Summer Sweetness

from Wild Magazine - Fall 2020

Member Appreciation Month

By Scott Koll, Senior Horticulturist

Synonymous with summer, what is more wonderful than a sweet slice of watermelon? Watermelons have a distinguished history. Believed to be native to Africa, watermelons have long been cultivated in the Nile valley. Watermelon seeds were even found in the tomb of King Tut! These melons have grown in Florida since the 16th century after they were brought to the new world by Africans and Europeans. Watermelons require a long growing season and rich, sandy, well-drained soil, so cultivation is well-suited for the deep South. If you decide to start growing them, make sure you have plenty of room! Vines will quickly overwhelm a small garden. Here at Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens, we water our watermelons close to the stem with micro-irrigation, which keeps the leaves more dry and cuts down on disease. Although the fruit requires drainage, they also are heavy feeders and drinkers. Be sure to amend your soil with compost, fertilizer, and plenty of water. Knowing when to harvest this fruit at the peak of delicious ripeness is an art. Some folks swear by thumping the skin and searching for a hollow sound. I prefer another method: check the bottom of the fruit, where it rests on the ground. I choose to harvest when the skin on that spot becomes more yellow then white, sometimes with slight stripes. Watermelon is a very healthy fruit, loaded with vitamins and lycopene (the same chemical that makes tomatoes red), which battle free radicals in the body and helps to prevent many cancers. They are also full of fiber and relatively low in calories.

We once grew a large variety called “Carolina Cross” at our Zoo and Gardens. We had one fruit measure in at 140 pounds! We most often grow a variety called “Georgia Rattlesnake,” a heritage variety known for its sweet flesh and pronounced stripes on the skin. Many of our animals, from elephants to apes, love them as a tasty treat to supplement their diets.