Having commercially grown and picked thousands of watermelons in my life the tendril is one indicator pickers use to initially calibrate their eyeballs when they begin picking. As a watermelon ripens its skin colors will become duller and will take on a more waxy appearance and at the same time develop little goosebumps on its surface. If raised in contact with the soil the melon will generally have some areas of black dots on its belly that we called pepper and the belly color will generally develop a more yellow or cream color as it ripens. The traditional seeded watermelons, which sadly now many people have never seen, would belly out or go from a stove pipe appearance to a pronounced egg shape once it was ripe. As far as the fake seedless melons you see in stores now, I could probably tell you if one is no good but I doubt if I could tell you if one is good. Big watermelons like we used to grow and that people wanted are not in the stores anymore because the big chains will not buy them due to fears some one might sue for hurting their back trying to pick one up. The stores used to want a 32 lb average for watermelons you sold them, now they won't accept anything above 20 lbs. Most city folks have never had or seen a good watermelon. If you want a good watermelon get it at a farmers market or drive into melon country and buy one at a roadside stand and be prepared to spit some seeds. By the way, the fellow in the video needs to spray his melon vines with some fungicide or they won't be around much longer.
I would agree! Funny to see that's the same all around the globe. Here in Germany seedcontaining melons (melons usually are grown in Spain or Italy) are still seen every now and then but I think customers prefer convenience over taste.
The altered melons don’t even taste the same to me. I mean it’s still watermelon, but that’s like eating a yellow one, they all have a particular flavor… I grew up on a farm and spitting seeds as I ate my slice and that’s the only way I like mine lol!
As a kid, long ago, we would buy our watermelons off of the back of a flatbed truck piled high with giant Texas watermelons and everyone would have that ear-to-ear red watermelon smile. I personally would swallow half of the seeds. Grandma said if I didn't spit them out a watermelon plant would grow out of my ear. Not true!
Very good explanation. Me and my dad have a pretty big watermelon farm and we've learned a few ways to tell when they are ready as well. Of course, it depends entirely on what variety the watermelon is, but I can give you some general advice. PS: numbers 2 and 3 are the only good ways to tell when the watermelon is ready, not including the tendril you covered in this video. Numbers 1 and 4 are "do not waste your time" things. 1. Knocking on it: Throughout thousands of watermelons of different varieties, we have not found that to tell us anything useful as they all have different sounds regardless of if they're done or not. 2. Checking the spoon: Checking the spoon if a good way to tell if a watermelon is done or not. The spoon is located around where the tendril is and will dry up when the watermelon is done growing similarly to the tendril. The spoon looks like a small leaf unlike any other watermelon leaf. 3. Squishing the butt. Squishing the butt of the watermelon tests if the watermelon is done growing as well. The butt will be squishy when the watermelon still has room to grow, and the butt will be stiffer when the watermelon is done growing. The butt is located at the opposite end of the watermelon as where the stem connects to it. It's got a black spot around where the butt is. 4. Checking the bottom: Checking the bottom is a pretty bad way to check if a watermelon is ripe. The bottom looks more yellow or white because it doesn't get sunlight, or it has been sitting in water. It tells nothing. Also, the watermelon you picked in this video is not ripe. It's very obvious to tell for me. It didn't split open when you cut it because the watermelon was hot, it split open because it had too much water. Maybe it rained too much, or maybe you watered it too much. A good way to try to prevent your watermelon plants from getting too much water is to put the plants themselves in mounds of dirt that measure 1 foot off the ground. Of course, too much water leads to them getting overripe, but if that's the case, it's because you didn't pick it in time. I bet you didn't check the spoon or the butt when you picked the watermelon for this video. Also, you don't need to put the watermelon in the plant buckets if you lay black plastic over everything. Over were the plants come out of the ground (of course cut a hole for the plant to come out of the plastic, and over everywhere where the watermelon plant might reach its leaves. This prevents weeds and dirt from getting on the plant. Also eliminates a lot of bugs. Also, might want to try a different variety. Good luck!
When it comes to picking a ripe one in the store push with your thumb on the "button" that's the opposite where the vine was attached. If it gives any then it's good to eat. The more you can push it in the riper it is. If you can push it in a lot it may be too ripe. If it doesn't budge at all it's typically not ripened enough. This always works!
