Comments on: Harvesting Ripe Watermelons

By: Candace

Candace — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 01:20:16 +0000

Fresh, ripe fruit vibrates.
Just as we vibrate.
We have a vibration of around 6.5 thousand angstroms.
Most fruit vibrates at 8-10 thousand angstroms and the vibrations drop for over or under ripe fruits and at their peak when fruit is perfectly ripe.
Search ‘BOVIS SCALE’ ‘ANDRE BOVIS’ ‘ANDRE SIMONETON’ ‘THE VIBRATIONS OF FOOD AND DRINKS’
Possibly could explain the straw theory.
I am definitely going to try it out next time i pick a watermelon.

By: David Pettus

David Pettus — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 21:42:29 +0000

My brother-in-law just yesterday showed me the “straw trick”, and it’s an amazing thing, but like Mr. Field says, I find it hard to believe that melons become “more magnetic” as they ripen. Can anyone out there suggest another solution to this phenomenon?? Are you sure this works ONLY on ripe melons? Can the position of the melon (north/south, east/west)affect the results? Does time of day matter? Well… anyway… I’d like to know why this works!

By: Kenny Point

Kenny Point — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 22:11:27 +0000

Heather, the problem could be related to a condition called “hollow heart” that affects watermelons. It’s more common in seedless varieties but can occur with seeded varieties as well. Hollow heart usually occurs during periods of excessive rain or if there is too much nitrogen applied to the soil. I would keep an eye on the other melons and use the tests above for testing watermelon ripeness and hope for better results. Good luck.

By: Heather R

Heather R — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 14:49:22 +0000

I have harvested our first watermelon & am not sure if it is over ripe or wasn’t quite ready. The flesh is pale red and not crisp. The seeds are white (but big, not the little ones like in the seedless melons at the store). There is a star shape hollow area in the center when we cut it. The rind is not smooth, rough all over. The bottom was whitish & it always sounded hollow to me so that test was difficult. Thanks for any help you have. We have 2 more melons growing!

By: R.Field

R.Field — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 16:49:39 +0000

I don’t get the physics behind a magnetic piece of straw. Static build-up I might buy. My girl’s grandad told her about testing a melon with a straw, we tried it and it seems to work. But WHY? I don’t know any type of physics that allows non-metals to hold or create a magnetic field. Are there trace amounts (of metals) in the melon? What generates the field and how can a straw possibly act like a compass needle. I have seen this ‘dowsing’ work, I don’t believe in sympathetic magic so there must be a logical reason. Sorry, but I don’t buy the ‘physics teachers’ magnetic field theory.

By: ruralgirl

ruralgirl — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 04:21:12 +0000

I’ve never heard about the broomstraw trick, I’ll have to try that. I have heard a lot of people say that they look for beestings in a good watermelon and I just have to say that that is so stupid. Bees wouldn’t have any reason to sting a watermelon. It isn’t a flower and they can’t get any nourishment from it. The second fact is that bees lose their stingers after they have stung anything. It has a barb on the end of it and using it causes their death. What would they sting a watermelon? *rolls eyes*

By: Mark

Mark — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 15:26:21 +0000

To answer Barry’s question about picking a watermelon with a broom straw. I’m a physics teacher. It’s all about magnetics. The straw acts like a compass needle. The riper the watermelon, the more magnetic it becomes, causing the broom straw to turn, towards the magnetic activity, just like a compass needle. So, there you have it. So, if, when you place your straw sideways on the bottom of the watermelon, the more it turns towards longways, the riper the watermelon. I love doing this at the food market. I usally draw a crowd and end up picking one out for a lot of folks.

By: Barry L

Barry L — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 02:11:44 +0000

What is the scientific reasoning for a broom straw to turn on a ripe watermelon? What causes this to happen?