By Clint Thompson
Most North Florida watermelon growers are on the cusp of another planting season. While some acres across the region are planted in late February, most are planted, beginning in March, explains Bob Hochmuth, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Regional Specialized Extension agent in Live Oak, Florida.
“I think the majority of our planting still is targeted for the first week in March. The first week in March, from March 1 to March 10, that’s when the majority of our watermelons here are targeted to be planted, weather permitting,” Hochmuth said.
As planting commences across the Suwanee Valley region, growers should take precautions when starting the planting process. Hochmuth stresses that farmers inspect their plants thoroughly before putting them in the ground.
“Make sure that the transplant quality is what they want, and make an assessment of the quality of the plants. So, make sure that they don’t see disease issues in the transplant; things like gummy stem blight,” Hochmuth said. “Make sure the transplants are clean and ready to go. If they have disease-infected plants to start with and they plant them, that’s an uphill battle from day one.
“I think the planting process of making sure that they’re planted properly and adequately watered in, if necessary, also helps to get the plants off to a good start.”