If only I had watched this before picking my first watermelon last week! The middle was pink-ish, the rest was green. No flavor whatsoever, but I ate it anyway... this is so helpful, thank you!
@@vaccinefraud5570water melons are just sweeter cucumbers anyway they’re related and there are watermelon cultivars that aren’t sweet used just like cucumbers as a vegetable
Only thing I would add to this is you get a much cleaner red to green rind if you let the melon cord dry up after the tendril. Typically when the tendril dries up you know you can turn your watering way down and let the plant pour all its nutrients into the fruit
Absolute best way to tell if it is ripe, the tendril has to be brown, AND if you hook your finger under the vine going into the melon and pull up if it pops off easily the melon is ripe. If you have to tug pretty hard don't break it, it is still ripening. Best way right there!!
Me too. After watching this video, I went out and found one with a fully brown tendril and harvested it. I cut it open and it was only partially red, mostly white and yellow. It wasn't ripe yet. It tasted moderately sweet and had good water though. But I think it still needed a week or two more. I feel like I wasted a perfectly good watermelon using this technique. This is a big thumbs down for me.
I watched your video and all the ripen signs were there, but the watermelon was light pink/some red . Are there a type of watermelon that doesn't get completely red.
I checked my gardens right after your clip and followed your helpful suggestion. They were ripe according to you- and they were perfectly ripe. 🥰 Thank you
As a tween, I decided to container grow a watermelon on my parents damp, oak-tree shaded deck (it was pre-Internet, and I didn’t know better). It did okay as far as leaf growth, but made one sorry little “watermelon” the size of a lemon, which was really adorable.
Thank you so much. I planted my watermelon garden and I continue to make mistake with harvesting unripe ones. The enlightening video has correctly showed me how to identify a ripe watermelon.
Thank you for being direct and not having a lot of filler. I was standing out in the Texas sun because my bf didn't want me to pick it without proving it was ripe.
Thanks for the tip. It looks like you may have made the same mistake I did in overwatering your watermelon. At least yours waited until you brought in inside to crack open. I found mine gaping open, cracked from stem to stern right out in the garden. You grew some very nice watermelons. ~ Lisa
Trying my best to not crack mine, I have one that's light green almost yellow looking an hard to press a nail into it but the little tandral is still green very tempting to pick 😢. Then there is one on vine that is dark green an soft you put your finger nail in easy
this was so helpful! thanks for showing the difference in the tendrils! First time growing, didn't realize it needed to be dried all the way back to the main stem.
Funny how your video just popped up after I picked my first watermelon half an hour ago. Luckily there are still two Mellon’s on the vine to wait for the best time to harvest by your tip. Many thanks!
Thank you! This helps so much. This is the first year I'm successful with growing watermelon and I was afraid to ruin my work by picking too early. This video is just what I needed.
Whoa! Nice timing--was just about to get mine off the vine WITH NO IDEA how to test ripeness-- except it's been "long enough". I will now go check ✅ Just one question: how'd you figure this out 🧐
Interesting. Always waited for the stem to start to dry, this way lookes more reliable for early picking. As for store bought, there is no relyable method i have found to find a ripe (not over or under) ,, tired of dry or grainy ones, even harder is to find a sweet one... met an ole timer who told me the reason its hard to find sweet ones is they need to have lime applyed as the vine fruits to make them sweet. A coupke years ago i got a rattlesnake mellon so sweet it was like eating watermellon candy, the sweetest one i ever had of any variety i have eaten.
Awesome thats is clear advice. Also I had a lot of problems with rats because I live next a river. I caged my patch but it didn't stop them. I like the pot idea cause I can mesh the top of the pot to keep them off the melons. Thanks from South Yunderup Western Australia 👍
If you use bird mesh please make sure to keep it off the ground. Lizards get stuck in it and it’s a terrible death. My ex wife did it after I warned her and I found 8 beautiful little blue belly’s dead. Told her again and cleaned it up. 3 days later she had done the same thing and there was 4 that time. I felt so terrible. I’ll never ever forget that lesson.
