CAL SWEET BUSH

90 days. A patio-friendly watermelon! Cal Sweet Bush is among the most compact watermelon plants we've grown. Where traditional watermelon plants tend to be very pushy, intruding on neighboring crops, this one keeps a respectful personal space of 14–18 inches making it the ideal container plant. It produces 2–3 admirable 10–12 pound fruit that rival the size of melons from much larger plants. With juicy, crisp, sweet, red flesh, Cal Sweet Bush has the classic watermelon flavor and texture that everyone loves.

Key Features:

Key Features:

Definitely has germination problems!

I agree with the other poster on low germination of these seeds. I also tried three separate times to germinate them in various ways, using up 20 seeds in all. I used several methods to no avail, until finally 3 seeds out of a batch of 8 germinated. The only real difference in that final batch was that I pre-soaked those seeds for about 1 1/2 days. As comparison, during my first attempt with Cal Sweet I successfully germinated several of your Home Run Melons, right next to them.
Once I had actual plants, they grew well & looked strong. I didn't need to spray, but they started out so late there wasn't enough time for a melon to fully develop. I saw several small melons on the plants, so I'm willing to give it one more try next year.

Not germinating

This is the third time I’ve tried to plant these seeds, indoors with heat mat, dome and planted in healthy soil and nothing has popped…everything else I have planted including other watermelon varieties have done wonderfully but these seeds are just not doing anything.

So sorry to hear that! We do germ test all of our seeds and to ensure we sell only top performing seed, we have established germination standards that are higher than prescribed by the Federal Seed Act. Our minimum germination standard for watermelon is 80% and the most recent test for this variety passed at 95%. As always, our products are backed by our full guarantee. We want you, our customers, to be 100% satisfied with the seed, plants and supplies that you purchase from us. If anything you buy from Territorial proves to be unsatisfactory, we will either replace the item (if available) or refund the purchase price, whichever you prefer (for up to 1 year from purchase). Contact our customer service (Monday-Friday 8AM-5PM Pacific Time) at either 800-626-0866 or info@territorialseed.com

More Information

Soil Temp for Germ	70–85°F
Seed Depth	½"
Days to Emergence	3–10
Soil Temp for Transp	60°F
Plant Spacing	3–4'
Row Spacing	5–6'
Fertilizer Needs	High
Minimum Germination	80%
Seeds per Gram	≈ 20–40
Seed Life	3 years

Melons: Cucumis melo
Watermelons: Citrullus lanatus

The sweet succulence of summer-ripe melons is irresistibly tempting, but the health benefits of these luscious fruits shouldn't be overlooked. Look to red-fleshed melons to fortify the heart and urinary tract. Yellow and orange flesh types provide support to the immune system, heart and vision. Green-fleshed varieties promote strong bones and teeth as well as vision health. We've selected varieties that are successful in both southern and northern gardens.

Days to maturity are calculated from transplant date.

Culture
• Melons and watermelons perform best in fertile, well-drained soil with a pH of 6.0-7.0
• Apply 1/2 cup of TSC's Complete fertilizer and a shovelful of compost to each plant
• Watermelons are less tolerant of cool conditions than melons — the use of plastic mulch or floating row cover is highly recommended
• Monitor the temperature under the row covers on hot days, especially early in the season
• Remove covers prior to flowering for pollination

Direct Sowing
• Soil temperature is critical for good germination and only recommended in warmer climates

Transplanting
• Start indoors in 4 inch pots, 3-4 weeks before anticipated transplant date
• Grow the seedlings under dry, warm conditions
• Avoid letting starts get root bound; transplant carefully as to not disturb roots
• Fertilize seedlings with a balanced liquid fertilizer, such as Age Old Grow

Insects & Diseases
• Common insects: Cucumber beetles
• Insect control: Pyrethrin and row covers
• Common diseases: Bacterial wilt and powdery mildew
• Disease control: Zonix
• Disease prevention: 3-4 year crop rotation, avoid overhead watering

Harvest & Storage
• Cantaloupe will easily slip from vine when ripe
• With other melons, check the leaf where fruit is attached to the vine — fruit is mature when this leaf begins to yellow
• Watermelons are ready for harvest when the tendril closest to the fruit is dry and brown or when the bottom side of the fruit is yellow
• Melons and watermelons will not ripen off vine
• Pick in the cool of the day and chill quickly
• Melons: store at 40°F and 95% relative humidity
• Watermelons: store at 50-60°F and 85% relative humidity

KEY TO MELON DISEASE RESISTANCE AND TOLERANCE
A | Anthracnose
AB | Early (Alternaria) Blight
F* | Fusarium Wilt

MORE LESS

Account Log In

Account Log In

CAL SWEET BUSH

CAL SWEET BUSH

Key Features:

SEED

Key Features:

Customer Reviews

Account Log In

Account Log In

CAL SWEET BUSH

CAL SWEET BUSH

Product Description:

Key Features:

SEED

Key Features:

Customer Reviews

Thanks for signing up for our weekly newsletter!