When to pick watermelons

[Whwoz]

Slightly confused here about timing of picking watermelons and with not a lot of experience at growing them either. Wondering if someone could offer a bit of guidance.

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The tendrils have dried off to some extent and have been this way for several weeks now, but

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The patch where the fruit is sitting on the ground is not really yellow.

Should I wait a bit longer or not?

Any comments from those whom regularly grow watermelons would be apricated

[Shule]

What variety is it?

For me, when the first tendril shrivels there's rarely a time when it's wrong (but there have been times). Moon and Stars is a possible exception to that rule.

When you knock on it, how does it sound? Does it sound deep, or does the fruit feel very hard with it making a higher-pitched sound? The ripe ones tend to make a deeper sound in my experience.

You might try smelling it, too. You never know what your nose might tell you until you try.

Do you have any definitely unripe fruits to compare it to?

[PlainJane]

I started growing them last season and it was a bit of a roller coaster.
Too soon and the flavor hasn’t developed.
Too late the texture gets mealy and they split easily.

I decided this year to devote most of my melon space to cantaloupe and am only growing Mini Love for watermelon.

[worth1]

About 12 hours before I get to your house.
That way they'll be nice and cold.

[Whwoz]

What variety is it?

For me, when the first tendril shrivels there's rarely a time when it's wrong (but there have been times). Moon and Stars is a possible exception to that rule.

When you knock on it, how does it sound? Does it sound deep, or does the fruit feel very hard with it making a higher-pitched sound? The ripe ones tend to make a deeper sound in my experience.

You might try smelling it, too. You never know what your nose might tell you until you try.

Do you have any definitely unripe fruits to compare it to?

Do not know what variety, just a couple of un-named punnets purchased to get some in the ground.
There are seven or eight fruit, a couple of which are later forming, shall compare its sound to them. May very well pick one and try it tomorrow regardless.

[Tormahto]

About 12 hours before I get to your house.
That way they'll be nice and cold.

Picked on a 100 degree sunny day, the 20 + pounders take more than 12 hours to cool down to fridge temps.

[worth1]

About 12 hours before I get to your house.
That way they'll be nice and cold.

Picked on a 100 degree sunny day, the 20 + pounders take more than 12 hours to cool down to fridge temps.

I stick a tel-true thermometer in mine so I know when is cold inside.

[Whwoz]

About 12 hours before I get to your house.
That way they'll be nice and cold.

Picked on a 100 degree sunny day, the 20 + pounders take more than 12 hours to cool down to fridge temps.

Just as well that the forecast tops out at 25C/77F for the next week then as the biggest would be getting close to that mark

[GoDawgs]

That tendril that Schule mentioned is called a pigtail around here. It's usually located a few inches down from where the watermelon is attached to the vine. If it's dried and shriveled and curley-cue shaped, your watermelon is pretty likely ready. Then check the bottom (in contact with the ground) for a creamy yellow color, maybe a bit darker. It that area is white, leave it go longer. Finally, do the "thunk" test. Rap the melon with your knuckles. You should hear a thunk that would make you almost think it's hollow. Try rapping other immature melons to get an idea of what they sound like. After a few, you'll get the hang of it!

I've read that you need to leave about an inch or two of vine on the melon when you cut it off so that they keep longer. My guess is that it protects the area where the vine attaches from invasion by anything that might start any rotting. Makes sense to me so I do that and they last pretty long once cut if kept out of the sun and heat.

[Whwoz]

We had a small watermelon, about 6 inches across on a stem that got damaged and dried up a couple of weeks ago. I lifted this and put it into the fridge in the shed and decided that its time had come

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Taste was acceptable considering that it was not mature, texture likewise, it was a bit soft, particularly the rind when cut but it still ate quite OK. Will cut the watermelon in the photos in the OP tomorrow and see what it is like. Definitely going to need an earlier ripening variety though.

