Dark spots on young watermelon

Ann123 · June 28, 2017

I have some tiny blacktail mountains growing. I noticed that some of them have dark spots.
Is this a problem? Was there a bad pollination? Should I remove it (nooooooooooo)?

Rockporter · June 29, 2017

I've had the same problem and the size never got bigger so I pulled them. I'd sure like to have some knowledgeable person chime in here for us.

Scooty · June 29, 2017

The picture is a little blurry for me to say for sure, but I almost want to say that's a sugar spot - where an insect has punctured the rind and tried to get to the juice. If it is a sugar spot, the damage should be cosmetic only; some people even use them to distinguish which melon is the sweeter one of the batch, given it's been "chosen" by the bugs over the others. The black should be the sugars oozing out then the fruit sealing the puncture off.

The problem is that a sugar spot should be singular area, literally a spot, and the blurry pictures seem to show scarring widely across the fruit. Still it looks similar. Look up "watermelon sugar spots." There are more detailed pictures online and you can compare with what you have.

Ann123 · June 29, 2017

They are still really tiny. They got pollinated maybe a week ago. I don't think there is any sugar in there already.

RayR · June 29, 2017

Ann, are the spots hard or soft/water soaked? Any leaf damage?
It looks like it could be insect damage or a bacterial infection of the rind, but I'm just speculating looking at the pictures

Ann123 · June 29, 2017

They are hard and the leaves look fine.
It is the first time I grow watermelon.

Ann123 · June 29, 2017

Could it be wind damage? They are on a balcony and thus the vines are moved by the wind. Maybe they got scratched when they were very little and this is scar tissue?

mjc · June 29, 2017

It looks like some kind of physical scarring to me...whether it's from movement (wind) or insect (not real likely looking at the pattern) I can't say, but I wouldn't worry about it.

RayR · June 29, 2017

Those pictures are much better! I would agree, it looks like scar tissue. The skin is very thin and fragile on those little babies.

Ann123 · June 29, 2017

Thank you! I am happy with the answers. I don't need to remove the fruits.

Ann123 · April 14, 2018

You were right. It was only physical damage. The fruits were sweet and tasty. My first watermelons :-)

June 29, 2017	#2
Rockporter Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Texas Coastal Bend Posts: 3,205	I've had the same problem and the size never got bigger so I pulled them. I'd sure like to have some knowledgeable person chime in here for us. __________________ In the spring at the end of the day you should smell like dirt ~Margaret Atwood~

June 29, 2017	#3
Scooty Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2016 Location: Chicago-land & SO-cal Posts: 583	The picture is a little blurry for me to say for sure, but I almost want to say that's a sugar spot - where an insect has punctured the rind and tried to get to the juice. If it is a sugar spot, the damage should be cosmetic only; some people even use them to distinguish which melon is the sweeter one of the batch, given it's been "chosen" by the bugs over the others. The black should be the sugars oozing out then the fruit sealing the puncture off. The problem is that a sugar spot should be singular area, literally a spot, and the blurry pictures seem to show scarring widely across the fruit. Still it looks similar. Look up "watermelon sugar spots." There are more detailed pictures online and you can compare with what you have. Last edited by Scooty; June 29, 2017 at 01:06 AM.

June 29, 2017	#4
Ann123 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Nov 2016 Location: Belgium Posts: 240	They are still really tiny. They got pollinated maybe a week ago. I don't think there is any sugar in there already.

June 29, 2017	#5
RayR Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Cheektowaga, NY Posts: 2,466	Ann, are the spots hard or soft/water soaked? Any leaf damage? It looks like it could be insect damage or a bacterial infection of the rind, but I'm just speculating looking at the pictures

June 29, 2017	#8
mjc Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: WV Posts: 603	It looks like some kind of physical scarring to me...whether it's from movement (wind) or insect (not real likely looking at the pattern) I can't say, but I wouldn't worry about it.

April 14, 2018	#11
Ann123 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Nov 2016 Location: Belgium Posts: 240	You were right. It was only physical damage. The fruits were sweet and tasty. My first watermelons :-)