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Single Botswana Ice Cream Watermelon with white background.
A small, oval Botswana Ice Cream watermelon with pale green skin, carved to reveal a layered floral pattern in the lighter flesh beneath.
Single Botswana Ice Cream Watermelon with white background.
A small, oval Botswana Ice Cream watermelon with pale green skin, carved to reveal a layered floral pattern in the lighter flesh beneath.

Watermelon Seeds,
Botswana Ice Cream

SKU: #WM144Min. seed count: 10
Price
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Description

Discovered by food explorer Joseph Simcox in the small town of Kang, Botswana, this compact, heavy melon is unlike any other. Its thick rind hides pale pink flesh so tender it melts in your mouth — sweet, smooth, and entirely free of fiber. First grown out in Italy, it amazed with its heat and drought tolerance, producing abundantly without irrigation. Even more remarkable, it stores for months, becoming sweeter and more candy-like with time. Some fruits were eaten 6 to 8 months after harvest and were still utterly delicious. A rare, long-keeping treasure with unforgettable flavor and resilience.

Plant Details

Botanical Name
Citrullus lanatus
Life Cycle
Annual
Growth Habit
Vining
Sun Requirement
6–8 hr.
Days to Germinate
5–10
Days to Maturity
85–95
Planting Depth
1 in.
Plant Spacing
36–48 in.
Ideal Temperature
70–95°F
Frost Hardy
No

When to Grow

Watermelon loves heat, so in most climates you can direct sow Botswana Ice Cream into the garden after frost season ends and the soil is warm. In shorter-summer climates, or if you want an earlier harvest, start seeds indoors 3 to 4 weeks before your set-out date and transplant once frost danger has passed. Plan on 85 to 95 days from planting to a ripe melon, and choose a full-sun bed where no other melons, squashes or cucumbers have grown for at least three years.

How to Sow and Plant

  • Watermelon loves heat. In most climates, watermelon can be direct sown into the garden after frost season ends and soil is warm.
  • Soil should be rich and well amended with compost or manure.
  • Sow in full sun, preferably where no other melons, squashes or cucumbers have grown for at least three years, to reduce the likelihood of diseases.
  • Sow one-half inch deep and 12 inches apart, in rows 6 feet apart. If the soil temperature is right, sprouts appear in just a few days.
  • In shorter-summer climates, or to get an earlier harvest, seeds may be started indoors, 3-4 weeks prior to setting-out date.
  • Warm conditions yield fast germination; hold at 80 degrees or so. (Use a heating mat if necessary.)
  • Once seedlings appear, they need good light—at least half-day direct sun through a south-facing window or good artificial lighting.
  • Timing is critical—held in pots for too long the seedlings may become root-bound, which slows the plants down.

How to Grow

  • Thin if necessary to stand 2-3 feet apart in the row.
  • The vines soon begin to “run” and easily travel 6 feet from the roots as they grow. During this time, control weeds, keep the patch well watered, and watch for watermelon pests.

PESTS/SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS

  • Cucumber beetle is possibly the most common pest. Spray with Spinosad as needed.
  • Watermelon plants also attract squash bugs. Pyganic or other pyrethrum-based insecticide is a good organic control.

How to Save Seeds

  • Watermelons won’t cross with any other member of the squash family, but they will cross with other watermelons.
  • Bees carry the pollen up to one-half mile, but adequate purity can be maintained by isolating parent plants by even 1000 feet or so.
  • When your watermelon is fully ripe, the seeds are mature as well, although higher viability is obtained by leaving the fruit on a week or two longer.
  • Simply extract the mature seeds and dry fully before storage.

FAQ

How long will Botswana Ice Cream melons keep after harvest?

This is a remarkable long-keeping melon: the thick-rinded fruits store for months and become sweeter and more candy-like with time. Some fruits were eaten 6 to 8 months after harvest and were still utterly delicious.

Does it need a lot of water?

When it was first grown out in Italy it amazed growers with its heat and drought tolerance, producing abundantly without irrigation. Like any watermelon it is happiest in a hot, sunny patch with rich soil well amended with compost or manure.

What does the flesh look and taste like?

Behind the thick rind is pale pink flesh so tender it melts in your mouth: sweet, smooth, and entirely free of fiber. The melons are compact and heavy.

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