are these watermelons ready?

[noodles777]

I'm so excited, I've never grown watermelon before! It is when the spot is creme colored right? These spots seems like a pretty pale creme, I'm nervous about picking them too early. what say you?

[img]https://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c104/NxOxOxDxLxExS/IMG_0938.jpg[/img]
watermelon A

[img]https://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c104/NxOxOxDxLxExS/IMG_0936.jpg[/img]

watermelon B

[rainbowgardener]

There's a bunch of different indicators you can look for:

*the light green, curly tendrils on the stem near the point of attachment of the melon turn brown and withered and dry
*the spot where the melon rested on the ground. When ripe it will be a yellow-white to yellow when ripe. If white or pale green, not ripe yet.
*overall color should be dull with little contrast between the stripes
* the skin hardens and resists scratching with fingernail and is rough to the touch
* a small crack appears in the stem just above the melon and the melon can be slipped easily from the stem.

[hendi_alex]

I've found the white underneath turning cream to light yellow to be the most reliable indicator.