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Lemon Drop Watermelon is a strikingly rare all-golden mini watermelon that delivers both the visual drama of its brilliant yellow-gold color and the speed of production gardeners crave. This Asian heirloom cultivar ripens in just 70, 80 days, bringing pocket-sized melons with rich lemon-yellow flesh that match their equally golden skin. Incredibly compact and early-producing, it's the result of years of careful seeking by Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds, a variety that feels like striking gold in the garden.
Full Sun
High
3-11
?in H x ?in W
Annual
Moderate
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What makes Lemon Drop truly exceptional is its rarity and novelty. This isn't another red-fleshed watermelon; it's an all-golden mini melon where the skin and flesh share the same glorious lemon-yellow hue. The melons are pocket-sized and remarkably early to mature, rewarding gardeners with ripe fruit in under 80 days. Compact growth habit means even small spaces can accommodate this Asian-type treasure, and the golden color alone makes it a conversation starter at the farmers market or dinner table.
As an edible watermelon, Lemon Drop is enjoyed fresh, sliced and eaten ripe, the golden color and compact size make it ideal for individuals or small households. The mini size and early maturity also make it popular for market growers seeking novel, photo-worthy melons.
Direct sow seeds into warm soil after all frost danger has passed and soil temperature reaches 70°F or higher. Plant seeds in hills or mounds spaced 36 inches apart.
Harvest when the melon has developed its full lemon-yellow color on both skin and ground spot, and shows a slight softening when pressed gently. At 70, 80 days from planting, check melons regularly as they approach maturity. Look for the characteristic tendril nearest the stem to brown and dry out as a ripeness indicator. Cut melons from the vine rather than pulling them to avoid damaging the plant.
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“Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds spent years searching for an all-yellow watermelon, a variety that seemed like the stuff of legend rather than reality. This Asian heirloom finally arrived as the answer to that quest: melons that are strikingly small and reliably early-producing, ripening with radiant golden color from skin to flesh. The excitement during trial plantings was palpable as these pocket-sized fruits began to mature on the vine, delivering exactly what the seed company had been pining after. It's a variety born from genuine horticultural curiosity and patient preservation.”