"square watermelon" news and stories

Thanks to a Panama produce company, square watermelons start entering the U.S. today. How exactly does one grow a square watermelon? Before you conjure up visions of Dr. Moreau and genetic mutations, rest easy: The melons are grown inside cube-shaped glass boxes.

The new form was invented several years ago by farmers in Zentsuji, Japan, who decided to grow square watermelons that fit exactly into Japanese refrigerators. In this age of carbon-footprint sensitivity and conserving gas, it's actually a terrific idea -- square melons take up less room to transport than round ones.

Being the first kid on the block slurping down a slice of square melon is going to cost you, however. They're priced at around $75 each. Alternatively, if you're really interested and horticulturally adventurous, you can grow your cubed gourd. Instructions are available on Instructables.com.

We have seen pyramidal watermelons before, and we have known that square watermelons have been on the Japanese market for some time. I have never seen one in my local market, but I would definitely not mind getting my hands on one just for the novelty factor. Fortunately, I caught a post that showed how to do it when I was browsing at Boing Boing. It looks like you just put the immature watermelon into a box with a removable side. As it matures, it grows into the shape of the box - just like a bonsai kitten, but much less disturbing.

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