How do I know when the watermelon is ready?

ninnymary

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Carol, I hope they taste great. Vfem got those seeds from me. :) It was a free packet that I got from Baker Creek. I noticed she was selling the seeds on etsy last year.

Mary
 

Carol Dee

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Carol, I hope they taste great. Vfem got those seeds from me. :) It was a free packet that I got from Baker Creek. I noticed she was selling the seeds on etsy last year.

Mary
oops, No she just sent me a few seeds when I admired her Big Orange melon. So.... Thank You, too. :hugs
 

Carol Dee

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Sadly our will not be huge. It is only about 12-15inches long right now , but huge compared to the golf ball sized sugar baby we grew one year. :p
 
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seedcorn

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I grow baby doll only because we can't get large one down
 

Smart Red

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I have never been overly successful with the approved "thumping" method. For that you really need a few melons for comparison. Even at the store, it isn't 100% effective.

The ripeness test that I've read about and never found useful is that the melon is ripe when the tendril at the end of the stem turns brown.

The best way would be to plug it. Take a section out with an apple corer or knife and check for yourself. If it is not ready, put the plug back in and cover the edges with paraffin wax to protect it.
 
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