88 days. Open-pollinated.
Charleston Gray is an heirloom watermelon variety originally bred in the early 1950s by Charles Andrus, a research scientist at the USDA laboratory in Charleston, South Carolina.
This All American Selection Winner has vigorous vines that produce oblong, gray-green fruits that grow to around 24 inches long and 10 inches wide, and weigh an average of 30 pounds. Flesh is bright red, fiberless, and crisp, while the tough rind protects the fruit from bruising and makes for an excellent shipper.
Resistant to FW, AN1, and AN3.
Charleston Gray Watermelon
Growth Chart
Hardiness Zones: 3 to 12 Light Requirement: Full Sun Soil Type: Sandy, loamy, well-drained Sow Depth: 1/4 inch to 1 inch Plant Spacing: 3 to 5 feet in rows 6 to 8 feet apart Germination Temp: 65°F to 85°F Germination Time: 7 to 10 days Maturation: 88 days Growing Tips
If starting indoors, sow seeds 1/4 inch deep in individual peat pots, 3 seeds per pot, and use a heat mat to maintain a soil temperature of at least 80-85°F. Germination should occur within 7 to 14 days. Thin to the strongest plant once the seedlings have developed their first set of true leaves, and transplant about a week after the last spring frost.
If starting outdoors, direct sow once the soil temperature reaches a minimum of 70°F. Choose a location with full sun and rich, loose soil, then sow 6 seeds 1 inch deep in hills. Space plants 3 to 5 feet apart in rows that are 6 to 8 feet apart. Thin to the strongest plants once the seedlings have emerged.
To protect the melons from soil contact, consider mulching around the base of each plant once the vines begin to develop. Keep the soil moist until the fruits are about the size of a tennis ball, then water only when the soil becomes completely dry.
Watermelons are ready to harvest when the tendril closest to the melon's stem dries up and turns brown, or when the underside of the melon turns from white to yellow.