Key Features
- Produces large, elongated watermelons with attractive green striping.
- Known for juicy orange-colored flesh and a sweet, refreshing flavor.
- Vigorous vines are well suited to spacious home vegetable gardens.
- Performs best in full sun with fertile, well-drained soil.
- An heirloom favorite for gardeners growing distinctive warm-season fruit.
Growing Benefits
- Adds an unusual orange-fleshed watermelon variety to the home garden.
- Provides a rewarding warm-season crop grown directly from seed.
- Large fruits make an impressive harvest for summer gatherings and fresh eating.
- Suitable for garden plots, raised beds, and spacious edible landscapes.
- Offers an excellent choice for gardeners interested in heirloom varieties.
Seed Specifications
- Common Name: Tendersweet Orange Watermelon
- Botanical Name: Citrullus lanatus
- Plant Type: Warm-season annual vine
- Fruit Flesh: Orange
- Fruit Skin: Green with darker striping
- Fruit Shape: Elongated
- Fruit Weight: Commonly 15–35 pounds, depending on growing conditions
- Vine Length: Approximately six to ten feet or more
- Sunlight: Full sun
- Soil: Fertile, loose, well-drained soil
- Water: Regular and consistent
- Germination Time: Approximately four to fourteen days under favorable conditions
- Sowing Depth: Approximately one inch
- Spacing: Approximately three to four feet between plants, with additional room for vines
- Growing Zones: Best grown as a warm-season annual in USDA Zones 3–11
- Flowering/Maturity: Yellow flowers followed by fruit; commonly matures in approximately 80–100 days
- Uses: Home vegetable gardens, raised beds, garden plots, edible landscapes, fresh eating, and heirloom collections
Growing Tips
- Wait until the danger of frost has passed and the soil is thoroughly warm before planting.
- Choose an open location receiving full sun throughout the day.
- Provide generous space for vines to spread across the ground.
- Maintain consistent moisture during vine growth and fruit development.
Seed Storage
Store unused seeds in a cool, dry, dark location. Keep them sealed in their original packet or an airtight container away from moisture, heat, and direct sunlight.
Unique Facts About Seeds
- Tendersweet Orange is an heirloom watermelon variety recognized for its elongated fruit and orange flesh.
- Its orange interior makes it visually different from the more common red-fleshed watermelons.
- Watermelon plants produce separate male and female flowers on the same plant.
- Watermelon belongs to the Cucurbitaceae family, which also includes cucumbers, squash, and pumpkins.
