When is a watermelon ready? (forum)

snottiegobble starts with ...
Have a couple of large watermelons on the vine & having never grown them before wonder when they should be harvested? Hope you can help with rock melons too as I wasted a couple last season.

Time: 26th January 2011 2:27pm

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micarle says...
Hey snottie! Not really sure, i think you can slap them and they should sounds hollow... Or you couls inject them with rum or vodka hehe ;0

Time: 26th January 2011 2:55pm

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krazykangaroo says...
Hi, I grow a lot of melons. With watermelon you can thump them with your knuckles and large ones sound hollow when ripe (Doesn't work well for small ones. A better way is to see when the tendrils next to the stem dry up and the melons go white or yellow on the bottom. It doesn't matter so much if you leave them on the vine a bit longer just to be sure.
With other melons - rockmelon types will slip off the vine easily without being pulled when ripe. Honeydew and other types are a bit harder to tell as they don't 'slip'. They should go white or yellow on the bottom and a little softer on the blossom end.

Some of the other types of old heritage melons can also be a bit tricky as you have to harvest them on the day they are ripe - one day either side and they may not taste great. It is all experience for them.

Edited to add: I just found this page which might help you more: http://faq.gardenweb.com/faq/lists/cornucop/2002071935010165.html

Time: 26th January 2011 5:12pm

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Original Post was last edited: 26th January 2011 5:15pm

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snottiegobble says...
Thanks KK, I will sniff, slap & study until I get it right!
Micarle, thats not a bad idea! maybe Bacardi would be the shot!

Time: 27th January 2011 1:16am

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MaryT says...
Consider this, snottiegobble: In the markets in Hong Kong (in the olden days) the vendor would cut a triangle into the melon with a long pointy knife and pull it out for us to taste (but it was always good), then plug it up again for us to take home. Much like what you'd do with a cheese, I imagine.

Time: 27th January 2011 6:29am

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snottiegobble says...
I am tempted to try that MaryT, but if its not ripe surely it will deteriote once I have let the air in?

Time: 27th January 2011 7:52pm

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MaryT says...
I don't you ought to try that, snottiegobble, unless you are as sure as that vendor that the melon was ready to eat :)

Time: 27th January 2011 9:56pm

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snottiegobble says...
Couldnt wait MaryT. I tapped it & compared it with a younger fruit
( which is now bigger)& it had a hollow sound.
DELICIOUS & very juicy!

Time: 28th January 2011 2:57pm

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MaryT says...
Congratulations snottiegobble; lucky you!

Time: 28th January 2011 7:50pm

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Gus says...
Still trying to work out that hollow sound.
Have you grown any more melons this year Snottie Gobble?
I was thinking of poking a peek hole into one of my melons.

Time: 7th February 2012 9:58pm

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Wazzbat says...
I already wasted one of my watermelons a few weeks back. It sounded hollow to me but it hadn't even started turning red inside yet. I didn't weigh it but I'm guessing it would have been about 4kgs. I was devistated. I still have another 2 to try and get right though.


Time: 7th February 2012 11:20pm

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Gus says...
I am exactly the same. I cut one a couple of weeks ago and was sure it was going to be ripe. I could swear it sounded kind of hollow when I tapped it. So disapponiting to find it white in the middle.
I also have a couple more, and am pretty sure one of them is ripe or at least pretty close to ripe. I don't think it sounds hollow though, but does appear to be going kind of yellow on the bottom.
I am having similair trouble with rockmelon. I guess it is all experience, but unless you have a big farm, it is kind of hard to build that experience.

Time: 7th February 2012 11:34pm

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Wazzbat says...
And when you only have 3 goes to get it right in your first year, it is even harder and very dissapointing when you get it wrong. Fingers crossed hey?

I have a Jap pumpkin in the same situation. I'm pretty sure that it's ready now but too scared to pick it.

Time: 8th February 2012 7:55am

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JUJUBE FOR SALE IN MELBOURNE says...
Hi all,

I used to visit my mum 's uncle who had a water melon farm and He taught me that apart from the hollow sound, I must wait for the stem of a mature melon about to dry up or dried up to be sure that the melon is red inside and it worked every time.

