Crimson Sweet Watermelon

Citrullus lanatus 'Crimson Sweet'

fruit

Crimson Sweet is a classic round, blocky watermelon with a pale green rind striped in dark green and crisp, sweet, deep-red flesh, with fruit typically weighing 15 to 25 pounds. The vigorous vines need a long, hot season, ripening in about 85 to 90 days, and the variety is prized for high sugar content and good disease resistance.

✅ Plant alongside

Good neighbors that attract beneficial insects or deter pests

• Nasturtium — Deters squash bugs and cucumber beetles
• Borage — Draws the bees needed for fruit set
• Marigold — Suppresses nematodes
• Radishes — Interplanted to help deter cucumber beetles

❌ Keep away from

🛡️ Pest & disease prevention

Proactive ways to stop trouble before it starts — tap a name with an arrow for its full guide

• Cucumber beetles →

  Row cover until flowering then remove for pollination; use a Blue Hubbard trap crop at the edge; mulch with straw

• Squash bugs →

  Clear debris, hand-pick, and crush egg clusters

• Powdery mildew →

  Space widely, water at the base, and improve airflow

🌾 Harvest & storage

Judge ripeness by several signs together: the curly tendril nearest the fruit dries and turns brown, the ground spot where the melon rests turns from white to creamy yellow, the rind dulls and loses its shine, and the melon sounds hollow when thumped. Cut the ripe melon from the vine with a short stem, since watermelons do not ripen further once picked.

🥗 Nutrition & benefits

Watermelon is low in calories and over 90 percent water, making it very hydrating, and it is a leading source of lycopene, the red antioxidant also found in tomatoes, along with vitamins A and C.