How do I know when to pick? And how many watermelons does one plant produce? I have two very health looking plants, but only 3 melons and lots and lots of blooms. Will they produce more melons this late in the season? moderator's note: added a more descriptive title to topic
Donna, there will be a tendril growing where the melon stem grows from the vine(the petiole) which will be green while the melon is also still "green" or unripe. green tendril on melon ( photo / image / picture from carolyn keiper's Garden ) As soon as this tendril turns brown....and the bottom of the melon turns yellow... then it is ripe. brown tendril on ripe watermelon ( photo / image / picture from carolyn keiper's Garden ) unripe color on bottom of melon...it will be the color of the rind everywhere or white-ish looking. white or unripe melon color ( photo / image / picture from carolyn keiper's Garden ) Ripe melon color on the bottom...yellow, not white anymore. ripe melon color ( photo / image / picture from carolyn keiper's Garden ) the next picture is a different variety and is much easier to see the difference once it is ripe. the bottom of the melon becomes a startling contrast color to the rest of the melon. sugarbaby melon ripe bottom color. ( photo / image / picture from carolyn keiper's Garden ) This is the only time I pick my melons. I had a customer at a market the other day and he asked "how do I know it is a ripe/good melon?" and I replied "because I picked it"....I always wait to pick each melon when these two markers are present in the melon. "I guarantee the melon to be tasty/ ripe or I will replace it when you come back". I also told him. I have rarely "missed" picking at the "ripe" stage.
Carolyn, what a coherent, fool-proof way of telling if a melon in the field is ripe or not! I'll pass this information along to some of our community gardeners who planted melons.
Donna, I forgot the ...Will there be more? part, sorry. It depends on how healthy the plant is or stays and if you have enough growing season left. I think 3 melons is probably a decent number for the vine to support. when those are done maybe you will get a second crop.
Thanks Carolyn and Jane. Going to go check right now. Green tendril and white bottom. I don't mind waiting as long as I get to eat it.
Donna,I hope your melon is an excellent one. Do you know or remember what variety you planted? the one in the pictures is crimson sweet. An excellent, dependable variety for us. The dark green round one is Sugar Baby, not a big melon, but another excellent flavor and dependable variety for us here. Thanks Jane, it took a couple years to get it "right", but it seems to be a dependable method for me.
Just make sure that tendril is completely brown and dry and the bottom almost white or yellow white. Even then you have a good week afterward when it will still be good and sweet. And I still thump mine to be sure.
I remember my daddy cutting a "plug" in a melon to see if it was ripe. I think he really just wanted a treat to give to me--I got to eat the plug!
Donna, Mart "thumps" her melons...That is also an old way of "hearing" whether they are ripe or not. An unripe melon has a higher pitch or tone than a ripe melon...you need to practice thumping (with your knuckles like you are knocking on a door) to hear the difference.
Sorry...I told you the variety of the striped melon was C. Sweet. It is not it is one called Sangria. Sorry. I must have been having a brain freeze or something
Carolyn I will have to go out and check on our watermelons. I have been wondering when I should pick them. That is such great info. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
