In the United States, watermelons were first cultivated by Native Americans. They were later introduced to European settlers, who quickly adopted the crop and became a popular crop in the southern United States, where they were grown on large plantations.
In the 19th century, watermelons were introduced to China, where they quickly became a popular crop. Watermelons are now grown in many parts of the world, including Africa, Asia, Europe, the Americas, and Australia.
Watermelon farming is a labor-intensive process. Watermelons are planted in the spring and harvested in the summer. Watermelons are typically grown on large farms, and they are harvested by hand.
Watermelon usually locally referred as Tikiti maji (Swahili) is indigenous to the dry plains of tropical and subtropical Africa. It is one of the most widely cultivated crops in the world with a global consumption greater than any other cucurbits. Watermelons range in shape from round to oblong or even square (Japan). Rind colour of watermelons can be light to dark green with or without stripes. Flesh colour can be red, dark red or yellow.
Maturity Duration: Watermelons take about 80-100 days to mature from planting to harvest.
Expected Yield: Watermelons can yield anywhere from 20 to 50 pounds of fruit per vine.
Growing Season: Watermelons are a warm-season crop and can be grown in USDA hardiness zones 3-11. They prefer a long growing season with warm temperatures and plenty of sunlight.
Nutritional Value: Watermelons are a good source of vitamins A and C, potassium, and lycopene. They are also a low-calorie food that is high in water content.
Growing Altitude: Watermelons can be grown at a variety of altitudes, but they do best in areas with warm temperatures and plenty of sunlight.
Growing Rainfall: Watermelons require a moderate amount of rainfall, but they can tolerate drought conditions.
Growing Temperature: Watermelons prefer warm temperatures and do not do well in cold weather.
Growing Soils and PH: Watermelons prefer well-drained, sandy loam soils with a pH of 6-7.