How to tell if a watermelon is ripe

It may seem difficult to tell if your homegrown watermelons are ripe. Pick it too soon, or too late--and you might as well throw it away!
Look at the tendril and spoon (the very small spoon shaped leaf) that grow closest to your melon--both will dry and turn brown when your watermelon is ripe. Also if you look at the spot on your melon where it rests on the ground, it will turn from white to cream or yellowish. If there is no spot, it is probably because your melon has rolled or been moved from the original resting spot.

Category:

Howto & Style

Tags:

• Harvesting watemelons
• growing fruits and vegetables
• melons
• home gardening gardening

[ellie3637]

They are beautiful, you are so talented!

[KLisaLisa]

@ellie3637 Thank you!

[alz123alz]

Thanks for the video. I love your vines. Do you have plastic underneath to keep the bugs away? The bugs on the ground consumed half of one of my small melons. Beautiful garden.

[KLisaLisa]

@alz123alz I use the plastic mostly to keep the weeds down and to keep the moisture away from the melons and leaves--and any fungus spores left from last year. I think it could help with bugs too--it's worth a try. Good luck! I hate the bad bugs!! Thanks for your comment!

[Racingirl911]

@KLisaLisa I just want to thank you so very much for making this video! This is the first year I have ever grown watermelon, and I had no idea when to harvest them. As soon as I watched your video I went right out to my garden and picked 3 of them!! I'm not going to eat any of them until tomorrow--my birthday! :•} Thanks again!!!!

[KLisaLisa]

@Racingirl911 Happy Birthday Racing Girl! I'm glad you liked the video! Next time, just harvest one watermelon and after you cut it open and tasted it, make the decision of when to cut the other 2 based on how that one was. Hopefully they will be delicious and none of this conversation will be necessary!

[dontommyg]

great video!

[alz123alz]

BlueOne, if its not ripe, just break it up and put it back directly into the soil. It would make compost. Watermelons have plenty of vitamins that your other vegetables would love. I love this wys of composting. No waiting around.

[chickencombo3]

what will we find? the world may never know!

[KLisaLisa]

@000Winter000 If you have any more melons on that plant, you can wait a few days past the browning of the tendril and spoon before harvesting without fear that the watermelon will go bad.