Watermelons are summertime treats, and since 2008, we have celebrated the entire month of July as National Watermelon Month. While watermelons are commonly refered to as a 'melon,' it is botanically a berry, and is in the vining vegetable plant family cucurbitaceae, which makes the watermelon related to the cucumber, squash, pumpkin, and zucchini. Both its flesh and rind are edible: the flesh as a fruit and the rind as a vegetable.
Types & Varieties, and Popular Cultivars
Watermelons come in seeded and seedless varieties, and range in color from red to yellow to orange. The shape and color of the watermelon rind and its stripes will help to determine its type.
All Sweet Type
Oblong shape, light green stripes against a dark green background. Thin rind with a bright red flesh. 21-26 pounds.
Royal Sweet Type
Oblong shape, wide light green stripes against a medium green background. Thick rind with a bright red flesh. 21-28 pounds.
Jubilee Type
Elongated shape, dark green stripes against a light green background. Thick rind with red flesh. 22-30 pounds. Hybrid or open pollinator.
Crimson Sweet Type
Round shape, small, broken dark green strips against a light green background. Thick rind with finely textured red flesh. 18-25 pounds. Open pollinator.
Ice Box Type
Round to oval shape, striping and coloring will depend on variety. Rind thickness varies on the variety, and flesh is red. 5-12 pounds.
Seedless Type
Shape, and overall rind striping and background coloring will depend on variety. Medium thick rind with varying flesh color (red, yellow, or orange). Even though it is 'seedless', it may contain edible white seeds and the occasional dark seeds. 10-17 pounds.
Popular Cultivars
Brix levels measure sweetness in a watermelon. Key: 7.8 to 8.2 is somewhat sweet; 8.3 to 9.0 is sweet; and anything over 9.0 is considered very sweet.
- Wonder: 88 days to maturity from transplant, average size 4.9 pounds. 9.9 brix.
- Afternoon Delight: 86 days to maturity from transplant, average size 7.8 pounds. 9.8 brix.
- Buttercup: 90 days to maturity from transplant, average size 10.2 pounds. 10.1 brix. Yellow flesh.
- Crimson Tide: 91 days to maturity from transplant, average size 8.8 pounds. 8.8 brix.
- Orange Sweet: 90 days to maturity from transplant, average size 14.0 pounds. 9.2 brix. Orange flesh.
- Liberty: 88 days to maturity from transplant, average size 10.5 pounds. 10.5 brix.
- Sweet Favorite: 97 days to maturity from transplant, average size 15.7 pounds. 10.5 brix.
- Moon and Stars: 86 days to maturity from transplant, average size 16.7 pounds. 9.7 brix.
- Desert King: 95 days to maturity from transplant, average size 19.4 pounds. 8.6 brix. Yellow flesh.
Growing, Harvesting, and Storing
Depending on where you live, watermelon seeds can be started indoors or outdoors. Warmer climates may plant seeds directly in the soil, and cooler climates may start watermelon seeds a month before desired transplant time. Watermelons are often mulched with black plastic and this is for a few reasons: it helps to keep weeds down and helps to keep the soil warmed with is important to germination and growing. Watermelon plants are heavy feeders so it is important to amend the beds before planting with compost or manure.
Vines sprawl as they grow and will take up space, so space them out about 3 to 5 feet apart in the garden. As they grow, the plants will produce male and female flowers; the female blooms will produce the fruit. Water to keep the soil moist (not water-logged), and avoid overhead watering when possible to prevent fungal diseases on the leaves. If overhead watering is the only way to water, then it is best to water early in the morning so the plants will have a chance to dry out during the day in the sun.
As the fruit grows, a recommendation is to place the fruit on a piece of cardboard to prevent the constant contact with the soil which may lead to rot. Once they start growing, ripening happens within two weeks. Once you see that the fruit is about a week away from harvesting. water only as much as to prevent the vines from wilting and dying. By withholding the watering before harvesting, the sugar content increases in the fruit.
Store a freshly harvested watermelon at room temperature for up to a week. If you purchased a watermelon, store the whole watermelon as you purchased it: whole watermelon purchased at room temperature can be stored at room temperature for a week, and whole watermelon purchased chilled should be chilled for up to a week. For food safety, store cut up watermelon in the refrigerator for up to four days, and discard any cut watermelon that has been left at room temperature for more than two hours.
Removing Seeds
After rinsing the outside rind with running water, cut the watermelon in lengthwise quarters. Cut each quarter into three to four wedges. Trim off the piece of watermelon at the seed line, and scrape the seeds off. Cut the rest of the flesh into desired sized pieces.
How to Choose a Watermelon
The National Watermelon Promotion Board recommends these guidelines for selecting a perfect eating watermelon.
- Look closely: Choose a watermelon that is firm and symmetrical, and free from bruises, cuts, and dents.
- Pick it up: The watermelon should be heavy for its size.
- Turn it over: The bottom part of the melon should have a yellow spot from where it sat on the ground and was ripening in the sun. Avoid those watermelons with a white spot (not creamy yellow), indicating it has not been ripened enough.
Resources:
"Growing Watermelons." Bonnie Plants. Bonnieplants.com, n.d. Web. 29 Apr. 2014.
Watermelon: Thinking Outside the Rind. N.p.: National Watermelon Promotion Board, n.d. Print.
"Watermelon Varieties." South Carolina Watermelon. Scwatermelon.org, 2014. Web. 29 Apr. 2014.
"Watermelon Variety Descriptions." Vegetable Research & Extension Center. Mount Vernon Northwestern Washington Research and Extension Center, 2014. Web. 29 Apr. 2014.
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