Water as a Key Resource for Watermelons

There are 3 main resources watermelons need to grow: Sun, Good soil nutrients and of course, Water. Bees also play a vital part ensuring good pollination and a quality crop.

 And we have to remember, they aren’t called watermelon for no reason! A lot of varieties are up to 92% water. This is why they prefer a tropical or sub-tropical climate, and in a spot with little to no wind.

In a tropical climate, the humid air helps to keep the soil moist and stops them from drying out, especially during the hot summer months when they are in their growing phase. While they love the humidity, diseases tend to thrive under wet and humid conditions as well, so extra care has to be taken. Diseases such as Fusarium Wilt have the potential to wipe out the entire crop before they get a chance to produce any fruit.

Watermelons are a very delicate fruit to grow when they are first starting to grow as they have very shallow roots, meaning in a hot, dry climate the plant can wilt and dry up very quickly. These shallow roots are very thirsty and require careful attention by our field teams to keep them damp without drowning them early on.  

While the fruit starts to form, it is also important to keep a steady supply of water to help the fruit fill out. This will ensure a fill melon with maximum juiciness.

Here at Fieldco, extra care has to be taken to grow our melons on farm blocks where there is abundant natural supply of water.

Water management is a big part of our Sustainability program as Water is life for Humans, and the same is true for plants. The use of water storage lakes and preserving the water when we do get the rain, helps provide protection from weather events and provides storage for irrigation and wash water for our packing plants as well.