Golden Midget Watermelon

10 Seeds

Golden Midget is an heirloom, open-pollinated watermelon developed at the University of New Hampshire in 1959. It is known for its small, personal-sized fruits, typically around 3–5 lb (1.4–2.3 kg), with sweet salmon-pink flesh and a distinctive rind that turns golden yellow when ripe. It is an early-maturing variety, commonly reaching harvest in about 70–80 days under suitable conditions.

The relatively small fruit and compact growth make Golden Midget particularly practical for home gardens and larger containers compared with many vigorous, large-fruited watermelon varieties.

🌱 Best Planting Time

• Gulf region: February–April and September–October
• Kuwait: March–April and September–October
• Best Kuwait periods: March–April and September–October.
• Plant when the soil is reliably warm.
• Avoid the coldest winter conditions and the peak of extreme Gulf summer heat.

Golden Midget is a warm-season watermelon. Seeds germinate best in warm soil, with around 21–35°C suitable for germination and warmer conditions preferred for active plant growth.

🌿 How to Plant the Seeds

1. Choose a location with full sun and excellent drainage.
2. Prepare loose, fertile soil and incorporate mature compost.
3. Sow the seeds approximately 1–2.5 cm deep.
4. Plant 2–3 seeds in each planting spot or small mound.
5. Water gently after sowing.
6. Keep the soil consistently moist until seedlings emerge.
7. After the first true leaves appear, keep the strongest seedling and remove the weaker ones.
8. Allow approximately 90–120 cm between plants.
9. Provide around 1.5–2 m or more between rows, depending on available space and vine growth.
10. Apply mulch around established plants to conserve moisture and suppress weeds.

Golden Midget is suitable for direct sowing or starting indoors. Several growing guides recommend about 1 inch of planting depth and spacing of roughly 2–4 feet between plants.

🌡️ Germination

• Suitable soil temperature: approximately 21–35°C
• Ideal range: around 27–30°C
• Germination: usually about 3–10 days under favorable conditions.
• Keep the seedbed moist but never waterlogged.
• Provide strong light immediately after emergence.

Golden Midget is a relatively quick germinator when soil temperatures are warm.

🌱 Transplanting

If starting the seeds indoors:

• Start approximately 3–4 weeks before outdoor planting.
• Use individual pots to minimize root disturbance.
• Transplant while seedlings are young and vigorous.
• Harden seedlings gradually before exposing them to strong Gulf sunlight.
• Handle the root ball carefully because watermelon roots do not appreciate unnecessary disturbance.

Direct sowing is preferable when outdoor soil is already warm.

☀️ Sunlight

• Provide full sun.
• Aim for at least 6–8 hours of direct sunlight daily.
• Strong sunlight supports vigorous vines and sweet fruit.
• During periods of extreme Gulf heat, young seedlings can benefit from some afternoon protection.
• Maintain good air circulation around the plants.

Golden Midget is specifically recommended for full-sun growing.

💧 Watering

• Keep the soil evenly moist during germination and early growth.
• Water deeply rather than giving frequent shallow watering.
• Maintain reliable moisture during flowering and fruit enlargement.
• Avoid severe water stress while fruits are developing.
• Do not keep the soil continuously saturated.
• As the fruits begin to ripen, gradually reduce excessive watering.
• Avoid sudden heavy irrigation near maturity, which can contribute to fruit splitting and may reduce sweetness.

Golden Midget growing guidance recommends adequate moisture during fruit development followed by reduced watering as the melons approach maturity.

🌱 Soil

Use:

• Loose, fertile, well-draining soil
• Sandy loam or light loam
• Mature compost or well-decomposed organic matter
• Perlite, pumice or coarse material for containers if additional drainage is needed

A soil pH around 6.5–7.5 is suitable according to Golden Midget growing guidance.

Avoid heavy soil that remains saturated after irrigation.

🌿 Fertilizing

• Add mature compost before planting.
• Use a balanced fertilizer during early vine growth.
• Once flowering begins, maintain balanced nutrition with adequate potassium.
• Avoid excessive nitrogen, which can encourage excessive leaves and vines at the expense of fruit development.
• Container-grown plants may require light, regular feeding because nutrients are depleted more quickly.

🌸 Flowering & Fruit Development

Golden Midget produces separate male and female flowers on the same plant. Bees and other pollinating insects are important for successful fruit formation.

The fruits are characteristically:

• Small and personal-sized
• Round to slightly elongated
• Around 1.4–2.3 kg in many descriptions
• Golden yellow when fully ripe
• Salmon-pink inside
• Sweet, juicy and crisp
• Usually black-seeded

The golden-yellow rind is an especially useful maturity indicator for this variety.

🍉 Harvesting

Golden Midget is an early watermelon, commonly listed at around 70–80 days to maturity, although actual timing varies with temperature, pollination, irrigation and growing conditions.

Look for several signs of ripeness:

• The rind changes from green to golden yellow.
• The tendril nearest the fruit becomes brown and dry.
• The ground spot changes toward yellow or creamy yellow.
• The fruit reaches its expected size.
• The rind becomes less glossy.

The characteristic golden-yellow rind makes Golden Midget easier to judge for ripeness than many watermelon varieties.

🪴 Growing Golden Midget Watermelon in Containers

Golden Midget's relatively small fruits and compact growth make it more suitable for container growing than many large watermelon varieties.

• Use a 40–60 L or larger container per plant.
• Ensure excellent drainage.
• Allow the vines to trail over the edge or across a suitable growing area.
• Avoid overcrowding.
• Monitor moisture closely because containers dry quickly in Gulf heat.
• Place developing fruits on a board, straw or another dry surface to keep them away from continuously damp soil.

🐝 Pollination

Good pollination is essential for fruit development.

• Encourage bees and other pollinating insects.
• Avoid spraying insecticides while flowers are open whenever possible.
• If natural pollination is poor, hand-pollinate by transferring pollen from a freshly opened male flower to a female flower.

🔥 Gulf Climate Tips

• Golden Midget's early maturity and small fruit size make it a practical watermelon variety for Gulf home gardens.
• In Kuwait, March–April is a good spring planting window.
• September–October can provide another useful growing period as the extreme summer heat declines.
• Avoid the peak of summer heat.
• Protect young seedlings from intense afternoon temperatures.
• Use mulch to conserve moisture and moderate soil temperature.
• Maintain excellent drainage.
• Give the vines sufficient room to spread.
• Maintain consistent irrigation during flowering and fruit enlargement.
• Reduce excessive irrigation as the fruits turn yellow and approach full maturity.
• Keep developing fruits off continuously wet soil.

🌱 Growing Tip: For the best results in Kuwait and the Gulf, sow Golden Midget Watermelon when the soil is warm, preferably during March–April or September–October. Give the plants full sun, fertile well-drained soil, regular deep watering and enough space for the vines. As the fruit turns golden yellow, gradually reduce excessive watering and prepare for harvest.