What I was told about the dark skinned watermelons suffering from sun-scald is true. This melon was the first to ripen. It was on the end of the row without vines or grass to provide shade. It is also the only example of sun-scald I have. All the rest had enough shade from the grass and watermelon vines to prevent this problem.
If I were growing these melons for sale to the public and didn't have the additional shade provided by the grass, I'd be in tears right now. You could provide shade to a few rows with brush over the melons, but for several acres, it would be simpler and foolproof to grow a light striped variety like Jubilee.
As you can see the damage is only cosmetic. The interior of the melon is unaffected. Flavor is excellent. It makes a great home garden melon or cooler climate melon, but for the deep south, other varieties would do better. Claud
