At the start of April, Daxing Panggezhuang, the "hometown of watermelon in China", got a bumper harvest season, and the first watermelons of 2022 have been listed one after another.
In the greenhouse of the Siji Yangkun Agricultural Park in Pangezhuang Town, it was seen that the rows of vines were already hung with green and round small watermelons, and the workers in the park were transporting the ripe melons they picked to the warehouse, ready to be packed and shipped.
Pang Gezhuang watermelon ushered in the harvest season Image source: Beijing Beautiful Countryside Website
"This kind of hanging small watermelon is particularly popular, although the price of the first melons is 30-40 yuan/kg. Since it was listed on April 17, it has been in short supply."
According to Fujuan Liu, the person in charge of the Siji Yangkun Agricultural Park, the park has planted more than 370 mu (about 150 hectares) of watermelon, and the varieties are mainly L600. In order to ensure the quality and taste of the melons, there is only one fruit per vine, and it takes 52 days from pollination to maturity. At present, about 100 mu (about 40.5 hectares) of watermelon have entered the ripening stage, which can produce 1,500-2,500 kg per day. All of the products will be sold to major supermarkets, specialty stores, and e-commerce platforms.
Panggezhuang watermelon entered the harvest season. Image source: Beijing Beautiful Countryside Website
It is understood that the total planting area of watermelon in Panggezhuang is about 20,000 mu (about 8,094 hectares). The production area under facilities is about 18,000 mu (7,285 hectares). There are more than 10 varieties such as L600, Beyond Dreams, and Jingmei 2K. From mid-April to early November, there are 5 harvests of melons, including 3 harvests in the warm greenhouse and 2 harvests in the cold greenhouse. All these melons are listed in turn. At the beginning of May, watermelons will be listed in large quantities, and the public can buy them through their own picking, online shopping, supermarkets, fruit shops, and other ways to taste the freshest Panggezhuang watermelon.
PangGezhuang watermelon ushered in the harvest season Image source: Beijing Beautiful Countryside Website