Refreshing, sweet and juicy: watermelons are particularly popular on hot days. A number of farmers in the region now grow the fruit, and the Preising organic farm in Zellingen is one of them. When the temperatures rise, organic farmer Johannes Preising and adventure farmer Jasmin Preising start harvesting watermelons.
Preparations for the harvest begin in the autumn of the previous year: the field is dug up and the soil is supplied with nutrients. When the night frost is over the following spring, planting begins. That is around the beginning of May. “We always plant several sets at two-week intervals to reduce risks and guarantee a particularly long harvest period,” says Johannes Preising.
The plants are purchased from various nurseries and need attention from the moment they arrive at the farm. The lighting conditions and water supply must be right. It is also important that they are not planted in the ground too soon. “The plants first have to acclimatize. That may sound a bit high, but they are very sensitive. You can do a lot of damage before you actually plant them,” says the organic farmer.
Many helpers assist with planting and harvesting
The couple emphasizes the strong support they receive from their environment. Family, good friends and a core team for harvesting: “Without them, it wouldn't work,” says Johannes Preising. They also maintain regular contact with a regional partner company. “Nothing works alone anyway,” summarizes Jasmin Preising.
Planting is done row by row. Enough helpers are essential. “Many hands make light work,” says Johannes Preising. To ensure an optimal climate, the melon plants are covered with a white fleece. “When we have laid the foundation, the field is suddenly white,” he says. Knowing the right time to remove the fleece from the field requires experience.
Planted and covered, the melons can now ripen. The basis for this is optimal irrigation: “Melons don't need as much water as you might think, but they definitely need to be watered at the right time.” Their ripeness is checked every two days. Over time, numerous fruits have to be cut open. These are then left in the field as a source of food for insects and contribute to the farm's biodiversity.
This year, the Preisings' farm is growing watermelons for the fourth time. Compared to the first year, the area under cultivation has now almost tripled. Over the last few years, they have tried out different cultivation methods. “Over time, we have developed the best cultivation strategy for us, but everyone has to find that out for themselves.”
It is ideal when the plants have spread out to form a “green carpet”. This year, Johannes Preising is particularly proud of the crop. “No two years are the same,” he says. The yield is always influenced by external factors such as fungi or weather. If the weather is too hot, for example, the watermelons can get sunburnt. “Looking back, we have overcome some pretty big challenges.” There have also been cases of theft.
Harvest is also offered commercially
At the end of July, the first freshly picked fruit is available. When the “big swing” comes, only part of the yield remains on the farm. The remaining melons are given to the buncher, polished and offered for sale in supermarkets. Customers who buy directly from the farm prefer to take the watermelons with soil residue on the peel. “That is probably particularly authentic,” Jasmin Preising suspects, “people like it that way. But for the masses, it has to be clean.”
There is no long transport route like with imported food. The Preisings believe that the perfect ripening time for the harvest is another great advantage of regional cultivation. And because the watermelons do not ripen further, they can be kept well when refrigerated.
Season until September
The season ends around mid-September. The Preisings do not grow other types of melon. “I imagine that would be difficult in the open air,” says Johannes Preising. Personal preferences also play a role in choosing which foods to grow and in what quantities. Having fun is essential to engaging in cultivation, gaining know-how from experience and thus optimizing the yield, he explains. “It also involves a lot of manual work, and you definitely need patience,” adds Jasmin Preising.
