FREE: Organic "Crimson Sweet" Watermelon Seeds

The listing, Organic "Crimson Sweet" Watermelon Seeds has ended.

This auction is for 19 seeds. You MUST have a verified listia address before I will ship.

New, USDA Certified Organic, individually packaged in plastic zip bags from a bulk purchase. High quality seeds.

The crimson sweet watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) has a thick rind with alternating dark green and light green stripes. It is valued for its sweet flesh, with a sugar content as high as 12 percent. The crimson sweet watermelon also contains fewer seeds than some other varieties. Crimson sweet watermelons weigh as much as 25 pounds and grow to 12 inches long. With a relatively short maturity date of 85 days, it is considered a good choice for most gardens in the United States. Like all watermelon varieties, the crimson sweet is not tolerant of cool or wet growing conditions.

Spacing: 48-72in (120-200cm)
Exposure: Full Sun - 6+ hours direct sun
Days to harvest: 85

History:
Watermelons probably originated almost 5,000 years ago in the Kalahari Desert of Africa where botanists have found its wild ancestors still growing.

Watermelons migrated north through Egypt, and during the Roman era they were cultivated and prized. Hieroglyphics on the walls of Egyptian buildings tell stories of their harvest. Watermelons were buried in the tombs of kings to nourish them in the afterlife.

Melons spread across the European continent and particularly flourished in the warmer Mediterranean areas. Watermelons were documented in 1629 in Massachusetts. During the Civil War, the Confederate Army boiled watermelon to make molasses for cooking.

It is in the Southern states such as the Carolinas and Georgia where watermelons flourish as commercial crops. Numerous varieties were developed, and variations of flesh color surfaced.