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Planting watermelon on Del Monte’s La Cueva plantation near Liberia, Costa Rica. The fields are prepared in parallel mounds covered with perforated plastic with drip irrigation underneath. The grafted seedlings are then planted by hand, and then covered with a fabric to soften the sunlight, retain moisture, and keep out pests until the plants are about to flower. Pollination is by bees brought in to the farm, and the plants mature within 60 days, allowing two crops during the October-April growing season, for export to the U.S. and Europe. Last year Del Monte shipped some 1.5M boxes of melons from Costa Rica. The melons are not organic, but the cover helps to reduce pesticide applications substantially.

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STNMTZ_20210122_30-2.TIF
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George Steinmetz
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www.georgesteinmetz.com
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Planting watermelon on Del Monte’s La Cueva plantation near Liberia, Costa Rica. The fields are prepared in parallel mounds covered with perforated plastic with drip irrigation underneath. The grafted seedlings are then planted by hand, and then covered with a fabric to soften the sunlight, retain moisture, and keep out pests until the plants are about to flower. Pollination is by bees brought in to the farm, and the plants mature within 60 days, allowing two crops during the October-April growing season, for export to the U.S. and Europe. Last year Del Monte shipped some 1.5M boxes of melons from Costa Rica. The melons are not organic, but the cover helps to reduce pesticide applications substantially.

All images ©George Steinmetz. Please contact us for usage.