Watermelons are one of the sweetest, juiciest, and most refreshing foods you can grow. They are the quintessential summer snack food. They're not only great tasting, they're good for you as well. Watermelons are loaded with vitamins A, B6, and C and new research has found that they also contain lycopene, a cancer-fighting compound.

While kids may love spitting watermelon seeds as they eat this delicious fruit, you can now find a number of seedless varieties to grow at home. Although they're a little more finicky to grow than seeded varieties, seedless watermelons are much easier to eat and to use in soups and fruit salads.

The obvious question is, "How do you get seed for seedless watermelons?" Seedless watermelons are actually genetically different from their seeded relatives, and are created through a combination of conventional hybrid breeding and the application of a plant hormone. The resulting seeds have 3 sets of chromosomes (known as triploid seeds). The seeds are sterile, meaning they will produce plants and fruits but the seeds within the fruits are not viable. The fruits tend to weigh 10 to 20 pounds, and the flesh comes in a range of colors from yellow to dark red.

Here are some of the best varieties to try.

'Sweet Slice' looks similar to the classic 'Crimson Sweet'. It has sweet, red flesh and a tough rind. 'Sweet Slice Plus' is a highly disease-resistant version of 'Sweet Slice'. 'Sunny' is a yellow-gold, sweet fleshed variety with a round, oval shape and tolerance to fusarium wilt. 'Orange Sunshine' has deep orange flesh with a tough, sunburn-resistant rind.

Seedless watermelons require warm soil for germination. After all danger of frost has passed in your area and your soil temperatures are 70 degrees F at 4 inches deep, sow 3 to 4 seeds in hills spaced 3 to 5 feet apart. Thin to the two strongest seedlings.

In cool summer areas, consider starting seedlings indoors to transplant in the garden 2 weeks after your last frost date. Using 2-inch diameter pots, sow 2 seeds per pot and thin to the strongest seedling after germination. Transplant into the garden 3 to 4 weeks later, while they have no more than 3 true leaves per plant — otherwise they won't adjust well to transplanting and will be stressed and stunted.

Seedless watermelons require cross pollination by seeded varieties in order to produce fruit. Sow at least one seeded variety in the area to insure a crop.