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Entry Date
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Nick Name
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Location
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Wednesday, January 29, 2025
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Rmen
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valtierra/spain
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Entry 8 of 8 |
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This year I grew a watermelon, only one plant. The genetics were very good, from 2017, a 141 Monfort, which was weighed in France in 2017, and that watermelon always caught my attention, both in % heavy, and in shape and colour of the pulp, and the skin and white area so thick. It is a watermelon of very good genetics, I think it is 272.5 Neptunes x 318.5 Kent.
Well, on the 65th I cut the watermelon, with 237.5 pounds since I had been 10 days with some cracks that came out in the flower, until the crack reached the red pulp. The white area after the skin was very thin. It's a question I've been asking myself all year, why was my watermelon so red, so sweet, but with so little white area? After looking at several books, asking experts in the field, I have come to this conclusion.
Lack of water: If the watermelon receives less water, growth can be slower, which sometimes favours a thinner white area and a higher concentration of sugar in the red pulp. I give water VERY LITTLE, maybe once every 3 days, but my climate is very warm, a lot. And inside the greenhouse it's even warmer.. This reason may also be the one that made my watermelon so red.. this year I will water every 2 days, with high temperatures.
Effect of sun exposure:
Watermelon needs a lot of sunlight to develop its red colour and sweetness (due to lycopene and the accumulation of sugars).
If the plant receives little light, the ripening is slower and the white area can be thicker because the sugars have not been completely transported to the red pulp.
On the other hand, with more sunlight, the conversion of starches into sugars is more efficient and the red pulp develops better, reducing the thickness of the white part.
Watermelons grown in sunny climates, such as those in Spain or Mexico, usually have a thinner white area and a sweeter pulp compared to those in colder or cloudy regions.
In addition, I did not put shading, and I think that was also a mistake, on warmer days and with more light, some shading is needed.
Effect of temperature on the thickness of the white area:
Warm temperatures (25-35°C): They favour a fast maturation and a thinner white area, since the fruit better develops its sugar and pigment content. My greenhouse was weird the day it was less than 35 C.
Cold temperatures (below 20°C in growth): They slow down the metabolism of watermelon and cause the white part to be thicker, because the process of maturation and accumulation of sugars is delayed.
Thermal oscillations (cold nights and warm days): They can affect the distribution of sugars within the fruit, leaving more starch without converting into sugar in the white area. Watermelons grown in greenhouses or in warm climates with stable temperatures usually have a thinner white area, while those grown in areas with cold nights may have thicker white areas.
So this year, that I will grow 3 watermelons, I think my goal is to get a thicker white pulp near the skin.. I'm obsessed with that lol.... A hug t
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