Watermelon Facts: Amazing Things You Never Knew About Watermelons!

Watermelons are among the most loved fruits in the world. The sweet treat of this juicy and delicious fruit is considered by many to be simply irresistible. If you have always enjoyed the sweet taste of this wonderful fruit, it is worth discovering some very interesting facts about watermelon.

Watermelon is a long-season warm harvest. It is an important horticultural crop that represents 2% of the world area dedicated to vegetable crops. Originally from the Kalahari desert in Africa, watermelons made their way along the Mediterranean Sea and by the 10th century, China was already biting into its sweet flesh. Today, the United States is the fourth ranked country in the world that grows watermelons with 44 states that grow the fruit, mainly in Florida, Texas, California, Georgia and How to pick a watermelon.

Watermelons are crops that lend themselves well to small-scale and part-time farming operations. There are multiple markets for growers with 5 acres or less, and many field operations, such as land preparation, planting, and harvesting, can be custom contracted. Until two decades ago, watermelon was largely a seasonal fruit that appeared on the market for a few months and then disappeared as fruit crops were harvested in late summer and fall.

Want more facts about watermelon? Ok, here it goes. Did you know that watermelon is the main melon crop in the US in terms of area, production and consumption per capita? Due to the higher unit values, the melon is the leading melon in terms of cultivation value. During 1998-2000, the agricultural value of watermelon production averaged $ 262 million, 36 percent more than a decade earlier. The higher watermelon yields reflect improved varieties and a higher proportion of surface covered by irrigation, especially in states like Texas. Furthermore, seedless varieties now represent a substantial part of the watermelon crop. With much higher seed costs and more challenging cultural requirements, seedless watermelon acreage tends to be managed more intensively, resulting in less crop abandonment and higher yields per acre.

It’s time for some very interesting trivia about watermelons. This is your chance to discover some watermelon facts that are really fun to learn about. Did you know that to find out if a watermelon is ripe (of course, without opening it), just knock on the door? If it sounds hollow then it is ripe.

Watermelons are more than 90% water. That is the secret behind the name! In ancient times, travelers used watermelons as a replacement for water.

Need more fun facts about watermelon? Watermelons come in a variety of shapes and sizes, and the latest addition is a ‘square’ watermelon grown by the Japanese. These square watermelons were created to save space and to ensure that watermelons fit in coolers more easily. The farmers put the watermelons in a square tempered glass box, when the watermelon is still growing on the vine. The square boxes are the exact dimensions of Japanese refrigerators that allow ripe watermelon to fit conveniently and precisely on the refrigerator shelves. Square watermelons are generally priced very high. Interestingly, more than 1,200 varieties of watermelons are grown worldwide.