Watermelon Seeds
Filters
Sugar Baby is the compact, icebox watermelon that made backyard watermelon growing accessible to gardeners everywhere — a perfectly round, dark-gre...
View full detailsCucamelon — the Mexican Sour Gherkin — is the garden conversation starter that tastes as fun as it looks: grape-sized fruits that look exactly like...
View full detailsOne of the most beloved backyard watermelons ever developed, Crimson Sweet produces beautiful round fruits with classic light green rinds boldly st...
View full detailsDeveloped in the mountains of Idaho for short, cool summers, this compact heirloom watermelon delivers crisp, sweet, brilliant red flesh in just 76...
View full detailsMoon and Stars Watermelon is one of the most visually extraordinary plants in all of horticulture — the deep green rind is scattered with a single ...
View full detailsA classic icebox watermelon producing 8–10 pound, nearly round fruits with dark green rind and brilliantly sweet, deep red flesh — a compact variet...
View full detailsSugar Baby Watermelon is the compact, backyard-friendly watermelon that makes homegrown melon possible even for gardeners with limited space — the ...
View full detailsTendersweet Orange Watermelon is a genuinely surprising and delightful variety with the familiar striped exterior of a classic watermelon but a stu...
View full detailsCrimson Sweet Watermelon is the definitive backyard watermelon — classically striped, outrageously sweet, and weighing in at 15–25 pounds of crisp,...
View full detailsDixie Queen Watermelon is a unique and striking variety with a reversed rind pattern from the typical watermelon — dark green on the inside of the ...
View full detailsJubilee Watermelon is an icon of the Deep South — a large, classically striped, oblong watermelon acclaimed as one of the finest varieties for hot ...
View full detailsCal-Sweet Watermelon is a picturesque classic with beautiful dark green striped skin and sweet, brilliant red flesh that delivers the quintessentia...
View full detailsBlack Diamond Watermelon is a bold and dramatic heirloom with deep, dark green-almost-black skin and brilliant, sweet red flesh that can grow to a ...
View full details1.0 / 5.0
1 Review
A productive, early icebox watermelon yielding personal-sized 6–8 pound fruits with vivid yellow flesh, crisp texture, and high sugar content. Comp...
View full detailsReintroduced in 1987 by SESE, this Amish heirloom is possibly a variant of the Sun, Moon, and Stars watermelon introduced in 1920. The variety prod...
View full details4.0 / 5.0
1 Review
Early Moonbeam is a sweet, crisp yellow icebox watermelon weighing 5 to 8 pounds, with a thin, light green rind. Its short vines make it an excelle...
View full detailsOrangeglo Watermelon is one of the sweetest watermelons available — medium-sized 10–15 lb fruits with striking dark green skin that conceals extrao...
View full detailsA legendary American heirloom with large, dark green fruits dramatically speckled with a single yellow moon and dozens of smaller yellow stars — ea...
View full detailsSugar Baby, introduced in 1959, is a reliable icebox-type watermelon producing 6–10 pound fruits with a hard rind that turns green-black when ripe ...
View full detailsStrawberry Watermelon was selected from a Florida heirloom and introduced by Southern Exposure Seed Exchange in 1989, producing long 8 x 20 inch me...
View full detailsSweet Siberian Watermelon is a cold-tolerant heirloom developed for short-season growing conditions with sprawling, vigorous vines that produce sub...
View full detailsCrimson Sweet, released in 1964, is a medium-sized striped melon typically weighing 23–27 pounds with great-tasting flesh and notable tolerance to ...
View full detailsStone Mountain is a Southern heirloom from 1923 that was a commercial bestseller through the 1930s and 1940s, producing slightly oval fruits averag...
View full detailsWatermelon Seeds for Sweet, Juicy Summer Harvests
There's a reason a cold slice of watermelon tastes like summer, and growing your own is more approachable than the sprawling vines suggest. Our collection of watermelon seeds spans classic red-fleshed picnic melons, compact icebox types, and yellow and orange varieties you'll rarely find at a grocery store. Filter by organic status, heirloom type, and days to maturity to find watermelon seeds for planting that suit your season and your space. Both organic and conventional options are available, and each listing notes which is which.
Watermelon Seed Varieties, from Icebox Melons to Moon and Stars
Classic red-fleshed picks include Crimson Sweet, Charleston Grey, Jubilee, Dixie Queen, Cal-Sweet, and Black Diamond, the last of which grows into a serious, heavy melon. Short on space or want a single-serving fruit? Sugar Baby, Baby Doll F1, and Golden Midget are compact icebox types, and Blacktail Mtn. is a good candidate for shorter seasons. For something beyond red, Tendersweet Orange, Orangeglo, Early Moonbeam, and Sweet Siberian offer orange and golden flesh, while Moon and Stars and Amish Moon And Stars are heirlooms with a dark, yellow-speckled rind that looks like a night sky. There's also Cucamelon, a grape-sized, cucumber-textured cousin that looks like a miniature watermelon and makes a fun addition to the same bed.
Watermelon Seed Planting: Warm Soil and a Long Season
Watermelons are among the most heat-hungry crops in the garden, and we recommend waiting until soil four inches down reaches 60 to 65°F, and never planting before the last chance of frost. Then comes the long wait: most of the varieties in this collection list 76 to 90 days to maturity, so a late start can leave you with fruit that isn't ready before fall. The Seedtime garden planning software takes the guesswork out by building a planting calendar around your location and frost dates, and because melon vines take up a lot of room, the layout planner helps you give each hill the space it needs.
Buy Watermelon Seeds with One Shipping Charge
When you buy watermelon seeds here, you can add seeds from multiple suppliers to a single order and pay one flat shipping charge, or qualify for free standard shipping on Seedtime-fulfilled orders of $49 or more to the lower 48 states. Paid Seedtime members get 20% off seed packets marked "Fulfilled by Seedtime" and 5% off everything else in the store. You can start planning for free, and if you want unlimited calendars and layouts along with those store discounts, compare Seedtime's plans to find the right fit. Whether you want a single icebox melon or a full patch of watermelon seed packets for the whole family, it all ships together.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I start watermelon seeds indoors or sow them directly in the garden?
+
Direct sowing is the safer choice, since watermelons dislike having their roots disturbed and can stall after transplanting. If your season is short enough that you need a head start, start seeds a few weeks before your last frost in individual biodegradable pots that can go straight into the ground, keep them warm, and harden them off before planting out.
How do I know when a watermelon is ripe?
+
Size and color alone can fool you, so check a few signs together. The curly tendril closest to the fruit stem should turn brown and dry, the patch where the melon rests on the ground should shift from white to a creamy yellow, and the rind should lose its glossy shine and turn dull. A ripe melon also gives a deeper, hollow sound when you tap it than an unripe one does. Yellow and orange varieties may look different from red types, so it helps to read the days-to-maturity note for your specific variety.
Why is my watermelon vine full of flowers but not setting fruit?
+
Watermelon plants produce separate male and female flowers, and the male ones usually open first, so an early flush of blooms with no fruit is normal. Fruit only sets once female flowers, which have a tiny melon at the base, are pollinated by bees. Cold snaps, extreme heat, or a shortage of pollinators can all interfere, so planting flowers nearby and avoiding pesticide use around the vines encourages better fruit set.