California has two primary cantaloupe (or muskmelon; Cucumis melo L.) production areas: the southern desert valleys in Imperial and Riverside Counties and the San Joaquin Valley (Fresno, Kern, Kings, Merced, and Stanislaus Counties). Melons in the southern desert valleys are planted from late December through March for harvest from May through early July. In the San Joaquin Valley, planting begins in February in the south and continues northward through July; harvest begins in late June and continues into October. Overall, plantings are timed to provide a continuous supply of melons from May through October.
Watermelons (Citrullus lanatus) are produced in the northern Central Valley (Sacramento, San Joaquin, and Stanislaus Counties); Central Valley (Kern and Tulare Counties); and southern California deserts (Imperial and Riverside Counties). Statewide, watermelons are planted from December to early July for harvest from mid-May to late October. Yields reach 40 tons per acre (90 t/ha) under ideal conditions. Lower yields often reflect depressed watermelon prices as much of the crop is left in the field.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.