Icebox Baby is a sugar and sour classic. Icebox Baby is known for being a personal size that can fit in an old-fashioned refrigerator. Yields 3-6 fruits on small compact, trailing vines. Icebox Baby forms small to medium sized bowling ball size watermelon on compact vines."Sugar Baby" variety, released by M. Hardin in 1956 was kept alive until 2007; from there the last remaining seeds resulted in the selection of the most productive and hardened specimens. Productive plants produce round fruit modestly. I have read and heard from gardeners the difficulties of picking at the right time. The trouble is Sugar Baby and Ice Box both ripen as fast (or as slow) as do larger watermelon. The rind is thick, tough, with a firm green skin making it difficult to tell if it ready to pick. The plants produce fruit trouble-free if you wait a while longer than you think. Most likely, the fruits will not rot in the field, which is a great example of storage potential. The pictures below were stored from September to well into the holidays at room temperature. An appropriate size is modest and convenient. So think of personal and share a snack off of a compact and resilient plant. Trellis is possible by their strong stems. Flavor is sweet with noticeable sour and effervescent effects. Looks adorable next to various oblong melon, and colorful cucurbits. I have two distinct lines: one with heavy 'small' seeds, and one with few seeds, but larger seeds. I plan to breed both together as separate F1 lines resulting in a better flavor, reduced seed, and earlier ripening in the most repressive conditions. Beyond 2027 you will see their heirloom seeds as a possible F1 hybrid from my two distinct selections. Both contain seeds, however, the flavor is a fruity, fizzy, bright and uplifting fragrance, of shaved ice quality in a tight, personal package fit for the backyard.
