Miniature Watermelon
Golden Midget Watermelon is a compact heirloom variety bred at the University of New Hampshire in 1959, engineered specifically for gardeners impatient with long growing seasons. Maturing in just 60 to 69 days, this petite melon produces salmon-pink flesh beneath a distinctive golden-yellow rind that develops from light green as it ripens. The vines stay manageable at 12 to 18 inches tall, making it one of the few watermelons that thrive in small gardens and large containers. It grows in hardiness zones 3 through 13, adapting to a wide range of climates while demanding full sun and consistently moist soil.
Full Sun
High
3-13
18in H x ?in W
Annual
High
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This early melon arrived in 1959 as the answer to a real gardening problem: how to grow watermelon in regions where 100-day varieties never ripen. The compact vines deliver genuine watermelon flavor without sprawling across the garden, and the striking golden skin signals ripeness at a glance. Sweet, crisp salmon-pink flesh on a mini melon means you can actually enjoy whole fruit harvests rather than wrestling massive specimens into storage.
Golden Midget Watermelon is grown for fresh consumption, where the small size makes it ideal for individual or small-family servings. The sweet, crisp flesh is enjoyed fresh sliced, ideal for anyone who wants homegrown watermelon flavor without the storage and preservation challenges of larger melons.
Start seeds indoors 3 to 4 weeks before the last spring frost, sowing into warm soil kept at 70 to 85 degrees Fahrenheit. Transplant seedlings outdoors once they develop true leaves and all danger of frost has passed.
Harden off seedlings over 7 to 10 days before transplanting outdoors. Move seedlings into the garden once soil has warmed to at least 70 degrees Fahrenheit and the last frost date has safely passed. Space transplants 36 inches apart in rows spaced 120 inches apart.
Direct sow seeds into warm soil (70 to 85 degrees Fahrenheit) after all frost danger has passed. Plant seeds 1 inch deep, spacing them 36 inches apart in rows 120 inches apart. Thin to the strongest seedlings once they develop true leaves.
Harvest Golden Midget watermelons when the rind transitions from light green to a rich golden yellow, typically 60 to 69 days after planting. The melon should feel slightly soft when gently pressed at the blossom end, and the stem will dry and brown when fully ripe. Cut melons from the vine with a sharp knife rather than pulling, leaving a short stem attached.
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“Golden Midget Watermelon emerged from deliberate breeding work by Elwyn Meader and Albert Yaeger at the University of New Hampshire in 1959. Their mission was clear: create a watermelon that could mature reliably in short-season growing regions where traditional varieties would never fully develop. This wasn't nostalgia breeding; it was practical innovation born from frustration with climate limitations. The variety became an open-pollinated heirloom, allowing gardeners to save seeds and adapt it to their own regions over decades.”