Ankur Runner
About this variety
Ankur Runner is a vigorous, early F1 hybrid watermelon. Fruit is uniformly oblong-round with a dark green, blackish-tinged rind, and the deep red flesh has a granular, crystalline texture that eats very sweet at 13–14% TSS.
Despite a thin rind, Runner has excellent keeping quality and is suited to long-distance transport — a practical advantage for growers shipping to market. As a warm-season, frost-sensitive crop it is planted only after frost danger has passed and the soil has warmed.
Grow guide
How to grow
Site & rotation
Plant where the previous crop was not a cucurbit. Choose medium to heavy soil with good water-holding capacity and good drainage; deep-plow, then harrow or disc. Work in fully rotted manure or compost and form ridges and furrows along the slope.
Seeding & spacing
Sow after frost danger passes, once seed-zone soil is above 70°F (germination is best near 95°F). Seed rate about 1.5 kg/ha (~0.6 kg/acre). Space 6 ft between rows × 2 ft between plants — roughly 3,600 plants per acre, which fits standard US bed layouts.
Feeding
Nitrogen rates vary by region (UF/IFAS ~150 lb N/acre; UC ~150–300 lb/acre; Texas A&M 40–90 lb/acre). Split nitrogen between preplant and sidedress, and base phosphorus and potash on a current soil test.
Watering
Timely irrigation matters most through growth, flowering, fruit set and development. As a starting point on level ground, every 3–4 days in hot weather, adjusted for soil type and rainfall.
Harvest
Fruit matures 70–80 days from sowing. The thin rind still transports well thanks to excellent keeping quality — handle and ship at full ripeness for best sweetness.
When to sow · by zone
| Zones 9–11 | Sow Feb–Mar | |
| Zone 8 | Sow late Mar–Apr | |
| Zones 6–7 | Sow late Apr–May | |
| Zones 3–5 | Late May–Jun · start indoors |
| Zones 9–11 | S. California, S. & central Florida, S. Texas, Gulf Coast, Arizona low desert, Hawaii |
| Zone 8 | Coastal Carolinas, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, central Texas, coastal Pacific NW, interior California |
| Zones 6–7 | Virginia, Tennessee, Kentucky, Missouri, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Mid-Atlantic (PA/MD/NJ), Ohio Valley |
| Zones 3–5 | Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, the Dakotas, Montana, Wyoming, New England, upstate New York, high Mountain West |
Seed treatment & handling
Full seed treatment and handling details for Ankur Runner will be published when this variety becomes available for sale.
As with all our varieties, F1 hybrid seed is for planting only — not for food, feed, or oil.
Good to know before you buy
- This is an F1 hybrid — saved seed won't breed true, so buy fresh seed each season.
- Warm-season and frost-sensitive — plant only after frost danger passes and soil is above 70°F.
- Rotate away from other cucurbit (gourd-family) ground to reduce disease pressure.
Sourcing
Sourced from Ankur Seeds, 27 New Cotton Market Layout, Nagpur 440018, India. Packaged & distributed by Harvest Goals LLC, Fremont, CA · +1 (650) 305-5334.
Origin India · F1 Hybrid · Non-GMO · For planting purposes only, not for human consumption.