How to Grow Watermelon
Watermelon is a summer fruit with sprawling vines and round fruits that grow on the surface of the soil. It matures within 100 days of planting and can be enjoyed either peeled and eaten directly or as juice. Composed of 90% water and 10% sugar, watermelon is a refreshing, hydrating fruit that helps prevent dehydration and supports weight loss due to its low calorie content.
Planting Watermelon
- Selecting Seeds: Choose high-quality seeds for planting. You can also dry seeds from a delicious watermelon, ensuring they are dried under sunlight or in a dry, well-ventilated area for the next planting season.
- Preparing for Cold Climates: If the area has a cool climate, plant watermelon seeds indoors in pots for about a month before transplanting them outdoors.
- Soil Preparation: Till the soil thoroughly to remove clumps of clay and obstacles, ensuring good aeration for the seeds.
- Planting Technique:
- Plant seeds on small mounds of soil, which provide better water drainage and longer sun exposure.
- Ensure each mound gets at least six hours of sunlight daily.
- Place three seeds per hole at a depth of about 3 cm.
- Leave at least 1 meter between mounds, except for smaller watermelon varieties.
- Pest Protection: Use natural insecticides to protect the plants from pests. Cover the seeds with mesh or protective material to shield them from birds and insects until flowers appear.
- Pollination: Flowers need pollination to grow fruits. Allow bees and butterflies to visit the plants without disturbance to ensure successful pollination.
Harvesting Watermelon
Follow these steps to ensure the watermelon is ripe before harvesting:
- Sound Test: Tap the watermelon lightly with your fingers. A hollow sound indicates ripeness.
- Color Check: The base of a ripe watermelon will have a yellowish hue, whereas an unripe one will be white.
- Stem Condition: A dry stem near the fruit signals that it is ready to harvest. Use a sharp knife to cut the fruit close to the stem.
Storing Watermelon
- Whole watermelons can be stored for up to 10 days.
- Cut watermelon remains fresh for 3–4 days in the refrigerator when covered well with plastic wrap
