While many enjoy sweet, cool watermelon as a treat or snack this summer, remember where it comes from. Some Florida growers claim they had their best season ever. Florida continues to lead the nation in watermelon production. From 2010 to 2021, Florida growers ranked No. 1 in the United States with an average of 22,616 acres of watermelon harvested per …
Bumper Crop: Florida Watermelon Growers Still Lead Nation in Production
While many enjoy sweet, cool watermelon as a treat or snack this summer, remember where it comes from. Some Florida growers claim they had their best season ever. Florida continues to lead the nation in watermelon production. From 2010 to 2021, Florida growers ranked No. 1 in the United States with an average of 22,616 acres of watermelon harvested per …
Perfect Storm: Weather Events Impacted Georgia’s Watermelon Season
By Clint Thompson Intense heat in recent weeks quickly led to the conclusion of this year’s watermelon harvests in most of South Georgia fields. The two-week deluge of rainfall in June also contributed to the crop’s shortened harvest window this year. “The extreme weather events really beat the vines up and it also introduced disease. That coupled with, once they …
Watermelon Research: UGA Scientist Highlights Work Done on Tifton Campus
By Clint Thompson Watermelons are one of the most valuable vegetable crops that South Georgia growers produce every year. It is only appropriate that the University of Georgia (UGA) conducts research that will benefit farmers for the foreseeable future. Ted McAvoy, UGA Extension vegetable specialist, is tasked with researching watermelons and the different types that producers want to grow, on …
Winding Down: Heat Impacting Georgia’s Final Melon Harvests
By Clint Thompson The intense summer heat is taking a toll on South Georgia watermelons; so much so that the crop appears to be in its final days of harvest this year, believes Greg Leger, owner of Leger & Son, Inc. “There’s a couple of late fields around that we’ve just been into one time and starting a second time, …
Blueprint for Success? North Florida Melon Growers Capitalize on Early Planting Window
By Clint Thompson North Florida’s blueprint for success with regards to watermelon production may have been laid out this year. Growers started earlier, overcame a pair of freeze events and capitalized on the early market. Bob Hochmuth, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Regional Specialized Extension agent in Live Oak, Florida, believes that will be the …
After Harvest Season: Crop Termination in Watermelon Could Help with Fusarium Wilt
By Clint Thompson What is the value of North Florida watermelon growers terminating their crop chemically when harvesting is done for the season? It could prevent further buildup of a specific pathogen, nematodes or even whitefly-vectored viruses. Producers in the Suwanee Valley Region should consider the practice, believes Bob Hochmuth, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) …
Watermelons Needed: Contest To Be Held in Conjunction with Panhandle Watermelon Festival
Attention commercial watermelon growers and gardeners in Florida, Alabama and Georgia:It is almost time to enter your finest melons in the Big Melon Contest at the Panhandle Watermelon Festival. The festival and the contest have been summer-time staples in the Central Panhandle for decades. Growers should not miss their opportunity to showcase the delicious product of their hard work with …
North Florida Watermelon Growers Hoping to Overcome Various Diseases
By Clint Thompson The final watermelon harvests in North Florida have growers combatting a plethora of diseases. Those attempting to stretch another picking from their fields this week will have to overcome any number of diseases. These include downy mildew, powdery mildew, Alternaria leaf spot, gummy stem blight and watermelon mosaic. Bob Hochmuth, University of Florida Institute of Food and …
North Florida Watermelon Growers Finishing Season
By Clint Thompson Georgia’s delayed start to the watermelon season is North Florida’s gain. With serious volume from Georgia’s crop not expected until next week, growers in the Suwanee Valley are taking advantage, though they are quickly winding down with their own crop. Bob Hochmuth, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Regional Specialized Extension agent in …