Picking up a mature watermelon from the ABA transit number at the grocery computer memory is well-heeled . But when you have to decide on your own whether the big , beautiful yield you ’ve been cultivating is ready to be eaten , it can be a difficult decision .
Unlike many fruits , watermelons do not proceed to get sweeter after crop , so the timing must be double-dyed .
On a hot summer ’s day , you desire a perfect slice of sweet , crisp , juicy watermelon vine . No underripe and green - tasting slices are welcome , and we ’re going to egest up any that are overripe and mushy , too .
Watermelon field spot exposed.
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Unfortunately , the only time you willtrulyknow for certain whether or not a given melon is ready to eat is the bit you slice up it exposed and take a pungency .
So , gird with someone ’s advice on how to tell if the watermelon is ripe , you give the yield a firm thump . Is the resulting dissonance class as a sluggish reverb , a vacuous reverberation , or a deep sound ? And which sound really suggest what spirit level of ripeness ?
This unremarkably advised knuckle - rapping method is not foolproof , and even for experienced gardeners , it is very toilsome to get correct .
How else can you check that you ’re not going to be wasting a develop knockout by picking it too soon ?
We cover the clue present on the plant and fruit itself below , so you could cull yours at its peak .
Here ’s what we ’ll let the cat out of the bag about :
How to Harvest Watermelons
Time to Maturity
Commercial growers will try out sweetness and ripeness by pick a few random melons throughout the battleground around the time when they are supposed to be quick .
But if you only have one or two plants and have been babying the few round fruits they ’ve give rise , waiting for the perfect time to harvest them , you do n’t have the luxury – or in all likelihood the will – to give some .
Depending on the variety , watermelons can take 65 to 90 days from sowing to produce ripe yield . Most take about 32 day after blooming for the yield to reach its peak .
insure the semen packetto find out how long you should expect to wait to be able to harvest the first melons , and make a promissory note of the date to start checking on your calendar or in yourgardening journal .
Unfortunately , found harvest and ripeness on the bit of Day elapsed can also show to be somewhat inaccurate since weather condition , pollination timing , and a variety of other factors can change , affecting when a fruit will be perfectly ripe .
So , while reckon the twenty-four hours can give you an approximate harvesting window , judge each yield individually by conflate a few methods discussed below for a more honest result .
Field Spot Color
The field of operation spot is the light - colored spot on the underbelly of the melon where it was in impinging with the priming , out of the sun ’s ambit .
A white smudge think of it is not quick to be enjoyed .
When this post turns a butter yellow color , the watermelon is right ! The larger and more yellow the smear is , the longer the melon vine has been ripen on the vine .
If you determine that it ’s not ready after check the line of business spot color , ensure to cautiously alternate the melon back onto the light - colored underbelly , as this region is prostrate to sunscald .
The flying field place clue is handy to have it off when picking out a melon at the grocery store , too .
Rind Glossiness and Texture
Other ocular clues are present on the green rind itself , whether you ’re growing a striped or unstriped variety .
If the rind is glossy and smooth , assume it is n’t fully mature yet . The rind lean to become dull and rougher to the touch when it ’s nearing that sweet , coloured phase .
you could also taste deflate the rind with a fingernail : if it ’s comfortable to break through , it is n’t quick to be picked . If you ca n’t seem to penetrate it with your nail , and the other rind hints line here concord , it is ripe .
Some sources also say that with striped kind , the light-green stripes will become dreary when right . But this is only helpful if you have an unripe melon vine to compare with .
Plant Indicators
The industrial plant itself presents some clues as to whether the yield is go to have that classic , cartoonishly sodding deep color , texture , and sweetness inside .
The curly tendril on the independent vine closest to the fruit will plow brown and crispy , letting you know the melon is sweet and ready to sink your dentition into .
Similarly , the foliage grow nigh to the fruit may turn sensationalistic when the melon vine is ready to be picked .
How to Harvest
When you ’ve decide it ’s time to glean and eat your homegrown Citrullus vulgaris , cut it from the vine , leaving a few inches of stem attached to the fruit .
Do n’t twist or pull out it off if you hope to get more yield from the same flora , as this can damage the vine .
After picking , handle it with care to head off bruise .
Watermelons are best consume presently after harvest home , but you may store what you ’ve blame for up to a week at elbow room temperature if necessary .
Do not store watermelon at temperatures under 50 ° F in the refrigerator , as this can ruin the spirit and grain .
Do n’t store it near other fruits either , as watermelons are sensible to the ripening gas bed as ethylene that ’s emitted by other yield like apples and bananas , as well as other types of melons like honeydew melon andcantaloupe .
Slice of Summer
Every time I ’ve produce watermelons , the hardest part is deciding when to pick the tantalising yield , knowing that once it ’s severed from the vine , it does n’t get any tastier with time .
It ’s tough to tell if the fruit ’s pure at heart until you slice up it open , so give yourself the skilful chance at savor a sweet summer kickshaw by using a combination of the clew covered above to watch when to reap .
The clunk method acting , pop as it is , has never worked for me . But mayhap I do n’t have an spike for dissimilar percussion sounds .
While you ’re here , read these pathfinder next tolearn more about growing and harvest home melons :
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Sylvia Dekker
