National Watermelon Day

This big fruit deserves it's own big day. And, so we give pause
to celebrate watermelons on National Watermelon Day. Sweet and tasty, watermelons are one of summer's favorite fruit. It's standard fare at picnics. While watermelon is over 90% water, it sure tastes good. And, what picnic would be complete without a seed spitting contest?

Farmers generally grow watermelon in rows, 8-12 feet apart, in raised beds 4-12 inches high composed of fertilized sand or sandy loam. Tiny watermelon plants are implanted in the beds. Honeybees must pollinate the yellow watermelon blossom. In a month, a vine may spread to as much as 6-8 feet. In 2 months, the vine shows its first watermelons and the crop is ready to harvest within 3 months. The rind of a watermelon is not as tough as it looks, so it is still handpicked. Watermelon pickers look for a pale or buttery yellow spot on the bottom, indicating ripeness.

Fun Facts

• The first recorded watermelon harvest occurred nearly 5,000 years ago in Egypt.
• Over 1,200 varieties of watermelons are grown worldwide in 96 countries.
• Watermelon in 92% water.
• Watermelon is cousins to cucumbers, pumpkins and squash.
• By weight, watermelon is the most-consumed melon in the U.S., followed by cantaloupe and honeydew.
• Early explorers used watermelons as canteens.
• In 1990, Bill Carson of Arrington, TN grew the largest watermelon at 262 pounds that is still on the record books (1998 ed. Guinness Book of World Records).