growing water melon

Start the water melon seeds in the ground, right where they are supposed to grow. They do not like transplanting and so not necessary to put the seeds in a nursery bed. Put enough manure to the soil before planting and plough to mix well with the soil.

1 table spoon of DAP should be put in every hole and properly mixed with the soil to make sure that the fertilizer doesn’t burn the seed. DAP contains phosphorus and helps the crop with root development.  Always fertilize the soils after every three to four weeks with CAN which helps to fix nitrogen in the soil. Watermelon fruit grow well in soils with alkaline pH. It is therefore wise to add lime to the soil to maintain an alkaline pH. This tough should be done at intervals of 3years.

Watermelon germinates in 7 days and the first fruits are seen from day 30.The optimum yield is 20,000kg/ha.

Spacing

Plant the watermelon seed with a spacing of 2m between rows and 1m between the holes where the seeds are to be planted. If there is not enough rainfall, water regularly to keep the soil moist. It is best to have a watering schedule if using irrigation because the fruit becomes stressed when the pattern changes and this affects the fruit development and the spray program.

Weeding.

It is important to weed the land to remove weeds that compete for water and nutrients with the plant. It can be done the 2nd or 3rd week after germination using herbicides or steel (jembe).

Maturity

Watermelon matures between 80-100 days. In order to determine if the fruit is ready for harvest, turn the melon to see if it has a yellow patch on the part where it lies on the ground with. If it is difficult to pass though your finger nail into the melon, it is as well ready for harvest and you can even cut one and confirm if mature. They are ready for harvest when mature.

Control of pests and diseases.

The major diseases of watermelon are the leaf spot, dumping off, powdery mildew and blight. Beetles, mites, leaf miners and thrips.

Dumping off is a fungal disease that causes seeds to rot before they germinate. Spider mites are serious pests of watermelons especially during hot, dry weather and they feed on the plants sap and can defoliate vines in a few weeks.

Leaf miners cause injuries to the leaves resulting to destruction of the leaf tissues. Thrips are insects which invade the flowers and feed on plant juices are visible to the naked eye.

Always use recommended fungicides, insecticides and herbicides and these are available in the local agrovets. Read the label and follow instructions.

This will not only protect your plant, but it will also protect your health and the environment. Apply the chemicals using the appropriate equipment at the recommended application rate.

Gross Margin

Hybrid Varieties e.g. Sukari F1, Pata Negra, etc……average fruit size 7-8kgs

• 1 acre at spacing of 1m by 1m = 4000 plants
• Expected Yield:   =4000plants x 2fruits/plant x 7kgs/fruit minus 30% field/imperfection losses=39,200kgs
• At Farmgate price of 15/- = 39200x15 =588,000/- per acre within three months

 further information


Water melon sales have risen by up to 30 per cent over the last three years, driven by a growing middle class that has become health conscious. But getting the highest returns from watermelons requires the right preparation and the best choice of seeds. 
Today the watermelon is a common fruit at breakfast, lunch and dinner. It is an excellent snack between meals and especially for weight watchers. It is used for quenching thirst while providing good nutrition. Often the fruit flesh is eaten with the seeds. Seedless varieties have been developed, but the price of the seed is currently high. However, a series of hybrids have been developed that deliver a higher quality of water melon and far higher yields. Traditionally watermelon varieties like Sugar Baby, Crimson Sweet and Charleston Gray produce at most 1700 plants in an acre, each producing a maximum of 3-4 fruits. An acre therefore averages 8,000 to 9,000 fruits. The new hybrids guarantee at least 2,500 plants per acre, each producing 6 -8 fruits.
One acre therefore produces15,000 fruits. Some of the recently developed hybrid varieties in Kenya include: Sweet Rose F1 A vigorous medium to early hybrid (90-100 days) with good adaptability. The fruits are oval to oblong in shape,each weighing 10 -12 Kg. Its flesh is deep crimson red with good texture and sweetness with the sweetness standing at TSS 12-13 per cent. TSS, which stands for Total Soluble solids, is the measure of sweetness and internal quality of watermelons and other fruits. Most fruits have 8-10 per cent TSS, which scientists consider barely enjoyable.
Traditional watermelon varieties fall in the 8-10 per cent TSS category. This variety also has good transport and keeping qualities. Julie F1 A vigorous hybrid producing oval shaped fruits maturing at between 80- 85 days depending on the season. Weighs 8 -10kg with excellent bright red flesh having good juicy granular texture and sweetness of 12-13 per cent TSS. It has small seed size and good shipping quality. Sugar Belle F1 Medium early vigorous hybrid with a fast maturity of 80 days. It has attractive dark bluish green rind (skin) with visible green stripes.
Fruits are round to oval in shape each weighing 8-10 kg. Flesh is deep red in coloor with firm texture and sweetness of 12 per cent TSS. Honey Bee F1 This is a new ice box hybrid with fruit weighing 4 to 5 kg maturing at between 60-65 days with 12-13 per cent TSS. The rind is tough, making it excellent for long distance transport. Watermelons can grow in a very wide variety of environments.
The only area they may not perform well are the cold highlands. They grow well form mid hot coastal areas, to dry eastern plains and hilly midlands. In Kenya, watermelons do well in areas like Machakos, Kirinyaga, Nyeri, Meru, Isiollo, Kerio valley, Loitoktok, Coast Province and also around Garrissa.
Ploughing of land should be done four weeks before planting. This allows for decomposition of plants remaining from the previous crop. Good ploughing kills all the weeds and buries weed seeds and thus delays their germination. Watermelons are often directly planted without the use of nursery. 2 to 3 seeds are required per hole. But the use of germination trays can reduce the amount of seed required. Water melons predominantly require nitrogen, phosphorus and pottasium nutrients for optimum growth. The most common fertilizer used is the DAP.
At the onset of flowering additional fertilizer will be required as a top dressing. Watermelons do not require wet soil for growth. They have an efficient root system. Watering should be guided by the area grown and the stage of crop growth. Often, irrigation is required every five days in the early stages.
Excessive irrigation may encourage vegetative growth and disease incidence. One acre approximate cost of production and returns Cost of hybrid seeds: 400g is Sh27,000. Ploughing and weeding depending on the type of tools costs around Sh.3,000. Planting fertilizer: DAP 50kgs Sh2,250 Citishooter hormone, also known as rooting hormone to allow fast and uniform growth, costs Sh400 for 200mililitres.
Top dressing fertilizer: CAN of 50kgs at Sh2,200 Fungicide for control of common fungi diseases. Most recommended include Portiva, Antracol � Sh1,500 for 200mililitres. Pesticides for control of common pests like aphids, commonly Actara, Karate or Agrinate � going for Sh2,500 Total cost � Sh41,000 Returns from hybrid watermelons One acre produces around 15,000 fruits, each selling for an average Sh100. Total sales income for 15,000 fruits is Sh1,500,000