[Shule]

We had a small watermelon, about 6 inches across on a stem that got damaged and dried up a couple of weeks ago. I lifted this and put it into the fridge in the shed and decided that its time had come

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Taste was acceptable considering that it was not mature, texture likewise, it was a bit soft, particularly the rind when cut but it still ate quite OK. Will cut the watermelon in the photos in the OP tomorrow and see what it is like. Definitely going to need an earlier ripening variety though.

It's beautiful, both the color and the flesh appearance.

Anyway, if you want an earlier watermelon here are some recommendations, if you can find them:
- Verona (the OP version)
- Santo Domingo Winter (few seeds; so, it's hard to maintain, but it's great; you definitely want to refrigerate it before you eat it)
- Santo Domingo Dark Green (it gets pretty big fruit, too; it's a winter watermelon, also)
- Blacktail Mountain (one of the earliest watermelons; small fruit; it's reliably gotten two fruits per plant for me [no more; no less]; the fruits are attractive and taste decently good)

Verona and Blacktail Mountain are probably the easest of those to find. Verona is a good all-around choice.

[Whwoz]

Blacktail Mountain I believe is readily available here, indeed I believe it was grown by an old friend, long departed, many years ago up near the folk's place. Would do good here. I haven't heard of the others, will chase around and see if I can find them here. Thanks for the recommendations @Shule

[Whwoz]

Ok, took a knife to the oldest of the watermelon today, tendrils next to this had dried off 3 or 4 weeks ago but no yellowing of the ground contact area. Should have picked it with the tendril drying off, centre of the melon had packed it in.

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[Whwoz]

Picked a second, a bit smaller around 15 lb/7 kg so grabbed a younger one that still had a couple of dry tendrils with much better results. Had to cut this one in half to weigh it, 11.75 + 12.5 = 24.25lb.

Tasted delicious, definitely a keeper. Seeds are about 1 cm/0.375(3/8) inch long as and will be labelled 'Pick by tendril drying off ' so that I know what I am doing. Will look back through my glog to work out an approximate days to maturing also.

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There are four more out there that are most likely overripe, plus another four small ones that are still growing, what we get out of them is dependant upon the weather staying warm

[Whwoz]

From what I can work out, I need to work on 100 days from sowing for this variety.

[Whwoz]

Went over the watermelon patch today and cut five melons.

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I suspect that the three largest ones have over-ripened and will only be good for saving seed from, while the two smaller ones should be good to eat. There are another six around the size of the two smaller ones that still have green tendrils closest to the fruit.

Allowing for the two that we have eaten, the two that have been picked and found too be over-ripe, that makes fifteen of eight plants, which would see us for most of summer. Just need to get them to ripen around the start of January.

We have just eaten a quarter of the big one pictured above and only 60 mature seeds and not many immature ones in it.

[Whwoz]

Been thinking about what variety these might be to seed seed of for comparison. The more I look the more certain I am that they are Crimson Sweet (Warpaint), which ripen in 85-90 days, with fruit turning cream-white on underside when ready for harvest, size 11-12 kg vigorous vines, all of which line up with what we have. Any one out there grown Crimson Sweet aka Warpaint aka Green & White Ruby according to one supplier here who is prepared to offer thoughts on them.

Will be check my seed stocks and ordering if I do not have any.

[JenLovesTomato]

I grow small watermelons. The one in these photos is called, Mini Love Watermelon. I grow them out of an earth box. I keep an eye on it and let that tendril get really brown before harvesting.



See the tendril by my shears?



Cut open inside that evening.

[Whwoz]

I grow small watermelons. The one in these photos is called, Mini Love Watermelon. I grow them out of an earth box. I keep an eye on it and let that tendril get really brown before harvesting.



See the tendril by my shears?



Cut open inside that evening.

Nice looking small watermelon @JenLovesTomato, unfortunately it does not appear to be available here Down Under. I do believe that I am getting this variety, whatever it may be, sorted out as far as harvesting goes. Thanks All.

[rdback]

@Whwoz, I have no idea how accurate this photo is, but I thought of you and this thread when I saw it, lol.

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