Alabama 4-H Watermelon Challenge for Kids
By Sheila Duncan
Reporter
The Alabama 4-H Watermelon Challenge is an exciting opportunity for young growers to put their gardening skills to the test! Participants will grow and submit their heaviest and largest watermelon while learning valuable lessons about plant growth, nutrition, pest management, and more.
Through hands-on experience, participants will cultivate watermelons over a set period, document their progress in a 4-H Watermelon Contest Journal, and submit their best entry for official measurement and weighing at their county Extension office. And, of course, they’ll get to enjoy the fruits of their labor by sharing their homegrown watermelon with friends and family! Any Alabama youth ages 9-18 who are enrolled in Alabama 4-H and sign up for the Watermelon Challenge Project are eligible to participate.
Important Dates & Guidelines
- April 1: Participants must enroll in the Watermelon Challenge through 4-H Online by this date to receive their watermelon seeds. A $5 program fee is required at registration.
- April 15 – May 15: Participants should plant their watermelon seeds within this timeframe to ensure proper growth and maturity.
- April 15 – September 1: Participants must maintain their watermelon journal and submit it with their entry to their county’s 4-H Extension representative.
- September 1: Final day to submit watermelon entries for official weigh-in at the county Extension office and turn in completed journals. Each county may set their own deadline, but it must be on or before September 1.
- September 10: Deadline for counties to submit all watermelon entries to the 4-H State Office.
- September 15: The final results for the heaviest and largest watermelon will be announced to county offices.
- September 15 – 30: Ribbons and certificates will be mailed to county Extension offices for distribution to participants who complete the project.
Seed packets (containing 15-20 seeds) will be sent to each county’s 4-H Extension office for distribution.
Join the Alabama 4-H Watermelon Challenge and put your gardening skills to the test—plus, enjoy the sweet reward of growing your very own watermelon! 🍉
For more information, contact your local Extension office at: Holly Hall, 4-H Extension Agent, 205-926-2981.
