Icebox Watermelon
Early Crimson Treat Watermelon is a swift-maturing heirloom that brings vibrant color and genuine flavor to gardens across zones 3 through 13. This open-pollinated, seeded variety reaches harvest in just 70 days, making it one of the earliest watermelons available for eager summer gardeners. The distinctive striped skin, alternating light and dark green, wraps around a brilliant red interior that lives up to its name. At 12 to 18 inches tall with a spreading vining habit, it thrives in full sun and warm soil, rewarding heat-tolerant gardeners with early, satisfying yields.
Full Sun
High
3-13
18in H x ?in W
Annual
Moderate
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The Early Crimson Treat stands apart for its speed to maturity, producing ripe melons in 70 days from seed. Its striking appearance alone makes it worth growing, with light and dark green striping that contrasts dramatically against the jewel-toned red flesh inside. As a heat-tolerant, heirloom open-pollinated variety, it thrives in hot summers and rewards gardeners with genuine melon flavor, not the watery blandness of modern industrial crosses.
Early Crimson Treat watermelons are grown for fresh eating, sliced and served chilled during summer meals. The seeded variety is favored by gardeners who appreciate traditional melon flavor and don't mind the seeds, making them ideal for family gardens where children enjoy spitting seeds or saving them for next year's crop. The smaller, icebox-type form means whole melons fit easily in refrigerators, perfect for smaller households.
Transplant seedlings outdoors only after all frost danger has passed and soil has warmed to at least 70 degrees Fahrenheit. As a frost-tender annual, Early Crimson Treat cannot tolerate any cold. Harden off seedlings gradually over 7 to 10 days before moving to garden beds.
Direct sow seeds into warm soil after the last frost date when soil temperature reaches 70 to 85 degrees Fahrenheit. Plant seeds about 1 inch deep in small hills or rows, spacing plants 36 inches apart once they emerge.
Harvest Early Crimson Treat watermelons around 70 days after planting when the skin develops full color contrast between light and dark green stripes and the bottom spot (where the melon touches soil) shifts from white or pale yellow to creamy golden. Check for ripeness by tapping the melon; a ripe watermelon sounds hollow and dull rather than metallic. Cut melons from the vine using a sharp knife rather than pulling them; the 12 to 18 inch size makes them easy to handle and carry.
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“Early Crimson Treat carries the lineage of classic American heirloom watermelons, bred and preserved through open-pollination as a quick-maturing option for gardeners in shorter growing seasons. As an heirloom variety, it represents seed-saving traditions passed down through generations of gardeners who selected for early ripening and reliable flavor. Its development reflects a time when watermelon varieties were chosen for taste and performance rather than shipping durability, preserving genetics that home gardeners still seek today.”