Chou Cheh Organic Watermelon

Nature & Nurture Seeds

Citrullus lanatus

$4.99

Pkt(≈18 seeds)
Certified Organic
75 days. Best. Watermelon. Ever. Enough said. Seriously though; this heirloom variety is very sweet, but there's also a delicious complexity to its flavor reminiscent of rosewater that you won't find in other watermelons. With hints of cherry - you won’t be able to get enough of this scrumptious fruit! And lucky for you, its harvest window is extremely long, so you don’t have to ration your watermelon intake. We harvested our first Chou Cheh in late August, and continued harvesting until late October. In addition to the high sweetness (which measures at 10 brix!), the fruit has a consistent crispness and juiciness - no mushiness here! Chou Cheh comes from Shaanxi Province, China, via the USDA seed bank (PI 435990), and was hailed as a standout by our friend Edmund Frost of Commonwealth Seed Growers in their 2016 seed growers. He found it to be exceptionally resistant to downy mildew, as well. The fruits are medium and oblong, and average 5-12 pounds. This is the ultimate watermelon, friends! You won't be disappointed.

Watermelon is a hot weather crop and needs lots of room to sprawl. Direct sow seeds outdoors once warm summer weather has arrived (minimum soil temp of 65° in early June). Keep seeds moist until germination. Or, start seeds indoors 5/7 in small biodegradable pots (watermelons do not like their roots disturbed during transplanting) into a good starting mix. Ideal temperature for germination: 85-95° (use heating mat). Watermelon seedlings are sensitive to damping off fungus so keep soil lightly moist but not too wet and use an oscillating fan (set to low) to provide good air circulation. Days to germination: 4-5. Once 2 leaves appear, grow plants at a cooler temperature (around 72°). Do not let plants become pot-bound in their pots. Transplant seedlings outdoors, pot & all, early June. Protect plants from cucumber beetles by covering seeds/seedlings with row cover fabric at planting. Protect plants from groundhogs and deer. Though this watermelon is a good choice for northern growers, watermelons are a hot weather crop and will perform poorly during a particularly cool summer (if temps are not at least consistently in the 80’s).