cucumber-like flavor. Unique. 1800s heirloom brought by Russian immigrants. Cool-tolerant.

HONEYDEW / CASABA (Cucumis melo subsp. inodorus)

'Green Flesh Honeydew'

  • Source: Baker Creek, Seed Savers Exchange, Southern Exposure
  • Days: 90 days
  • Notes: Classic honeydew. 4-6 lbs. Pale green flesh. Sweet, mild. Smooth white rind. 1940s. Standard commercial honeydew. Excellent storage.

'Orange Flesh Honeydew'

  • Source: Baker Creek, Baker Creek, Southern Exposure
  • Days: 90 days
  • Notes: 4-6 lbs. Salmon-orange flesh. Sweeter than green flesh. Smooth creamy rind. 1980s. More tropical flavor. Good storage.

'Golden Beauty'

  • Source: Baker Creek, Southern Exposure
  • Days: 95 days
  • Notes: 5-7 lbs. Golden-yellow rind. Pale green flesh. Sweet. Smooth skin. Requires long season. Beautiful color.

'Crenshaw'

  • Source: Baker Creek, Seed Savers Exchange, Southern Exposure
  • Days: 95 days
  • Notes: Large (6-8 lbs). Salmon-orange flesh. Exceptionally sweet, spicy. Warty, yellow-green rind. Cross between Casaba and Persian. 1800s heirloom. Excellent flavor.

'Santa Claus' (Christmas Melon)

  • Source: Baker Creek, Seed Savers Exchange
  • Days: 100 days
  • Notes: Large (6-8 lbs). Pale green flesh. Mild, sweet. Speckled green-yellow rind. Stores 2-3 months (ripens in storage). Named for winter availability. Spanish heirloom.

'Juan Canary'

  • Source: Baker Creek, Southern Exposure
  • Days: 95 days
  • Notes: 4-6 lbs. Pale green-white flesh. Sweet, mild. Bright yellow rind. Smooth skin. Spanish origin. Good storage.

'Tigger'

  • Source: Baker Creek, Seed Savers Exchange
  • Days: 85 days
  • Notes: Small (1-2 lbs). White flesh. Sweet, cucumber-like. Striped yellow-white (tiger stripes). Armenian/Georgian heirloom. Early. Unique appearance.

'Kolkhoznitsa' (Collective Farm Girl)

  • Source: Baker Creek, Seed Savers Exchange
  • Days: 85 days
  • Notes: Small (1-2 lbs). White flesh. Sweet. Yellow rind. Russian variety. Early. Cold-tolerant. Good for Zone 6.

🌾 Seed Saving

Method: 1. Choose fully ripe fruit from healthy, vigorous plants (for watermelon: ripe when ground spot turns yellow and tap sounds hollow; for cantaloupe: slips easily from vine; for honeydew: rind turns creamy and slight give at blossom end) 2. Cut melon open; scoop out seeds (cantaloupe/muskmelon seeds are easy to separate; watermelon seeds more embedded) 3.

Place seeds in bucket with warm water; ferment 1-2 days for cantaloupe/watermelon (kills pathogens, separates viable seeds) 4. Viable seeds sink; pour off floating seeds and pulp 5. Rub seeds in colander to remove remaining fibers 6.

Spread on glass plate, ceramic plate, or screen (not paper—seeds stick) 7. Dry in well-ventilated, shaded area 1-2 weeks, turning occasionally 8. When completely dry (seeds snap, not bend), store in paper envelope or glass jar.

Isolation Distance: - Cross-pollination: Both watermelon and melons require insect pollination and cross readily within species - Watermelon (Citrullus lanatus): Isolate 1/2 to 1 mile between varieties (or hand-pollinate) - Cantaloupe/Muskmelon (Cucumis melo): Isolate 1/2 to 1 mile between varieties (or hand-pollinate) - Different species: Watermelon (Citrullus) does NOT cross with cantaloupe/honeydew (Cucumis) - For home gardeners: Grow one variety per species OR hand-pollinate female flowers in early morning, cover with mesh bags

Viability: 5-8 years under proper storage (cool, dry, dark). Germination rates remain high through year 6.

Special Notes: - Save from multiple plants (minimum 5) to maintain genetic diversity - For heirlooms, select for desired traits (sweetness, earliness, disease resistance) - Watermelon and cantaloupe seeds are easy to save—excellent for beginners - Ripeness indicators: - Watermelon: Ground spot yellow, tap sounds hollow, tendril nearest fruit turns brown - Cantaloupe: "Full slip" when fruit separates easily from vine with gentle pressure - Honeydew: Rind turns creamy, slight give at blossom end, subtle fragrance - Label carefully—seeds look similar across varieties - Hand-pollination technique: Identify male flowers (thin stem) and female flowers (small fruit at base). In early morning (before bees active), pick male flower, peel back petals, brush pollen onto female flower stigma. Cover with mesh bag for 1-2 days.

Added to WV Planting Guide 26155 — The Loop Farmstead

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