A Detailed Guide to the Latest Watermelon Harvesting and Storage Methods
Watermelons generally ripen in batches, and they do not necessarily all ripen at once, so harvesting watermelons is ongoing work that must be done once they reach maturity. Each time you harvest, you should generally pay attention to using a suitable harvesting method and picking at the right time. In addition, you need to judge ripeness yourself, and you also need to use suitable harvesting tools and do a good job of preserving quality after harvesting.
1. Harvesting time
Watermelons are generally sown in March in spring and harvested around June or July, but the harvesting period must be determined according to different varieties. In addition, greenhouse watermelons can be harvested a period of time earlier, because greenhouse temperatures are higher, so they mature earlier. During the mature period, according to the degree of ripeness, choose a cloudy day with no dew to pick watermelons.
2. Harvesting methods
Use clean baskets to hold the harvested watermelons. In the melon field, choose some watermelons that are swollen, yellowed and lighter in color, then tap them lightly; hearing a muffled sound is a sign of maturity. However, when the harvest amount is too large, there will be no time to tap them, so you can harvest directly by looking at the appearance. Generally, bring a pair of sterilized sharp scissors and cut them off directly while leaving about 3 to 4 cm of the fruit stalk, wipe off soil and attached impurities, and handle them gently. However, if you want to store them, leave a section of vine and a few leaves.
3. Storage methods
1. Sand storage method
Pick watermelons that are 80% ripe, leave a few leaves and cut them off, and apply plant ash or limewater to the cut to prevent the wound from rotting. Then find a dry place and spread clean straw on the ground, then put down a layer of sand, then place the watermelons. One layer of sand should be about 10 cm thick, one layer of sand and one layer of watermelons, with sand covering the top. Stored this way, they can be kept for about half a month, but the sand must be wet sand, and do not stack more than two layers, as they are easily crushed.
2. Cellar storage method
Dig a cellar for storage. Generally, build racks in the cellar and spread dry grass on the racks. Then place the watermelons on the straw. The harvested watermelons should be about just ripe, around 90% ripe; do not let them be too ripe, as they spoil easily. Before storage, leave them outside for a few days first to remove some moisture, which makes them easier to store and can extend the storage time to about three months.
3. Grass storage
After picking the watermelons, put them in dry grass in the field, then cover them with plastic film, and cover the film with wet sand and fine soil to block sunlight and retain moisture. This can extend the shelf life of watermelons, giving about two months of freshness.
When picking watermelons, if they are to be sold nearby, you can leave no leaves and use the short-term sand storage method. However, if they are to be transported over long distances for sale, you can choose the grass storage method, but if the quantity is too large and the selling period is long, you can use cellar storage, which has the longest storage time.