Comments on: Harvesting Ripe Watermelons

By: Dave Newell

Dave Newell — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 02:17:11 +0000

My wife Marcia plucks a straw out of a broom (she even does this in the grocery store) and lays it across the watermellon (width) if it aligns by itself length wise with the watermelon it is ripe and a good one. I’ve never seen it fail and as a member of the scientific community I have no idea what causes the damn straw to turn. Try it it it does work!
Dave

By: Kenny Point

Kenny Point — Mon, 03 Sep 2007 01:26:49 +0000

Penny, are you sure the fruits were fully ripened? I know that some watermelon varieties are different shades of red, or not even red at all. You can find watermelons that are yellow-fleshed, orange, pink, and even white. I’ve never grown the black diamond varieties so I don’t know how red the flesh normally is, but if the vines are healthy and productive, and the fruits are sweet, crisp, and flavorful, I wouldn’t worry too much about the color.

By: Penny

Penny — Sun, 02 Sep 2007 21:02:19 +0000

I have some very large black diamond watermelons but the flesh is pale. They are pretty sweet but I was wondering why they are not bright red. Any idea?

Thank you

By: Kenny Point

Kenny Point — Fri, 03 Aug 2007 23:24:38 +0000

Sharon, if your watermelon passes the majority of the tests listed above including the color change underneath, then go ahead and harvest one of them. Give it a few days if you want to play it safe since you don’t have much margin for error. Use the quality of the first melon harvested to help determine when to pick the remaining fruits. The marble sized watermelons may not have time to grow and mature before the season ends.

By: sharon craddick

sharon craddick — Fri, 03 Aug 2007 20:52:00 +0000

I’m trying to grow seedless watermelons, and they are hollow sounding but not as big as a basketball. I’ve never done this before. there are only two developed watermelons so far, but several blooms and marble size ones. I hate to pick it too early, but it’s not getting any bigger and I hate for it too go bad. Any suggestions would be very helpful. Thank You Sharon

By: Kenny Point

Kenny Point — Mon, 23 Jul 2007 22:22:13 +0000

Hi Jennifer, the time to maturity for watermelons varies depending on the variety that you are growing. Some of the smaller, early maturing varieties are listed to mature in as little as 70 days. While the larger, full-sized watermelon varieties can take up to 100 days to mature and ripen the first fruit.

By: jennifer

jennifer — Mon, 23 Jul 2007 22:03:14 +0000

Any idea on how long it takes the watermelon fruit to ripen? I have several growing and I’m curious (and impatient.)

By: Patrick Mabry

Patrick Mabry — Fri, 27 Apr 2007 19:24:20 +0000

I was curious about the color. I’ve always tried to pick ones a little yellow. Do the same with pineapples. Checking for ridges is a technique I hadn’t heard of.

I do not know if the color helps, unless the green watermelons sat too long past “ripe” and the bottom is sometimes yellow. Over about a 20 year period while trying to purchase watermelons myself, I conducted informal surveys of other shoppers/grocery workers for a good list of “how to pick” a sweet honeydew melon, watermelon:
Largest melon (if price each), not by weight

No bad odors; possibly sweet smell or no odor at all

Consistent plumpness and shape similar for both halves

Shiny and smooth rind, minimal bruising, patching, or pits Rind/fruit skin exterior scarred in a “zipper” pattern, often referred to as “Bee Stings”

Melons destined for local markets can remain on the vine until the full slip stage, when soluble solids reach 15% and the fruit slips free of the stem If enough bee stings are present across a majority of the fruit rind, the interior fruit “watermelon meat” or “honeydew meat” will almost assuredly be sweet and juicy. The methodology seems to be originating from insect feeding as the fruit grows on the vine. Insects “smell” the fruit aroma or sweating, bite the fruit rind causing the fruit to bleed sweet nectar, from which they can drink. The bite heals into small brown “bee stings”, causing the appearance of ridges or a zipper type of effect on the rind. Find a melon with one or two full, deep, wide zippers running the fruit length from end to end and you probably have the sweetest melon in the “briar patch” and should be a hit with your guests.