These eight easy tricks will help you tell when watermelons are ripe and ready to buy or to harvest.
‘Doll Babies’ watermelons are an icebox type, yielding small, crispy sweet melons with flesh that’s pink or yellow. These melons have tough, crack-resistant rinds and ripen 68 to 80 days after planting.
Growing watermelons is nothing short of magic. Tuck a small seed into the ground, and it grows into a vine that produces watermelons. Biting into a luscious, juicy slice of watermelon you grew yourself is one of gardenings sweetest rewards.
Watermelons arent hard to grow. The toughest part of the process is knowing how to tell if a watermelon is ripe. Once you pick it, the melon doesnt ripen further, so you need to get it right. Pick it too soon, and its inedible. Pick too late, and the flesh is watery.
The thing is, even with all of the technological advances at our fingertips, theres still no one foolproof way to pick the perfect watermelon. Its more of an art with a Sherlock Holmes vibe as you gather clues and draw a conclusion. To get started as a watermelon whisperer, try these eight tips to tell if a watermelon is ripe and ready for picking.
When judging a watermelon’s ripeness, the first sign to look for is that the tendril nearest the melon turns brown and feels dry to the touch.
Once melons are cut from the vine, they don’t continue to ripen or increase their sugar content. But left on the vine too long, melons can get mealy and their appeal goes downhill. Diligent observation in the garden close to your harvest dates will have you slicing into sweet, juicy melons in the perfect timeframe.
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/how-to-grow-watermelons-1403491-hero-2d1ce0752fed4ed599db3ba3b231f8b7.jpg)
Is It Easy To Pick?
When a watermelon is fully ripe, its easy to pick from the vine. It wont slip off like a cantaloupe, but you wont have to pull with all your strength to get it free. A gentle tug and it should come free.
Tips on How to Tell if Your Watermelon Is Ripe
A watermelon vine has curly tendrils on it. Find the one thats closest to a ripening watermelon fruit. That tendril gives excellent clues for when a watermelon is ripe. When the melon is small and developing, the tendril is green and pliable. As the watermelon ripens, the tendril starts to lose its green color, becoming brown. When the watermelon is fully ripe, the tendril is brown and dry. A fully ripe watermelon with brown tendril will keep on the vine up to two weeks as long as no heavy rainfall occurs, which causes ripe melons to split open (like tomatoes).
Can you leave a watermelon on the vine too long?
FAQ
How long can a watermelon stay on the vine?
Can you wait too long to pick a watermelon?
Do watermelons continue to ripen off the vine?
What happens if you leave a ripe watermelon on the vine?
It can—the sugars start to develop so much in an overripe watermelon that the flesh starts to turn mealy and mushy. Eventually, the flesh will start to ferment and rot—not good eats! The good news: this process happens relatively slowly. So if you leave a ripe watermelon on the vine an extra day or two, you aren’t going to ruin your crop.
How long does watermelon juice last?
Watermelon juice tastes best immediately after making it, but any leftover can be stored in the refrigerator for up to three days.
How long do ripe watermelons stay on the vine?
If you’re low on storage space, you might be wondering how long your ripe watermelons can stay on the vine in your garden. In ideal conditions, ripe watermelons can remain on the vine for one to two weeks. However, there are a couple of factors that can impact that time. The primary factors are the weather and pests.
What happens if you cut off a watermelon flower?
Each flower on a watermelon vine has the potential to become a fruit, and removing them prematurely can result in a lower yield. Additionally, pinching off flowers can also caue stress to the plant, which can lead to stunted growth and weakened roots.