Celebrate National Watermelon Day with Proper Harvesting of Watermelon

Take a break and enjoy a refreshing slice of watermelon as you celebrate National Watermelon Day on August 3^rd.

This tasty fruit is high in Vitamins A, B6, C and potassium. It contains even more lycopene than tomatoes - the red pigment thought to reduce the risk of cancer, heart disease and age related eye disorders.

Eat it fresh, blend it into a smoothie, create a cocktail, add it to a salad or pickle the rinds. And don’t forget to save the seeds for a seed-spitting contest.

If you grow your own watermelon, harvest it when fully mature. This is when the curly tendrils near the stem turn brown and dry, the side touching the ground turns from light green to yellowish-cream, the rind turns dull and is hard to penetrate with your thumb nail.

Or visit your local farmer’s market and buy a few to enjoy. Then plan on adding one to next year’s garden.

A bit more information: Watermelons can be grown in a pot or trained up a trellis to save space. Allow vines to crawl over the deck or patio to add greenery at ground level. Or train the vines up a trellis to save space. Support the fruit with a cloth sling to prevent it from breaking off the vine.