Title: Hermiston watermelon season is here | Local News | hermistonherald.com
Headings: Hermiston watermelon season is here
Hermiston watermelon season is here
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Content: Quality-wise, it’s by all indications looking pretty good, as far as the fruit set.” Hermiston watermelons may be a niche crop in terms of overall acres, with about 750 total, but figure prominently in the city’s identity and civic pride. Driving north into town on Highway 395, the Hermiston logo emblazoned on the water tower features a watermelon backdrop along with the slogan, “Where Life is Sweet.” And it isn’t just the locals who have a sweet tooth for Hermiston melons. Shoppers can find the specially branded fruit in Portland, Seattle and all across the West Coast. Some shipments have even gone as far as Texas and Georgia. The secret lies in the region’s sandy soil and desert climate, which provides a perfect combination of hot, dry days and cool nights. Watermelons absorb heat during the day, which the plants metabolize into sugar for energy. Once they cool off at night, the respiration process slows down and all that sugar gets stored in the fruit, hence their exceptionally sweet flavor. Walchli said this year has been a mostly typical growing season, compared to last year when planting got off to a slow start.