Nothing is more refreshing than a bite of juicy watermelon on a hot summer’s day. The Mini Piccolo Watermelon is the perfect mini seedless melon to slice at family picnics or to enjoy at a barbecue.
These petite-sized melons are simple to grow and each plant produces up to six fruits.
So why choose the Mini Piccolo as your go-to summer melon, and what’s so special about it? Keep reading on to know all there is to know about this adorable mini-melon.
Mini History Lesson
The exact origin of the Mini Piccolo watermelon is unknown, but we know that seedless watermelons have been around for the last fifty-plus years.
Seedless watermelons are a scientific curiosity. They grow from seeds, yet most varieties have few to no seeds found in the ripe melons.
Seedless watermelons like the Mini Piccolo are sterile hybrids. To grow a seedless watermelon, the seedless melon plant must be pollinated by a seeded melon plant.
This means when you plant seedless watermelons in your garden, you also need room to plant seeded watermelons, or you won’t get any seedless fruit.
Characteristics of the Mini Piccolo Watermelon
These personal-sized melons have a dark green thick rind with a deep red interior. The beautiful sprawling vines can reach up to ten feet in length once the plant is fully mature.
Taste
The Mini Piccolo watermelon grows up to four pounds and is extremely sweet, juicy, and flavorful.
Ways to Use a Mini Piccolo Watermelon
Watermelon can be used as ingredients in salads (fruit and savory), frozen treats, beverages — even grilled for a surprising changeup!
We have recipes for a Watermelon Radish Salad as well as an adult beverage, a Mezcal Melonrita.
For more inspiration for ways to enjoy a Mini Piccolo, here’s a list of other watermelon recipes to check out.
Snacking
There may be no better watermelon on the market when it comes to simple, delicious snacking. The Mini Piccolo watermelon is easy to slice up and lay serve for simple and healthy snacking.
Health Benefits
Watermelons are 92% water, so it’s safe to say the main health benefit of eating watermelon is staying hydrated, especially when enjoying a summer picnic.
Mini Piccolo watermelons also contain antioxidants, vitamins A and C, and other nutrients.
Watermelons are also great when trying to shed a few pounds. They are low in calories and high in fiber, which makes them an ideal snack while dieting.
No matter whether it’s a seeded or a seedless variety, like the Mini Piccolo, all watermelons are good for you.
What to Know About Pollination
Because these are mini seedless watermelons, you need a nearby seeded watermelon to be a pollinator for a Mini Piccolo watermelon plant.
When looking for these types of seeded melons True Leaf Market has amazing seedless watermelon kits to get you started right away with all of the seeds you need.
Growing the Mini Piccolo at Home
Growing seedless melons is not for your beginner gardener. The Mini Piccolo watermelon does come with a bit of a learning curve. We’ll go over the basics for you.
Planting Seeds
You’ll have the best results growing Mini Piccolo from seed that you direct sow in your garden once the risk of frost is over.
When you plant your seeds plant them one inch deep, in groups of three, in fertile soil mounds.
Spacing
Make sure to leave a minimum of seven feet between your small hills of melon seeds, so the vines have room to stretch out once they mature.
Sunlight
Mini Picollo watermelons need full sun–at least eight hours or more of direct sunlight per day.
Caring for Your Watermelon Plants
Getting your watermelon plants off to a good start is just the beginning. There are special care needs to meet to guarantee you’ll be enjoying sweet, homegrown watermelons later in the summer.
Water
Keep the soil constantly moist from when you first plant to when the melons start to mature. Overwatering once the melons start to mature can stunt their growth.
Weeding and Pruning
These melons do not need any pruning of their vines or leaves. Watermelon vines and foilage are very delicate so it’s best to leave them alone.
As for weeding, it’s essential to weed the areas around the Mini Piccolo. Keeping your watermelon patch weed-free prevents weeds from taking nutrients away from the melons as they grow.
Disease
Watermelons are especially susceptible to fungal diseases and there are two particular ones to be aware of.
Alternaria leaf spot shows up as reddish-brown spots that appear on the leaves.
Powdery mildew causes leaves to turn a whiteish-grey color and curl up on the ends.
You can also read our article on Watermelon Diseases for more information about how to identify, treat, and prevent these and other diseases.
Pests
We are not the only ones who love watermelons. Seasoned gardeners know that watermelons are prone to some annoying pests such as aphids, beetles, squash bugs, and spider mites.
There are many ways to rid your plants of these pests and our blog post on Common Watermelon Pests tells you how to eliminate them from your garden.
Days to Harvest
Mini Piccolo melons take 80-83 days to mature. Our blog post How to Tell When a Watermelon is Ripe teaches you how to spot the signs of a melon that’s ready for picking.
Once you’ve identified ripe watermelons, our companion blog post on Harvesting Watermelon shares two great methods for harvesting the fruit you’ve waited all summer for!
Purchasing Mini Piccolo Watermelon Seeds
Now that you know the basics of caring for a mini seedless piccolo, you’ll need to know where you can purchase the seeds.
Because they’re a boutique melon, Mini Piccolo watermelon seeds can be tricky to find. Our best suggestion would be to check in periodically with Hoss Tools to see if they’ve added the Mini Piccolo to their amazing watermelon seed selection.
Purchasing Mini Piccolo Watermelons
If you don’t have a green thumb but still want to get your hands on one of these melons, your best bet is to talk to vendors at farmers’ markets to see if anyone grows and sells them.
Some specialty produce stores may carry tasty mini melons, so it never hurts to ask if they stock the Mini Piccolo.
Enjoy Big Taste With the Mini Piccolo!
These mini melons are the perfect pick for a sweet and tasty seedless watermelon, especially when the refrigerator space is at a premium!
Don’t let the need for a pollination partner deter you from growing your own seedless Mini Piccolos watermelons. Believe me, the taste will be worth the effort!
If you want to learn more about different watermelon varieties, visit our watermelon plants, page for all our watermelon blog posts, plus helpful growing and care guides.
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Lauren has three main passions: her family, writing, and gardening! Lauren has spent countless hours in her garden tending to different plants, whether those be beautiful flowers, vegetables, or different perennials.
Rest assured that if it concerns plants and gardens, Lauren has got you covered. So, when needing advice or looking for the best new gardening gadget, you have come to the right place and the right author.