When direct-seeding is used, growers overplant and then thin to the desired number of plants per acre after the young plants have become established. Transplanting is the standard method for planting the seedless varieties because of high seed costs and because they tend to be harder to establish by direct seeding than the seeded varieties. The use of transplants not only reduces seed costs, it also offers the potential for an earlier harvest. Watermelons are cut from the vine, rather than being pulled or broken off. The cutters select ripe melons and cut and place them along in-field roadways.
Loaders pick up and pass the harvested melons to stackers located on a wagon or field truck.
Because watermelons in a given field ripen at different times, growers need to harvest several times to achieve maximum yields. The first harvest yields the largest and highest-quality melons. Size and quality generally decline with successive harvests and costs rise because the harvesting crew must glean a larger area to collect a load of melons. The major production perils affecting watermelons include excessive rain, excessive heat, and, in non-irrigated areas, drought. Excess rain during any stage of growth can reduce watermelon yields.