The number of watermelon growers in Lithuania is increasing. Several new watermelon varieties have also been developed and adapted to the Lithuanian climate.
“The biggest watermelon I have grown this year weighs 25 kilograms. We’re going to enter it for the Lithuanian record,” says watermelon grower Nelijus Zaleckis.
Last year, the biggest watermelon to grow on Zaleckis’ farm weighed 16 kilograms, but this year the record fruit is much bigger. In total, the farm produces around 7 tonnes of watermelons on a 20-acre plot near Elektrėnai.
“I must have fallen in love. I think for a long time,” Zaleckis says asked how he became interested in growing watermelons.
“When the season starts, Nelijus goes out to the field and devotes all his love to watermelons,” adds the farmers’ wife Justina Zaleckienė.
The number of watermelon growers is increasing in Lithuania every year, thanks to the warming climate, says the farmer. Watermelons need a lot of sun to ripen, so as the climate warms, the trend is expected to continue.
Zaleckis cultivates six varieties of watermelons on his farm, although it does not include the Lithuanian varieties that have already become available.
“We import seeds from Greece and Romania. The seed is the main thing. The seed must be healthy and treated to be disease-free. Then, it is planted in the ground. There must also be lots of sunshine and good soil tests,” explains the watermelon grower.
The farmer says he looks on the internet for information on how to best grow watermelons and tries not to repeat his mistakes. To keep the watermelons sweet and tasty, he makes his own fertiliser from nettles and other herbs. When the watermelons grow to the size of a fist, Zaleckis fertilises them with ash.
The heat-loving plant requires a lot of care and manual labour, the farmer admits.
“We grow them in a greenhouse for a month. We heat the greenhouse at night to keep it from freezing, so it’s at least 15 degrees. We plant the watermelons outside when the temperature is at least 10 degrees at night,” Zaleckis says.
Watermelons are a source of antioxidants and vitamin C but should be consumed in moderation as they contain a lot of sugar.
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