When to Remove a Watermelon From the Vine?

Growing Time

• Keep track of the time from planting to know when harvest time is approaching for the watermelon cultivar you are growing. For early season watermelons, which tend to grow smaller and only weigh about 10 pounds when fully ripe, harvest generally comes between 70 and 75 days after planting. These species are generally ideal for growers in colder areas, who have to combat frost in the fall that could kill the plant. All other watermelon varieties take between 80 and 85 days to be ready for harvest.

Stem Appearance

• If you don't count the days or don't know the exact species of watermelon you are growing, there are some indicators you can use to tell when it is time to pull the melon from the vine. One such indicator is the appearance of the stem. The stem of a fully ripe watermelon will begin to form green and curling leaves or tendrils that extend away from the melon. At the point where the stem meets the melon, the stem will begin to dry out and turn brown, and may even crack on its own. This tells you that it is time to remove the melon.

Skin Toughness

• The skin of a ripe watermelon is harder and tougher than at any other point in the growing season, and so this is an indicator of ripeness as well. Push your fingernail or thumbnail into the skin of the watermelon. If you cannot penetrate into the flesh, the melon is ripe. The skin will also develop a rough texture as it ripens, so a scratchy exterior is a good indicator of a ripe melon. This is a much better way to tell than simply knocking on the melon, which is a traditional but incorrect method of judging ripeness. A melon that thumps is too ripe.

Skin Color

• Finally, the color of the skin of the watermelon will tell you whether or not it is ripe. A ripe watermelon's skin will turn from white or bright green to a dull yellow or mellower green color. The bottom of the skin, where it touches the soil below, will turn yellow instead of light green; this will often occur before the rest of the skin takes on the dull color. Remove the melon as soon as you think it is ripe, otherwise it will rot in the hot sun and soil.