Donate

Play Live Radio

Next Up:

0:00

0:00 0:00

Available On Air Stations

SC Public Radio's statewide network is experiencing intermittent outages and programming issues due to ongoing infrastructure upgrades. Our team is working to keep these disruptions to a minimum and to resolve issues that do arise. Streaming on this site, the SCETV App, the NPR App, and smart speakers is unaffected.

Making It Grow Minutes

Watermelon Field Day

By Amanda McNulty

Published July 20, 2026 at 6:00 AM EDT

Hello, I’m Amanda McNulty with Clemson Extension and Making It Grow. Every July, visitors arrive at Clemson’s Edisto Research and Education Center in Blackville for Watermelon Field Day. First we get the latest news from commercial and extension experts on new ways to prevent disease and pests, as watermelons are stunningly susceptible to all sorts of problems. Then they pack us up in buses or some people take their trucks to the fields and learn about new ways of planting, fertilizing, and irrigating. It’s usually really, really hot. But then you get to go in the rows and cut open watermelons and cantaloupes to your hearts content and eat them. Take your own knife and a tote to carry fruits home. Back at headquarters, it’s time for a steak and baked potato lunch and chilled cut watermelons for dessert. Like Christmas in July!

Tags

Amanda McNulty

Amanda McNulty is a Clemson University Extension Horticulture agent and the host of South Carolina ETV’s Making It Grow! gardening program. She studied horticulture at Clemson University as a non-traditional student. “I’m so fortunate that my early attempts at getting a degree got side tracked as I’m a lot better at getting dirty in the garden than practicing diplomacy!” McNulty also studied at South Carolina State University and earned a graduate degree in teaching there.

See stories by Amanda McNulty