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Massachusetts

I have two 40lb watermelons on a plant. Is there any way of telling when they would be ripe enough. I cut one last week and the seeds were white and the flesh inside was pink?? They are a carolina cross. thanks, Steve. (the plant itself is gone by now.)

9/18/2002 1:23:58 PM

Amherst, WI

Steve, a fairly reliable way is to look at the juncture of the stem with the vine. There should be another small vine or leaf stem pointing in the opposite direction of the watermelon stem. When this small vine gets brown and dried up, the watermelon is ready. I know this works for the sugar baby variety, not sure on the bigger ones.

9/18/2002 10:07:23 PM

Utah

you can tell how ripe they are by thumping them with the
palm of your hand. the ripe ones hollow thuding sound.
the not yet ripe ones have more of a twang stiffer sound.
the over ripe ones have a really hollow sound.
the differentence is the inside of the fruit and how it
transfers the sound wave generated by your thumb. in the not
ripe one the inside is more solid all the way through. so the sound goes right through it with and doesn't muffled hardly at all. in the ripe one the inside is softer so the sound is muffled some. you can thnik of it like a tight string versus a loose string. it takes a some practice but it works. it's easier to show someone than to try an explain in words. but i think you get the idea. i'd suggest you go to a nearby store and practice on the watermellons there.

9/19/2002 8:26:59 AM

Ypsilanti Michigan

I read on a seed pack that the bottum of the friut turns yellow when it gets ripe also. The above is true too. Sometimes when the little string that comes out from the melon vine will turn brown, but I pulled one a few years ago but it wasn't fully ripe. It was pink, but still kina sour. I had fairly good luck with the friut turning yellow on the bottum. It will be white on the bottum if it's not ripe. Look in the supermarkets at the melons in the produce and they will tell ya.

6/24/2003 9:54:49 AM