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When to harvest watermelon can be a difficult decision. Harvesting a watermelon too early can result in the loss of sweetness. Harvesting too late is just a fruitless and frustrating process. So, when exactly is the best time to harvest watermelon? And how do you know if they’re ready? In this article, we will answer these questions and provide you with proven methods for harvesting the perfect watermelon.
When to Harvest Watermelon – Mistakes You Can Easily Avoid
Watermelon is essential for summer, especially in warm countries; this healthy fruit must be harvested in real-time and eaten fresh.
Watermelon has a juicy and sweet taste. You can eat it in both raw and cooked variations. You can eat it anytime: while drinking coffee or tea in the morning, after that heavy lunch during the hot afternoon, or when you feel thirsty and want to quench your throat with its juicy kinds of stuff.
Watermelon originates from:
Watermelons originate from western Asia and northern Africa and can grow to a great size. In ancient times, watermelon seeds were found in Egypt’s pyramids, and this plant has been around for thousands of years. It is mainly associated with the summer due to its thirst-quenching qualities and sweet taste, making it an essential part of your diet.
Deciding to harvest watermelon
When you decide when to harvest watermelon, you need to know a few things.
- How big is the watermelon?
- Is it ready to ripe?
- Are there any signs of disease or pest damage?
- Is the vine dead?
The average size of a Watermelon
The average watermelon weighs about 20 pounds (9 kilograms), but the size can vary greatly. Some varieties are as small as 2 pounds (1 kg), while others weigh over 100 pounds (45 kg). The larger the watermelon, the more seeds it contains, making you wonder if it’s better to wait until your melon is fully ripe before harvesting.
Why does size matter?
Watermelons are picked when ready to eat and have a deep orange colour on their rinds. The flesh should be mostly white with few green spots or yellow streaks inside. They shouldn’t feel soft or have any blemishes on them either — these would indicate that they’re not ripe yet or that there’s something wrong with them. You can tell if your watermelon is ready by tapping its bottom with a spoon: It should sound hollow rather than solid if you’ve picked it at its peak harvest time.
If you want to leave your watermelon on the vine longer so it gets bigger and has more seeds inside, don’t pick it too early before it is fully grown.
Does size matter for watermelon to be ripe?
The size of the watermelon is not an indicator of ripeness, but it can be a good guide. Watermelons grow as they mature, so it’s best to harvest them when they have reached their full potential size.
Additionally, if you have planted more than one variety of watermelon and want to harvest them all at once, you should wait until they are all at least 85% ripe before picking them to ripen at the same time.
How To Tell If Your Watermelon Is Ripe?
When you have a ripe watermelon, there will be a slight indentation on the blossom end when you gently press it with your fingers and thumb. This is how you can tell if your watermelon is ripe or not. They will be very hard and impossible to eat when you harvest them too early because they don’t have enough sugar content yet. Still, if you wait too long, they will become too soft and mushy, which is also not tasty since there are no more nutrients left in them.
Signs of disease or pests
Several diseases affect watermelons, including anthracnose, fusarium wilt, Phytophthora root rot, bacterial wilt, powdery mildew, and verticillium wilt (Horticulture Information Centre n.d.). These can spread these diseases by using infected seeds or tools contaminated with these pathogens, such as plant residue or faeces from animals like rabbits that like to eat watermelons (University of Florida n.d.). If you notice any signs of disease in your plants, it is best to remove them immediately to avoid spreading further into your garden.
Fruit Maturity
The first sign of maturity is when the tendril closest to the stem starts to dry up and turn brown. You’ll also see a yellow spot forming on the underside of the fruit near where it attaches to the vine or ground. This spot will gradually spread out until it covers most of the bottom side of the watermelon. If this happens, pick your melons as soon as possible before they fall off on their own.
Internal Ripe Test
You can also check inside your watermelon by cutting it open vertically into two halves right where it bends so that it resembles a U. By doing this test, you will be able to tell if they’re ripe by checking if any white lines are running through it.
When to harvest watermelon?
Most watermelon varieties take about 95 days from planting to harvest, although some types can take up to 120 days.
- The first step is to decide how far you are willing to go to get the perfect melon.
- Then start looking for these signs:
- a) The stem end of the melon should be yellowish or greenish-yellow; this indicates that the fruit inside is ripe enough for picking.
- b) The rind will be dull rather than shiny and bright like a young melon.
- c) You should also check for any signs of disease or pests before harvesting your watermelons.
Final words
Watermelon is a delicious summer fruit that is enjoyed by people all over the world. This article provided information about when to harvest watermelon for the best flavour. We also discussed the average size, time to rip, colour changing means, growth stages, diseases, and pests’ damage. If you want to add more to it, send us the comment box.
