Type
icebox watermelon
Watermelon variety
Sugar Baby Watermelon
A classic small dark-green melon with red flesh and good sweetness. Its modest size helps it mature in a wide range of climates.
Days to maturity
75 to 80
Best for
small gardens, shorter seasons
About Sugar Baby
Sugar Baby is an open-pollinated 'icebox' variety prized for its small, round fruit that typically weighs 8 to 10 pounds and fits easily in a refrigerator. The dark green rind is nearly solid with only faint striping, and inside the flesh is deep red, fine-grained, and very sweet. Its compact vines mature early, which makes it a longtime favorite for short-season and small-space gardens.
Growing Sugar Baby Watermelon
Because the vines are shorter than most watermelons, you can space plants a bit closer, around 3 to 4 feet apart, or train them up a sturdy trellis using slings to support the small melons. It matures in roughly 75 to 80 days, so it suits cooler or shorter-season regions well. Harvest when the curly tendril nearest the fruit dries and the ground spot turns creamy yellow.
Full growing guide
For planting dates, care, and harvest that apply to all watermelon, see the complete guide.
How to grow WatermelonOther watermelon varieties
Variety characteristics are general guidance for US home gardens; performance varies by climate, soil, and season. Seed and plant availability differs by supplier. Page updated Aug 4, 2026.