When Do You Know When Watermelons Are Done in Your Garden?

Check Seed Packet for Days to Maturity

• Before you even start your wishful thinking that the watermelon in your garden is ready to pick, check the seed package, as it will give you the number of days required before maturity. That will at least give you a starting point to begin checking for ripeness. Of course, these dates depend a great deal on weather conditions, which will vary every year.

Thump Test

• The notion of thumping a watermelon to determine ripeness does not usually work because it is unreliable. This test is quite subjective, as no one really has a firm definition as to what that means and how to compare the sound to watermelons that are half ripe, ripe, or overripe. All watermelons sound somewhat hollow, so it is best not to assume a hollow sound means it is ready to pick.

Checking Watermelon's Color on Bottom

• If the light spot on the bottom of the melon turns from white to yellow, chances are pretty good it is ripe. Other gardeners indicate that just having a pale spot underneath is a good determination of ripeness. Again, this is subjective.

Check for a Flat Spot on the Bottom

• Some gardener's swear by the flat-bottom test. The theory here is that if the watermelon is juicy and ripe it weighs more, and presses the bottom flatter. This can be deceptive, and sometimes the flat spot isn't all that noticeable.

Cut One Open and Taste

• You may just have to sacrifice one and see if it tastes sweet enough for you. If not, wait a few days and try another one.

Check Tendrils

• The tendrils on the vine near the root side should be dry, hard and brown. This is pretty reliable that the fruit is ripe.

Drop One

• It may sound extreme, but if you drop a watermelon it will burst open if ripe; an unripe one will simply crack.

Take Notes

• Since the procedure for determining watermelon ripeness is fairly lengthy, you will probably want to take notes for next season so you can remember what worked for you and what did not.