NASH COUNTY, N.C. – Last year the heat caused many crops to suffer. This year is wetter than average, but it’s not record-breaking. North Carolina’s watermelon crop has weathered the weather like a champ, successfully making it to harvest.
What You Need To Know
- Forty-four percent of the state is less dry than it was last year
- Many parts of North Carolina have seen above-average rainfall this year
- Watermelons need one to two inches of water a week
Many parts of North Carolina have seen above-average rainfall this year, which can be good or bad for the many crops in the state. Based on the drought monitor, 44% of the state is less dry than it was last year.
Watermelons are one of the pickier fruits that have a fine line between too much and too little water.
In Nash County, they’ve had just the right amount of rain at the right time, and their watermelons are ready for harvest.
“We just started picking, but we've had rain on time right when we needed it, so that's really helped,” Kaitlin Glover, a watermelon farmer in Bailey, N.C., said. “Last year we had a really, really bad drought. So this year has been a lot better already.”
For a fruit that’s 92% water, you’d think the more the better, but more water doesn’t necessarily mean more juice. Watermelons only need one to two inches of water a week – so soil stays damp, but not wet.
“A lot of people think that we just plant the plant in the ground and then come back two months later and pick the watermelon and that’s it,” Glover said. “There's a lot more that goes into it than just that. A lot of money, a lot of time.”
In addition to watermelon, the Glovers grow cantaloupe, strawberries, broccoli and sweet potatoes.
“Everything we plant is a gamble, and you don't know what the weather is going to do,” Glover said. “It’s stressful, I mean, but it's also, you just got to work hard and keep the faith and hope for the best.”