24 Sweet Watermelon Varieties to Consider [Slideshow]
The onset of summer always triggers a spike in consumer demand for the taste of sweet watermelon.
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Cut Above
This new variety features a round-to-oval watermelon with a traditional triploid rind that is medium-green with dark-green stripes. The flesh is bright red and crisp with very small pips. High Brix gives it a delicious, sweet flavor. It produces high yields of 15- to 17-pound fruit with excellent shipping capabilities. Available from Clifton Seed Co.
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Bijou
Bijou is a new seedless variety that matures early, is round in shape, and averages 3.5 to 4 pounds. It has disease tolerance to Fusarium race 1 and 2, Anthracnose race 1 and 3, gummy stem blight, and downy mildew. The flesh is firm, red, and crispy, with excellent flavor. It’s perfect for an individual serving and is suitable for fresh markets and home gardens. Available from Golden Valley Seed.
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Panther
Panther F1 fruits are seedless, round in shape, and average 4.5 to 5.5 pounds. The vine is medium and spreading, and the rind is medium-thin and dark green. The flesh is very firm and bright red with a sugar content of 13.5%. It has a medium-early maturity and is resistant to Fusarium race 1 and 2, Anthracnose race 1 and 3, gummy stem blight, and downy mildew. Available from Golden Valley Seed.
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Traveler
Traveler is a high-yielding triploid, seedless, crimson sweet watermelon with a market-leading ability to set fruit under high heat conditions. Featuring uniform fruit shape and size with high Brix and crisp flesh, this variety goes the distance. Available from HM.Clause.
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Crunchy Red
This new triploid watermelon exceeds fresh cut standards and features wide growing adaptability, high Brix, appealing deep red color and great shipping ability. Available from HM.Clause.
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Troubadour
With high Brix and a deep-red color, this triploid, seedless, crimson sweet watermelon leads the competition yields, eating quality and appearance. Featuring a high bin count, mid-early maturity and a strong vine, Troubadour is the perfect addition to your field. Available from HM.Clause.
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Sunshine
The oval-round, striped melons are "icebox" size, averaging 8 to 10 pounds. Sunshine's bright yellow flesh is brittle, juicy, and very sweet. It has a strong, thin rind, that is bright-green with dark-green stripes. It features a compact vine and is tolerant to hollow heart. It averages 1 to 2 fruits per plant. Available from Johnny's Selected Seeds.
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Charismatic
Early maturity coupled with firm, crisp, flavorful flesh and tiny pips make this watermelon an easy choice for growers. Vigorous vines offer excellent yield potential and produce very uniform, mostly 45-count fruit. The attractive, round-oval fruit has a deep-red interior and a medium-green rind with dark-green stripes. Available from Sakata, and Clifton Seed Co.
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Secretariat
This beautiful 45-count racehorse belongs to a team of new watermelons that represent our next generation of breeding. Secretariat (SWT0079) is an early-maturing triploid that is very high yielding. It offers a smooth, medium-green exterior with green stripes and has a nice round-oval shape. Interior characteristics include tiny pips and firm, crisp, deep-red finish. Availble from Sakata.
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Harvest Moon
The first ever hybrid, triploid seedless watermelon to win a coveted All America Selection Award. Similar to the popular heirloom variety, ‘Moon and Stars,’ ‘Harvest Moon’ is an improvement in that it features healthy, shorter vines that produce medium-sized fruits and sweet, crisp pinkish-red flesh. ‘Harvest Moon’ retains the familiar dark green rind with yellow dots, but is seedless, earlier to ripen, higher yielding and better tasting. This high-value item is great for bedding plant growers as a transplant item. Available from Seeds By Design.
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Sweet Polly
Sweet Polly is a medium-large triploid with strong vines and exceptional rind appearance. This high-quality watermelon features dark-red flesh, and is firm with small pips. It has resistance to Fusarium wilt and Anthracnose race 1. Mostly 45 count. Available from Siegers Seed Co.
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Captivation
Captivation is a 89 day watermelon, medium-large in size, seedless, with firm red flesh, and uniform shape. Available from Stokes Seeds.
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Fascination
- Superior eye appeal; glossy, rich rind color and attractive red, firm flesh
- Very small pips and great watermelon flavor for retail markets
- Uniform 45- and 36-count blocky fruit
- Maturity is usually two to three days earlier than mid-season varieties
- Improved disease resistance with intermediate resistance to Fusarium wilt race 1 and Anthracnose race 1. Available from Syngenta.
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Exclamation
- Attractive, very firm red flesh with small-medium pips
- Larger fruit size: mostly 36- and 45-count fruit
- Uniform fruit size; blocky fruit shape
- Tends to have strong vine vigor
- Full season maturity, later than Fascination by 5 to 7 days
- Strong disease package helps to protect your field investment
- Rich Crimson Sweet rind pattern. Available from Syngenta and Stokes Seeds.
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Admiration
- The choice for buyers seeking extra-large fruit size
- Strong seedling vigor for improved transplant growth
- Good fruit set and excellent yield potential
- Great flavor for retail markets. Available from Syngenta.
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Distinction
- Very firm, red flesh with potential for fresh cut use
- Good fruit set and high yield potential
- Improved disease resistance with intermediate resistance to Fusarium wilt race 1 and Anthracnose race 1. Available from Syngenta.
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Estrella
- Allsweet-type hybrid
- Early maturity
- Classy, uniform fruit shape can mean more potential marketable yield. Available from Syngenta.
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Sangria
- “Gold standard” for eating quality in the Allsweet market
- Fruit averages 18-22 pounds
- Dark red flesh with superior eating quality
- Good shipper with a following among growers, brokers, and shippers. Available from Syngenta.
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SP 4
- Durable plant tolerates disease pressure and adverse conditions
- Distinct rind pattern
- Early and extended flowering period
- Intermediate disease resistance to Fusarium wilt races 0,1, and 2 and Anthracnose. Available from Syngenta.
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SP 5
- No competitive effect on yield of seedless watermelons
- Crop damage caused by harvesting pollenizer varieties is eliminated
- Strong disease resistance package. Available from Syngenta.
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SP 6
- No competitive effect on yield of seedless watermelon
- Early extended flowering with pollen available through entire season
- Technology designed to optimize seedless operations. Available from Syngenta.
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Sweet Delight
- Similar to Tri-X 313 but with larger fruit weighing 16-19 pounds
- Bright red flesh with excellent uniformity
- Concentrated crown set resulting in a shorter harvest period. Available from Syngenta.
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TRI X 313
- The “Original Seedless”
- Blocky shape, fruit average 15-18 pounds
- Widely adaptable across growing areas and seasons
- Very reliable for yield and quality. Available from Syngenta.
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TRI X Palomar
- Bright red flesh, firm and crisp
- Unique rind pattern
- Low incidence of hollow heart
- Performs well under higher plant populations with maximum yields. Available from Syngenta.
View all
Cut Above
Bijou
Panther
Traveler
Crunchy Red
Troubadour
Sunshine
Charismatic
Secretariat
Harvest Moon
Sweet Polly
Captivation
Fascination
Exclamation
Admiration
Distinction
Estrella
Sangria
SP 4
SP 5
SP 6
Sweet Delight
TRI X 313
TRI X Palomar
Browse the slideshow above for information on a bounty of sweet watermelon varieties from the nation’s leading seed breeders and distributors, including HM.Clause, Johnny’s Selected Seeds, Sakata, and more.
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Paul Rusnak is the Senior Online Editor of American Vegetable Grower, American Fruit Grower, and Greenhouse Grower magazines, all Meister Media Worldwide brands. He is based in Northeast Florida. See all author stories here.