FruitWatermelon
Imperial Watermelon
Imperial is an F1 hybrid watermelon bred for serious yield and sweet, seeded fruit. Reaching maturity in 73 days, this heat-tolerant annual produces 18 to 21-pound melons with deep red flesh and a medium green rind striped with dark markings. Hardy across zones 3 through 13, it thrives in full sun and grows well in garden plots where vines can sprawl across 120 inches of row space. This is the watermelon you plant when you want abundance and reliability.
Photo © True Leaf Market
Growing Conditions
USDA Zone
3-13
Sunlight
Full Sun
Water
High
Soil
Well-drained, Sandy Loam, Fertile
Growth Stats
18 in
Height
TypeVining
Spacing
36
Plant Profile
Sunlight
Full Sun
Water
High
Zones
3-13
Size
18in H x ?in W
Growth
—
Care
High
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Highlights
Imperial delivers exceptional yield for a home garden, consistently producing 18 to 21-pound melons packed with deep red, very sweet flesh studded with small black seeds. The medium green rind with dark stripes ripens to unmistakable maturity in just 73 days, even in cooler climates thanks to its hybrid vigor and heat tolerance. This is a seeded picnic watermelon bred to perform, not a novelty.
Common Uses
Imperial is a classic picnic watermelon, built for slicing and enjoying fresh on hot summer days. The seeded fruit is substantial enough to feed a crowd, and the sweet red flesh makes it the kind of melon you cut into wedges and eat straight from the rind.
Growing Timeline
No timeline data available yet for this variety.
Care Instructions
Direct Sow
Direct sow Imperial seeds into warm soil after all danger of frost has passed and soil temperature has reached at least 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Plant seeds 1 inch deep and thin seedlings to stand 36 inches apart once they develop true leaves.
Harvesting
Imperial melons mature in 73 days from planting. Harvest when the rind has deepened to a medium green with distinct dark stripes and the melon produces a hollow sound when thumped. The underside should have developed a creamy yellow spot where it rested on the ground. Cut the stem rather than pulling to avoid damaging the vine.
Growing Calendar
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Companion Planting
Ecology & Traits
Edible
Scientific Classification
Citrullus lanatus
Family
Cucurbitaceae
Genus
Citrullus
Growth Habit
Vining
Native Status
L48 (I)PR (I)