Volleyball-sized fruits of Kırklareli Yellow watermelon are flavorful but not overly sweet. It received growers’ attention that fruits are also resistant to cracking and damaging both on the vine and post-harvest.
In 2022, Korean American seed steward and farmer, Kristyn Leach (Second Generation Seeds), grew a beautiful crop of this variety. When Amy and I visited Kristyn in September 2022 for Chuseok at the time of harvest, we went through another round of seed selection from the fruits. Then, the same year, we sent those seeds to Tom Wahlberg (Decorah, IA) to grow our seed crop.
We have been selecting seeds from crispy and juicy fruits for this yellow-fleshed watermelon over a period of five years. We will keep iterating seed selection but we also think that we are ready to offer this seed in our catalog.
Our current seed stock was grown by Tom Wahlberg of Decorah, IA. He was one of the former seed house managers of Seed Savers Exchange.
Packet has min. 20 seeds
Commercially introduced by us
Phonetically pronounced:
- Citrullus lanatus
- Full sun
- Planting depth: 1/2-1″
- Sprouts in 7-10 days
- Ideal growing temperature: 75-95F
- Plant spacing: 18-36″
- Frost hardy: No
- Growth habit: Vining
- Growing tips: Start watermelon seeds indoors in seedling trays or small seedling pots in seed starting soil that has essential nutrients in it 3-4 weeks prior to last frost. Cover the seeds with soil and keep the soil moist for quick germination. Make sure to keep the young seedlings under good light to have strong plants with sturdy, healthy stems and leaves. Transplant watermelon seedlings to garden or a pot with ample space for roots to spread after last frost in fertile soil. Feed with liquid fertilizer once every two weeks. Water regularly especially in flower stage. Reduce water when the fruits are maturing to improve flavor and sugar content. Mulch and always water at plant base to minimize disease. If the fruits are small, you can trellis watermelon plants to decrease disease pressure and improve air circulation. Watermelon thrives in hot and humid climate and does best in sandy soil with good drainage. Alternatively, to start melon seedlings, you can direct seeds in ground after last frost. Note that it is possible for seeds to rot when they are direct-seeded if the soil is cool and moist before they can sprout so make sure the soil temperature is over 70F.
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