Where to get watermelon in the winter

Very prolific bearer. Flesh red of extreme firmness, almost hard as a citron—very brittle and deliciously sweet. Color very light green, almost white.

Placed in a cool place will keep long into the winter and still retain its delicious sweetness and flavor. Very light in color with a slightly dark stripe, size about 10 inches in diameter, average about 20 pounds, seed small, shiny black.

The flavor, sweet and surprisingly delicious, is entirely distinct from a watermelon. It should not be eaten right off the vine but should be allowed time to become mellow; can be kept in perfect condition until holiday time.

Brown, who farmed winter melons in Elgin, Utah, in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Hansen had recently journeyed through various regions of Russia in search of fruits that might thrive on the northern U. He sent Brown and other farmers an assortment of Russian seeds. Some of them came with names. After growing it for four or five seasons, he described it this way:. Its weight is about 25 pounds.

The Salt Lake hotels and restaurants have been using this melon for about three years. They are also shipped to all parts of the East, and the demand has always exceeded the supply.

Its keeping qualities are wonderful, and we have them on hand up to Christmas and they are as fine as when gathered from the vines on September first. He probably would have mentioned the color if it was nearly white, but not necessarily; melons varied more in those days than they do now. If it did, Brown would have had to give it a name, because Hansen had not. I like to imagine GFRs on their long journeys by ship, rail, and wagon with seeds sown into the hems of their skirts or tucked into corners of their valises.

I have grown this one in a trial. We were looking for melons that would hold. Nobody likes a CSA Box with 10 melons. So, we trialed keeper melons. Keeper Melons worked out really well for us. Some people call them Christmas Melons.

We only had a couple of watermelons that really lasted, but there are Crenshaws and Persians that are really great. My favorite Honeydew Golden Honeymoon lasted at least a month after picking.

But many of the Santa Claus melons lasted till January! The only problem is that our supermarkets sell them during the summer months may-sept.

So you guys who can buy it all year round please think of yourselves as lucky! Your email address will not be published. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Hope this helps. Let me know how it turns out. Sincerely, The Watermelon Guy. No related posts. Comments Ryan says:. After the soil has warmed in spring, plant the entire pot with the watermelon seedlings into the garden. Choose a suitable cultivar for your climate. Popular cultivars commonly grown in warmer climates, such as California, include 'Sangria' and 'Fiesta', with a rich red flesh, black seeds, and dark and light green stripes.

The 'Royal Sweet' cultivar also has striped skin and dark pink flesh. For early maturity and high yield, choose the 'Sultan' cultivar. Amend the soil with compost. Watermelon plants are best cultivated in loamy soil that is well-drained. Create a 5 foot long raised row, or hill, of soil. Growing watermelon plants on a hill will hold the sun's heat for a longer amount of time than a flat bed, and the soil tends to drain better.