He also said the one closer to the root is the best because it receives much more nutritions than the ones further down the vine.

Good luck..
lucy.

Time: 8th February 2012 7:56am

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Brendan says...
Hi Jujube & Wazzbat,
With watermelons, there's a tiny 'tendril' near the stem of the actual melon(s). When this tendril is completely dry or dead, then the watermelon is ready to pick.

With pumpkins, I like picking them a bit early, they taste better IMO. Most people wait till the stem has dried slightly.

Time: 8th February 2012 10:56am

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Gus says...
I think your helpful info is wasted on me.

One of my melons was starting to look past its best even though the tendril hadn't dried up. I couldn't resist ahving a crack at it.
I cut it open and if anything I feel it is a little overripe. It is an orange melon so a little hard to tell.
The centre of it was kind of malformed, but at least it tasted ok

Time: 8th February 2012 10:10pm

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Wazzbat says...
Good stuff Gus. Better than an under ripe white fleshed melon.

Time: 8th February 2012 10:30pm

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Gus says...
Cheers Wazz
it was an orageglow melon and I dont really know how it should look, but i think it was closish to ripe. I can't tell if it was a little over or a little under ripe.

I still don't think I could tell when a melon is ripe though. I cut a rockmelon at the same time and it wasn't even close!

Time: 8th February 2012 11:25pm

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Brendan says...
Another clue, the watermelon skin becomes duller, and has a hollow sound when tapped.

Time: 10th February 2012 12:40pm

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Jack says...
I find this web site pretty good for Vegie info, seeing that this forum is SUPPOSED to be about Fruit Trees
It also seems like some of you have nothing better to do with yourselves.

http://www.gardenate.com/plant/Watermelon

Time: 10th February 2012 12:58pm

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Gus says...
Are You like a disgruntled Jack O' Lantern?

Time: 10th February 2012 7:21pm

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Wazzbat says...
Thanks for your input Jack.

Time: 11th February 2012 8:00am

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Brendan says...
I'm sure when I went to school we were taught a fruit contains seeds, and a vegetable does not? eg, a pumpkin is a fruit :-)
Pictures - Click to enlarge

Picture: 1

Time: 13th February 2012 8:26am

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John says...
Pumpkins don't grow on trees, this is a Fruit TREE forum, or am I mistaken?

Time: 13th February 2012 4:45pm

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BJ says...
*
Pictures - Click to enlarge

Picture: 1

Time: 13th February 2012 4:50pm

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John says...
haha very good BJ

Time: 13th February 2012 9:38pm

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Wazzbat says...
I'd like to refresh this page so that it gets back to the top of the page and as such, should get the attention of John again.

People talk about all types of fruits and veges on this forum. Bananas aren't grown on trees. They are grown on palms. Blueberries on bushes, Cape Gooseberries on shrubs, Strawberries are ground covers, pineapples - mmmm?, grapes and passionfruits on vines etc etc etc.

I have an idea - If you don't want to read the threads which talk about fruits that "aren't" grown on trees...
Don't!!! Pretty simple really.

Good Day to you Sir.

Time: 14th February 2012 5:59pm

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John says...
come back in a couple of years and somebody will still be here explaining how to tell when a H2Omelon is ready to pick

crazyroo seemed to give a very good discription on how to tell with all melons, so why does the topic need to go on and on and on? HUH?

Time: 14th February 2012 10:19pm

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Gus says...
Ignore it then fool.
If you are happy with the content then find a better way to spend your life. Do you pick on people in the real world or do they scare you too much?
I just find you really weird pal.

Thank you to all who have contributed to a thread that I have enjoyed learning from

Time: 14th February 2012 10:32pm

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Gus says...
Ok, picked a good rockmelon today and have decided that when they start looking like they are past their best it is good time to pick. I have given up looking for the "vital signs" of ripeness as I just don't seem to have a green thumb.

Time: 15th February 2012 10:35pm

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