How to pick a ripe watermelon-Share your experience here

Christa B. · July 30, 2016

Picking a ripe watermelon from the garden can be tricky! I started this thread so we can all share our tips that we have learned from experience. To me, there isn't one absolute indicator of ripeness but several indicators that should all be taken into consideration with other factors collectively.

I will go first.

A dead tendril (the one closest to the watermelon) is one indicator of ripeness but not foolproof! I have picked watermelons with completely dried tendrils that were not ripe(specifically Moon and Stars, Yellow Moon And Stars) and watermelons with green tendrils that were ripe (specifically Klondike Blue Ribbon).

I have noticed that many of the oblong shaped watermelons get a lumpy appearance when they are getting close to being ripe.

Average days to maturity is also something I take into consideration. If I have a watermelon that has a dead tendril but it has only been 75 days since the plant went in the ground and the average DTM for that variety is 95 days, there is no way I am picking that melon. I realize average dtm is more of a guideline than an absolute but still should be considered when it comes to watermelons.

Please share your tips as well!

July 30, 2016	#1
Christa B. Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2014 Location: Southwest Ohio Posts: 75	How to pick a ripe watermelon-Share your experience here Picking a ripe watermelon from the garden can be tricky! I started this thread so we can all share our tips that we have learned from experience. To me, there isn't one absolute indicator of ripeness but several indicators that should all be taken into consideration with other factors collectively. I will go first. A dead tendril (the one closest to the watermelon) is one indicator of ripeness but not foolproof! I have picked watermelons with completely dried tendrils that were not ripe(specifically Moon and Stars, Yellow Moon And Stars) and watermelons with green tendrils that were ripe (specifically Klondike Blue Ribbon). I have noticed that many of the oblong shaped watermelons get a lumpy appearance when they are getting close to being ripe. Average days to maturity is also something I take into consideration. If I have a watermelon that has a dead tendril but it has only been 75 days since the plant went in the ground and the average DTM for that variety is 95 days, there is no way I am picking that melon. I realize average dtm is more of a guideline than an absolute but still should be considered when it comes to watermelons. Please share your tips as well!