O'odham Soam Miliñ

Initially, I tried sowing the seeds early indoors, but they seemed to become stunted and struggled to move past the cotyledon stage for weeks. They did much better when transferred or sown directly in soil a few weeks later, around the end of March.

I grew some Atlixco Quelite (also on this website) in front of them to provide something edible to climb, which they took like champs and are still standing now. The watermelon vines completely took over the bed I had planted them in- which would have been an issue if anything else could have survived there, but it was in the side alley, between two brick walls reflecting heat, and temperatures there were exceeding 120 degrees on peak heat days in Tempe, AZ. As temperatures ramped up, almost every plant in that bed died off except for the Atlixco and the watermelons. The only other plants that survived were the ones quickly shaded by the vines growing around them, and some even survived the heat waves thanks to the watermelons. They did overrun the area pretty solidly, though, so make sure you have adequate climbing space for these guys.

They were absolute gluttons for the heat and intense, direct sunlight. I was actually unable to water anything for a few weeks during peak heat, and while someone did help, the garden as a whole got much less water than it needed. These watermelons barely seemed to register how dry their soil had become, while everything else was constantly on the verge of wilting from water and heat stress. I was running into an issue, though, because the heat was so intense that while the vines were thriving, the flowers and early fruits were essentially being burned off by the heat. That meant only flowers in more humid, shaded locations had a chance to develop fruit over the peak heat of summer. It wasn’t until a few weeks ago, when the heat started to wane, that any fruits in open sunlight actually set and began developing to large sizes. That picked up quickly, though. Right now, at the end of September, I probably have about a dozen watermelons developing from seven different vines. In total, there’s probably about 100 - 125 feet of vines.

It’s worth noting here that the water demand just to keep these vines alive was hefty, given the intense conditions they were in. Now that it has cooled down somewhat, they do not need nearly as much water (at 100 degrees, maybe as much as a quarter of the water they got in the 110’s). If you are growing these in intense heat, you should expect to be providing them with a lot of water to compensate.

The melons themselves are delicious. They’re a bright, creamy orange color inside, and they can be quite large. The first one I had came in at 16.5 inches at its greatest extent, and it may turn out to be a smaller one. The flavor is strong, too! It’s kind of floral and light, but there’s a tartness to it, and it’s very sweet. The flesh was really tender and crisp, too, and would break apart or bruise with the slightest amount of pressure. There were also dozens of large, dark seeds dotted throughout. It was so juicy I kept finding it running down my arms as I was cutting it up. It puts off a wonderful smell too.

I could not recommend this variety more- it’s got great flavor, unique color, large size melons, and while producing those easily endured some of the most punishing heat any plant could experience in a home garden. If you’re nervous about growing watermelons, this is a really good one to try out.

These melons did extremely well in the summer heat of AZ.
Planted in early March and began harvesting in August.
Could probably manage to get 2 crops per year if I watered more consistently.
Fruit grew rapidly and had mild sweet flavor.
Inside was a very pleasant yellow-orange.

Grew in central FL, did very good in the summer here. Great size, and flavor! :3

Planted, and growing great. Looking forward to trying them.

Germination was good, and the plants are growing well so far! No flowers yet, but it's still early.