Watermelon

Enjoy more fruits and vegetables

Grow

Watermelon is a fruit which grows on a vine. It is a close

cousin to cucumbers, pumpkins, and squash.1

  

Watermelons need five things to grow and produce fruit:

sun, water, bees, nutrients, and a lot of space! They thrive

in sandy or sandy loam soil. Give each plant at least 5 feet

of space, as their vines spread rapidly. Watermelon can

be grown from seed or transplants from a nursery.      

Honeybees must pollinate the watermelon blossom for

fruit to be produced. In North Carolina, watermelons can

be planted from mid‐April to late June. Melons should

ripen aŌer about 3 months of sunny, hot weather.2,3

Not Just Any Ol’ Watermelon

Watermelons do not always have a red color and seeds

inside. There are a variety of different watermelons. Try

some of these:

Icebox: Mickeylee, PeƟte Sweet, Sugar Baby, Tiger Baby,

Yellow Doll

Picnic: Crimson Sweet, Jubilee, Moon and Stars, Royal

Sweet

Seedless: Jack of Hearts, King of Hearts, Queen of Hearts

Yellow Flesh: Desert King, Honeyhart, Orangeglo, Orange

Tendersweet, Tender Sweet, Tenderfold1,3,4

Choose

Watermelon can be available year round. In N.C., peak

season is July to mid‐October. It is not always easy to pick

the right watermelon. It is hard to tell how sweet a melon

will be just by looking at the outside. Choose one that is

symmetrical in shape without dents, bruises or cuts. The

exterior should be firm, the stem dry and the rind dull,

not shiny. Thump, if you must (listen for a dull, hollow

sound). Turn the watermelon over. The underside should

be creamy yellow. (This is where the watermelon rested

on the ground when it was growing.)3,4

Store

Store whole watermelon at room temperature (50‐60oF)

up to 2 weeks. Handle carefully to prevent internal    

bruising. Cut watermelon should be covered loosely with

plasƟc wrap and stored in the refrigerator up to 3‐4 days.4

   

Fun Fact: About 300 varieƟes of watermelon are grown in

the United States and Mexico. Only 50 are very popular.3

Fun Fact: In the U.S., 44 states grow watermelons       

commercially. The top producers are Georgia, Florida,

Texas, California and Arizona. N.C. ranks 8th.

3,5

Fun Fact: Watermelons can have red, orange or yellow

flesh.1 Lycopene is a pigment that can give produce like

watermelon its red color.3

Use

Most watermelons produced in the U.S. are eaten fresh.  

Watermelon is tasty eaten by itself or added to salads,

sandwiches, salsa or smoothies. It can be pureed for a

cool, refreshing soup. Other watermelon products include

pickled rind, roasted seeds, and juice.1

Before cuƫng into a watermelon, be sure to wash the

outside of the melon very well with clean, running water.

The outside layer can have germs or bacteria that you do

not want to transfer to the fruit.3

Fun Fact: The U.S. ranks 5th in the world for watermelon

producƟon.3

Fruit

USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer. 08/14 

http://childnutrition.ncpublicschools.gov 

PUBLIC SCHOOLS OF NORTH CAROLINA 

State Board of Education 

Department of Public Instruction 
Watermelon

Teach

Watermelon Hieroglyphics  

Watermelons originated in Africa over 5,000 years ago.

The first watermelon harvest recorded was in ancient

Egypt, illustrated in hieroglyphics (formal EgypƟan

wriƟng) on the walls of buildings. Since the 10th century,

watermelons have been grown in China. Today, China is

the #1 producer of watermelons in the world. 1,3

The Bigger, the BeƩer

The average watermelon is 22‐26 pounds. The world’s

heaviest watermelon was documented by Guinness World

Records and was grown in Arkansas in 2005 by a man

named Lloyd Bright. Lloyd’s watermelon was 268.8

pounds!3

Fun Fact: Where do seedless watermelons come from?

Chromosomes give traits to living things, including plants.

Breeders discovered that crossing a diploid plant (two

sets of chromosomes) with a tetraploid plant (four sets of

chromosomes) resulted in a fruit that yields a triploid

seed (three sets of chromosomes). Triploid seeds produce

seedless watermelons. Seedless watermelons do not have

mature black seeds. They may have white seed coats,

where a seed did not mature.3

Enjoy more fruits and vegetables

Fun Fact: The name is true. A watermelon is 92% water!3

Find

For more watermelon info and resources, visit:

1. hƩp://lancaster.unl.edu/nep/fruitveggie.shtml

2. www.ces.ncsu.edu

3. www.watermelon.org

4. www.fns.usda.gov/tn/fruits‐vegetables‐galore‐helping‐

kids‐eat‐more

5. www.ncagr.gov

6. www.ncmelons.com

7. www.eatright.org Fun Fact: July is NaƟonal Watermelon Month!3

Class AcƟvity

Materials Needed:

 Watermelon with seeds, cut open

 Seedless watermelon, cut open

 Watermelon seeds (about 10‐15)

 PlanƟng pot or a sunny place outside to plant seeds

 Soil (enough to fill the planƟng pot, if using)

 Water

Steps:

1. Show students the watermelons (with/without seeds).  

2. Explain how watermelons with seeds and without

seeds are produced. Compare and contrast.  

3. If using a planƟng pot, fill with soil.  

4. Place seeds one inch deep in the soil.

5. Water immediately aŌer planƟng and once a week.  

6. Have students observe, measure and record growth.

(Plants should appear in about 10 days.)

7. Remove the weakest plants and any weeds that may

grow close to the seeds.  

Eat

Watermelon is a winner with nutrients. One cup has less

than 50 calories, no cholesterol and liƩle fat and sodium.

It is an excellent source of vitamin C. It is also a good

source of vitamin A. Vitamin C helps form collagen to hold

muscles, bones and Ɵssues together, protects us from

infecƟons and bruising, aids in healing, keeps our gums

healthy, helps our body absorb iron and folate from

plants, and acts as an anƟoxidant to prevent cell damage.

Vitamin A promotes normal vision, supports the growth

and health of cells and Ɵssues, protects us from infecƟon,

and helps regulate the immune system. It also works as

an anƟoxidant in the form of carotenoids (which form

vitamin A). Watermelon also has potassium. Potassium

helps maintain normal blood pressure, regulate fluids and

mineral balance, transmit nerve signals and contract  

muscles. Most red fruits and vegetables, like watermelon,

have lycopene. Lycopene is a phytonutrient which may

reduce cancer risk.1,3,6,7

Fruit

USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer. 08/14 

http://childnutrition.ncpublicschools.gov 

PUBLIC SCHOOLS OF NORTH CAROLINA 

State Board of Education 

Department of Public Instruction