Watermelon is a summer crop that rewards warm days, cool nights and light, well-drained soil. Hybrids are bred for the sweetness and crisp red flesh the market pays for, for fruit sizes that suit local trade, and for tolerance to the fungal diseases that follow wet weather.
Growing notes
Sown directly on ridges or in pits with wide spacing. Vines need room and plenty of sun; fruit is harvested when the tendril nearest the fruit dries and the ground spot turns yellow.
- Sow in late winter for the summer market
- Mulch to keep fruit clean and soil moist
- Harvest on the tendril and ground-spot signs