By Clint Thompson
The sooner that watermelons in the Suwanee Valley can be harvested and marketed this year the better for North Florida producers. That time frame looks to be around mid-May, says Bob Hochmuth, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Regional Specialized Extension agent in Live Oak, Florida.
If the current hot and dry weather conditions persist, though, that timeframe could be accelerated up a few days.
“The biggest ones are looking like they’re probably targeting around the 15th of May; maybe a little bit earlier if it stays like this. Sometime, plus or minus, the 12th or 15th of May, I think would be the earliest I’ve heard anybody really talk confidently about,” Hochmuth said.
“You’ve got those watermelons which I’ve seen myself and seen pictures of fruit that are every bit of 15 pounds. They’re really pushing hard. Then you’ve got it down to later planted fields that are golf ball size or a little bigger.”
North Florida watermelon producers have been planting earlier and earlier in recent years, as weather conditions have cooperated. Growers are hoping to capitalize on a favorable market with the earliest plantings. They should be able to this year.
“With this driving situation that we have now, warm nights, warm days and low humidity, it could escalate or elevate the speed at which these things are going to get ready,” Hochmuth said. “Even though you’ll get a ripe one here and a ripe one there, you’ve got to have enough ripe ones to be able to go across the whole field. The 15th is still a good target for me until I tell you otherwise. That could change next week.”