Thank you, makes so much sense. The vine wants to drop its seed so it lets go and the melon drops, splits, seeds fall out or picked up by birds & life continues. Thanks
The best wisdom is usually short, straight forward, and all encompassing. Kudos to you watermelon whispering guru! Can't wait to upload that into my kids brains. They'll probably pick up a cush dream job by dropping that hack on a rediculously rich CEO. Thanks!
I've watched several videos tonight of people harvesting these unripe, LOL. Yours was the first with it ripe and of course explaining how to determine whether it is ready or not. Thank you, have seeds coming and will be trying this plant for the first time this year. Oh btw, to hell with what others think while you meddle in your garden!
Wow, it really worked. I didn't think any of my watermelons would be ripe yet but went to check just to see if I could find that curly thing. I found one that was a dry stick and thought, that video said that means ripe, but it seems kind of small. I picked it, thinking the chickens would be grateful if it didn't work. But it was ripe. It might have needed a few more days, but was sweet enough. Thanks. I don't know why this isn't common knowledge.
I don't know, that looked sort of pale red, especially around the periphery, not the deep red that indicates full ripeness. I am sure it was ready in the middle but did it fade toward the outside?
That was what I thought, too. I would think he should have waited for the actual stem to turn a bit brown and make the "thumb sound test" for final "approval".
TY very much. All this time I thought people were talking about the other end of the mellon. They never showed what you did. They just say check the end of the mellon, make sure it's dry. Going to check mine now, got a realy big one
Been considering growing Watermelons, since my dog will probably think its a soccer ball or something, Your pot idea overcomes that issue, I would grab the phone out if my dog decided it was a soccer ball !
So glad I found your video! Can’t wait to check my two melons in the morning lol already made the mistake of thumping one thinking it was ready and it wasn’t 😩
The one you cut open looked like it had a few weeks to go, imho. I look for the stem connection to the watermelon to almost get a brown ring around it (on the melon side of the stem, not the tendril) and as an OP here already said, if you can easily push that 'ring' into the melon, it's ripe.
I did the tendril test and my watermelon was white on the inside! I was so dissapointed lol. The tendril was dark brown too!! And belly was yellow smh. Now Im paranoid to open any of my other watermelon 🍉 😔. Hey you win some you lose some.
Yeaup my first season growing them too and the thump and yellow spot is nonsense. That tendril is spot on. Everytime the tendril was brown I cut into it and it was ripe EVERY SINGLE TIME. 🎉I hope this helps someone
I saw on another video that you should look at the stem. If brown, it is ready to pick. If in the store, look for the"belly button", should be brown. I always heard to look at the tendril. Tried it a few days ago in my garden . Tendril was brown but the stem was green. Was not ripe yet.
The dried tendril only tells that the melon is maturing, it is not an indicator of ripeness. The best method is the thumping method; as soon as you get the dull "thump", the melon is ripe. Of course, if you miss a melon and give it a thump two weeks after it was ripe, it will still give the dull "thump", but it will be over-ripe. Glad to see others giving their opinions on methods, but the "thump" is the one I use with 99% success.
I have tried “thumping” on many watermelons in my garden… i dont know what a thump is supposed to sound like.. it is too subjective of an indicator..i picked a very ripe one that was perfect and to me it sounded barely any different than the one that was not ripe yet.. sound is too difficult of a meter unless there was an app to record the noise and give you an answer
Thanks for info..i like how you put the mellon in pots..i will do that on my cantaloupes to keep any mice from eatting on them.. my neighbor repairs boats and over the fence by my garden he has all kinds of boat parts the mice like..i set up bait stations for them so not much of a problem any more. Will put in plastic buckets just in case. I let mine vine rippen..
There is no way filling that small container with water is going to make that watermelon float. Not enough room for displacement, but I did wonder the same thing.😊
The only 100% sure fire way to know if a watermelon is ripe. Reach up with one finger and see if you can snap off the vine. The tendril is a good indicator but they can turn brown before the watermelon is ripe. If you test the actual vine for dryness by seeing if it will snap off is the only real way to know if the melon is no long receiving nutrients. Trust me. You should never have to cut a watermelon vine.
