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hendi_alex
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Location: Central Sand Hills South Carolina

Ripe watermelon

Over the past couple of seasons we have wasted about as many melons as we ate. I've read about the signs:hollow thump, drying tendril, dull luster, creamy bottom. None of those have helped very much. I actually considered giving up. This year, second half of the season I seem to be getting a little clearer in selecting a fully ripe melon. The first thing helpful here in zone 8 would be the normal ripening time for the earliest melons, late June to early July. Next is the thump, dull, dead sounding not bright or crisp sounding. Those two items combined with dull color and creamy to yellowish bottom and the melon is most likely ripe to slightly over ripe. Anyone have any other helpful tips?
Last edited by hendi_alex on Sat Jul 23, 2016 10:49 am, edited 2 times in total.

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applestar
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Location: Zone 6, NJ (3/M)4/E ~ 10/M(11/B)

So far, for me, the tendril opposite the fruit stem needs to dry up completely. I impatiently wait once the tendril begins to decline, then start to dry.... keeping an eye on the amount of rain in the forecasts.

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Gary350
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Location: TN. 50 years of gardening experience.

I worked as a water melon picker one summer 1970. We were told, Roll the melon over if the bottom is yellow it is ripe, if it is white roll it back over.

We walked through the 20 acre field rolling the melons over to look at the bottom if they were yellow we picked them then we carried them to the wagon. We check the melons 1 by 1 all day. Twice a week we walked the field again rolling melons over looking at the bottom.

I do the same thing in my garden I roll the melons over to look at the bottom. Be sure to roll the melon back the way it was if sun gets to the bottom it turns green then it is hard to see the yellow. If the melon is ripe more than about 5 days it gets over ripe and mushy inside.

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hendi_alex
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Location: Central Sand Hills South Carolina

For some varieties, white bottom turning creamy to yellow is a good indication. For others, they seem to stay green or start out yellow, so little help there. I have one variety that tends to be over ripe when the bottom turns.

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jal_ut
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Location: Northern Utah Zone 5

Where the stem of the melon connects to the vine, there is a tendril. When that tendril is completely dried up the melon is ripe.



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