
When to Harvest Watermelon
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What if you're buying a melon?
If you put one hand on one side of the melon and with your other hand open, tap the melon soundly. If you can feel the percussion with you other hand, it is ripe. If the sound stops and you can't feel it, it is too ripe and wet in the middle. It should "thump" NOT "thud".
I grow sugar babies inside hydroponically using just a bucket of nutrients and no aeration. I found that waiting until the tendril was fully dried out and the ground spot bright yellow, they were a bit overripe. But if I picked them when the tendril was dry but not fully dry, they are perfect. I started rotating them around to expose all sides to the lights, so no more ground spot to try to judge ripeness anymore.
I grow the Sugar Baby and the Crimson Sweet. The Sugar Babies do turn yellow on the bottom where it contacts the soil, as do the Crimsons. I also notice the vines starting to brown and curl as well indicating that they are ready to be picked. I have 5 in total this year. 3 of the Sugar Babies and 2 of the Crimsons. I live in the South Okanagan Canada. I planted each seedling (just 1 plant of each type) at the beginning of May directly into the soil of a raised garden bed that is attached to the house so lots of warm soil which is the secret to growing large healthy melons!
I've been watching a watermelon in my garden ripen, but over the past week it stopped growing. It looks big and ready, but the bottom has not turned white or yellow. Any other way to tell if it's ready?
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