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Anamosa, IA BPIowegian@aol.com

We are new to growing watermelons and don't know when to pick them. A couple of my son's melons have stopped growing, but he was hoping to keep them until the October weighoff. How long will they keep on the vine or after they are picked? Any suggestions on storing them? The only other time we grew them they set fruit real late and when they were frosted off they were just starting to get pink inside.

8/31/2006 7:52:51 AM

Farmville, Virginia (mfowler@hsc.edu)

My experience has been to look at the thin tendril which you will find a couple inches back of where the stem meets the pumpkin. When this tendril has gotten brown and dry the melon is ready to pick. I've had them stay on the vine 3 to 4 weeks after this before I picked them but not sure how much longer than that they will last. Hope this helps.

8/31/2006 11:14:46 AM

Owensboro, Ky.

Another, down home country way to tell...and I aint goin to go into the thumpin thing...is the place where it has been sitting on the dirt...has been white...will start to turn yellow when it is ripe. I have a tin ear, and two left thumbs, so thumpin dont work for me. I have heard the tendril theory, but this year, my patch is so overgrown with weeds, that I cant find the tendrils...LOL Peace, Wayne

8/31/2006 9:43:10 PM