World’s Largest Watermelon Unveiled
The world’s largest watermelon has been unveiled in central China. With a total weight of 1,100 pounds and a circumference of 7 feet, the fruit is now on display at the Dahe Town Farmer’s Market in Henan Province. The watermelon was grown by farmer Zhang Xinxin and his family who have made it their mission to grow the world’s biggest watermelons. This year, they achieved their goal by growing this record-breaking melon, which took 10 months to harvest and 12 hours to cut into cubes for consumption.
It is no coincidence that China has earned the name “big melon” for its watermelons. With a growing season of about five months, longer than other countries in temperate zones, it is no surprise that Chinese farmers are able to produce larger fruits.
The largest watermelon was not an easy one to grow; Zhang Xinxin stated that the difficulties of growing these large fruits included “protecting them from insects and ensuring they were well-watered and shaded”. Xinxin’s grandchildren were one of his sources of motivation: “My youngest grandson was born this year,” he said. “I promised him that I would grow a giant watermelon for him, and it’s done. Now he can see it every day when he comes to visit me.”
