If you've always eaten watermelons from the supermarket, you're seriously missing out on the full flavor of home grown watermelons! Growing your own watermelon from seeds unlocks the full potential of these world-renowned fruit. The slow growing nature of watermelons is well worth the wait for juicy, full flavoured watermelon slices.

Watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) is a warm climate fruit that belongs to the Cucurbitaceae family. Known for its large, round to oval fruit, watermelons grow well in climates with warm to hot summers. Watermelons thrive on consistent watering and aren't fans of drying out. Ensure your watermelon plants are well-hydrated with regular, deep waterings to cultivate strong, vibrant growth and foster the production of sweet, juicy fruit. Boost moisture retention by mulching around your plants.

Watermelon seed is best planted from spring to early summer at a depth of 20mm, with plants spaced at 80cm apart in a full sun position. For optimal germination of watermelon seed, ensure your soil is between 21°C and 35°C and kept moist at all times.

Watermelon seed is best planted or sowed direct in the vegetable garden as they do not like their roots to be disturbed. As this is not always possible in climates which have late frosts, you can plant watermelon seeds into a cardboard pot indoors and then plant the pot directly into the soil of your vegetable garden once the danger of frost has passed.

• Seed depth - 20mm
• Plant spacing - 80cm
• Soil germination temperature - 21°C and 35°C
• Plant in - Full Sun