GARDEN + GARDENING + GARDEN DESIGN + GARDENING TIPS & ADVICE

Picking a watermelon at the right time is not rocket science. By paying attention to a few simple details you can harvest your watermelon for maximum flavor and texture.

Watermelons take roughly 80 days to fully mature – the total amount of time will vary depending on soil, light, water, and temperature conditions. On the opposite end of where the watermelon attaches to the vine, watch for the curly tendril to turn brown and wither – this is the first sign that the melon is ripe. Additionally, the part of the melon resting on the soil will change from white to yellow. If these two conditions exist, it’s time to pick the melon.

Picking out a ripe watermelon at the grocery store requires a little practice and experience. The “tone” of the watermelon, when slapped with a cupped hand will indicate it’s ripeness. Lift the melon carefully and slap it with a cupped hand. If the tone is high-pitched, the watermelon is not yet ripe. If it is low- pitched, it is too ripe. A medium-pitched tone indicates a ripe watermelon.

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This entry was posted on Monday, August 14th, 2006 at 5:59 pm and is filed under Gardening General. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.