An Alabama record has been set as Daniel White weighed in his 288-pound watermelon at the 2018 Pumpkin and Watermelon Weigh-Off at Bear Wallow Farm in Nancy, KY.
Per a WHNT report, the watermelon, which White had been growing since April, was grown on White’s 30-acre farm in Battleground, AL, and is named Don. White also entered another watermelon, named Harold, into the competition and it placed fifth at 255 pounds.
“It’s easier to keep up with the melons’ daily statistics if they’re named,” he told WHNT. “Plus, it adds a little fun to it.”
White set out on his journey of growing watermelons in 2013 when he became curious of the process. He ordered seeds from Arkansas and began growing the melons. He explained that he would trade seeds with other growers as he traveled to different competitions, yet the seeds he used this season were mostly his own.
“You’re not really competing against each other,” White said of the competitions he enters.”You’re competing against Mother Nature more than anything.”
White likes to grow something hardy, like mustard greens, in the winter months. He then tills the soil and adds compost into it. He also added that he strays from synthetic fertilizers.
He begins his process with the seeds inside his home and then transfers them outside and pollinates them by hand. Once the melons begin growing, White said he picks out the one that has the shape and size he is seeking.
“You kind of look at certain areas on the plant where you might want it to be,” White told the news station. “The shape of the melon — you can kind of tell when they’re small.”
White spends around two hours a day in the garden during growing season, which concludes around mid-October.
On top of growing massive watermelons, White has started growing large cabbages.
“It’s just fascinating to watch the progression of it,” he added.
@RealKyleMorris is a Yellowhammer News contributor and also contributes weekly to The Daily Caller
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