Watermelons Back on Sale Just in Time for Summer 

By Greg Ritchie

Messenger Reporter

GRAPELAND –  There’s a lot going on every summer in Houston County, with kids out of school and hibernating or going off to sports or other camps, adults trying to hide as much as possible from the sun (especially after the first bad sunburn of the season) and those sweet watermelons making their way from Grapeland to tables and bellies all over the county. 

The Messenger reported at the end of last year’s season how much of the crop did not turn out as needed – or expected – due to the extreme heat and lack of rain. Many will remember the county spent much of last summer under a burn ban, with lack of hay and dying plants plaguing everyone from the big-time ranchers to the backyard green-thumbs. 

So far this year, the watermelons seem to be doing just fine, with stocks full, already in high demand, albeit with the prices suffering from inflation. 

The Messenger took time to visit the Pennington stand in downtown Grapeland and caught up with Grapeland High School student and newly-minted watermelon expert Dalli Jones. Jones was braving the heat on a weekday morning trying to stay cool and answer questions about all the varieties in the big trailer of melons. 

“We’ve got yellow-meat, we’ve got seedless red diamond. We just got some jubilees in today and then we’ve got seedless orange-meat and the regular red-meat seedless,” Jones explained. Say that three times fast. 

A fan of agriculture and ag classes, Jones will be going into her junior year next year at Grapeland High. It’s her first year selling the melons and said so far, so good. 

“It’s been going well and I’ve been staying busy,” Jones said. “For the heat I have a fan.”

Back at the main office, Arlene Yates was working to keep orders going out and the bosses happy. She said this year looks to be a good year for the juicy fruits. 

“They’re coming along beautifully. They’re all coming in right now, all the varieties,” Yates said.  “Some nice size melons like the yellow-meat, the orange-crisp, and the red diamond the seedless is a very popular one. Very popular – like a little green bowling ball.”

So to end the endless debate once and for all, how do you choose the best melon?

“Personally, I look for the yellow spot on the bottom because that means it’s going to be sweet,” Jones offered. 

“Cut it open,” Yates joked. “Really, though, if there is a sound when you hit it and it has a bounce to it, that’s good. If it’s just a flat sound? No. We want that little bounce, that little vibration like a drum.”

Greg Ritchie can be reached at [email protected]