Variety field guide
What to expect from Dixie Queen Watermelon Seeds
Dixie Queen Watermelon seeds produce red watermelon, 25-30 pounds, on vining/climbing plants.
Read the complete product descriptionTraits, flavor, garden use, variety notes, and the full catalog record
Dixie Queen Watermelon seeds produce red watermelon, 25-30 pounds, on vining/climbing plants. It is best suited to productive warm-season beds, trellises or sprawling vines, kitchen use, and seed saving. The flesh is deep red, crisp, and wonderfully sweet, with old-fashioned juiciness that defines true watermelon flavor. Dixie Queen Watermelon Seeds produce classic striped heirloom watermelon with crisp, refreshing red flesh and old-time sweetness.
About Dixie Queen
Dixie Queen is an annual watermelon with red color, 97–120 in mature height or spread, and a vining/climbing habit. Harvest form or size: 25-30 pounds. Botanically it is Citrullus lanatus (Thunb.) Matsum. & Nakai. Maturity or first bloom: 80-89 Days; germination: 5-10 Days at 75–90 °F. Best for productive warm-season beds, trellises or sprawling vines, kitchen use, and seed saving. The flesh is deep red, crisp, and wonderfully sweet, with old-fashioned juiciness that defines true watermelon flavor.
History and provenance
Dixie Queen circulates as a named watermelon within the cultivated history of Citrullus lanatus (Thunb.) Matsum. & Nakai. Seed sold as Dixie Queen is identified by its red color, growth form, harvest use, and the documented harvest traits. A complete breeder record, introduction year, family story, or uninterrupted custody chain has not been located for this seed lot. The cultivar identity is tied to observable crop traits that can be checked in a grow-out, not to an unsupported origin story. The Southern striped classic of homegrown abundance. ‘Dixie Queen’ produces large, round melons with light green rinds banded in darker green stripes. The flesh is deep red, crisp, and wonderfully sweet, with old-fashioned juiciness that defines true watermelon flavor. Watermelon Seeds -Vining - Dixie Queen belongs to a diverse cultivated plant lineage shaped by regional gardeners, farmers, and seedkeepers over time. Its continued presence in gardens reflects selection for usefulness, beauty, resilience, flavor, or cultural value.
Growing facts
| Scientific name | Citrullus lanatus (Thunb.) Matsum. & Nakai |
|---|---|
| Life cycle | Annual |
| Maturity / first bloom | 80-89 Days |
| Germination | 5-10 Days at 75–90 °F |
| Seed depth | 1 in |
| Plant height / spread | 97–120 in |
| Growth habit | Vining/Climbing |
| Spacing | 36 in between plants; 48 in between rows |
| Sunlight | Full sun |
| Soil | Loamy; pH 6.0–6.5 |
| Water | Moderate |
| Support | No-Support |
Starting Dixie Queen from seed
How to grow Dixie Queen Watermelon
Botanical identity: Citrullus lanatus (Thunb.) Matsum. & Nakai. Life cycle: Annual.
Sow 1 in and use a seed-zone temperature near 75–90 °F. Expected emergence: 5-10 Days. No stratification; direct sow into warm soil or start briefly in biodegradable cells and transplant young
Plant during Late Spring. Space plants 36 in apart with 48 in between rows or planting bands.
Provide Full sun, moderate water, and loamy near pH 6.0–6.5. Support: No-Support.
Garden performance and care
Give Dixie Queen enough room for its vining/climbing growth. Direct irrigation to the soil, keep developing fruit on dry mulch or boards where rot is common, and leave seed-saving fruit on the plant beyond the eating stage. Expected emergence is 5-10 Days; the listed maturity or bloom timing is 80-89 Days.
Harvest, bloom, and uses
Dixie Queen is best for productive warm-season beds, trellises or sprawling vines, kitchen use, and seed saving. Harvest form or size: 25-30 pounds. Color at the principal harvest or mature stage: Red. The flesh is deep red, crisp, and wonderfully sweet, with old-fashioned juiciness that defines true watermelon flavor.
Saving seed
Seed saving for Dixie Queen Select several healthy, true-to-type plants so the saved lot represents the variety rather than one unusually early or large individual. Melons are insect-pollinated and varieties of the same species can cross. Isolate compatible varieties or use controlled pollination, and mark fruit from healthy true-to-type plants. Allow seed fruit to become fully ripe; eating ripeness and seed maturity should both be reached. Remove seed, separate pulp by washing or short fermentation as appropriate, rinse until clean, and dry in a thin layer with good airflow. Keep records of species, variety, plant count, isolation, ripeness test, fruit traits, and year.
Common problems
Watch Dixie Queen for cucumber beetles, squash bugs where applicable, aphids, powdery or downy mildew, bacterial wilt, crown rot, poor pollination, and fruit damage on wet soil. Rotate cucurbit crops, provide airflow, water at the root zone, protect young plants before flowering, and remove covers when blossoms need pollinators. Do not work wet vines.
Frequently asked questions
When is Dixie Queen ready?
80-89 Days from warm direct sowing or equivalent established transplant
How long does germination take?
Expect 5-10 Days near 75–90 °F; actual emergence changes with moisture, seed condition, and soil temperature.
How large does it grow?
About 97–120 in with a vining/climbing habit. Support: No-Support.
Can it grow in a container?
Best in open ground or a large raised bed; mature vines require substantial horizontal or vertical space.
How is it used?
Primary uses: productive warm-season beds, trellises or sprawling vines, kitchen use, and seed saving. The flesh is deep red, crisp, and wonderfully sweet, with old-fashioned juiciness that defines true watermelon flavor.
Can I save seed?
Yes where the crop biology allows, but keep compatible varieties isolated, use several healthy plants, wait for full seed maturity, dry thoroughly, and label the lot.
Minimum Seed Count:30 seeds
