We weren’t planning to harvest watermelons that day.
We were in the garden for something else when Ellie noticed two watermelons that looked ready to pick. Actually, they looked like they might have been ready to pick for a while.
It has been HOT, and if I’m being completely truthful, checking on the watermelons had fallen off my radar. By the time we took a closer look, the tendrils were dry, part of the vine was drying up, and the dark green watermelon had lost that shiny look and gone pretty matte.
Whoops.
This was our first year growing watermelons, so I was still firmly in the “I think this is what I’m supposed to look for?” stage of watermelon harvesting. We had already picked one large watermelon earlier in the season, and it was great, so at least we had one successful harvest behind us.
These two, though? I wasn’t so sure.
We picked them, brought them inside, and cut them open to find out: Had we waited too long to harvest our watermelons?
How Do You Know When a Watermelon Is Ready to Pick?
Watermelons are a little inconvenient this way. You can’t exactly peek inside before you harvest one, and they don’t continue getting sweeter once they’re off the vine. So picking at the right time actually matters.
There also isn’t one single sign that tells you with absolute certainty that a watermelon is ready. It’s better to look at a combination of clues rather than relying on one test alone.
Here are the signs I’ll be paying closer attention to next time.
1. Check the Tendril Closest to the Watermelon
This is probably the easiest sign to watch when you’re growing your own watermelons.
Look near where the watermelon attaches to the vine for the little curly tendril. As the watermelon reaches maturity, that tendril changes from green to brown and dries up.
Both of ours definitely passed this test.
In fact, we’d gone a little beyond “the tendril is dry” and wandered into “a decent portion of this vine is drying up.”
That’s what happens when it’s hot outside and you stop checking your watermelons.
2. Look for a Dull Rind
Another change that can happen as a watermelon matures is that the surface loses some of its shine and becomes duller.
A shiny watermelon can be a sign that it isn’t ready yet.
This was especially noticeable on our dark green watermelon, which I believe was a Sugar Baby.
Its rind had become very matte by the time we harvested it.
That, combined with the dried tendril, was a pretty good clue that we weren’t picking it too early.
3. Check the Field Spot — Unless You Don’t Have One
One of the most common pieces of watermelon-harvesting advice is to check the field spot.
That’s the area on the bottom of the watermelon where it rests on the ground. As a watermelon ripens, that spot generally changes from pale green or white to a creamy or yellow color.
There was just one problem with using that test on ours:
Our watermelons weren’t growing on the ground.
We direct-sowed our watermelon seeds into a raised bed and grew the vines vertically on a trellis. The melons hung above the soil as they developed, which meant they didn’t have the classic field spot for us to check.
Apparently one downside to growing watermelon vertically is losing one of the easiest clues that tells you when to eat it. So if you’re growing watermelon on a trellis too, you’ll need to pay more attention to the other signs—the tendril, rind and overall maturity of the fruit—instead of waiting for a yellow field spot that isn’t going to appear.
4. Don’t Put All Your Faith in the “Thump Test”
I had also heard that you’re supposed to thump a watermelon and listen for a hollow sound.
There is some truth behind that advice, and a hollow sound can be one possible sign of ripeness. But I wouldn’t make this my only test. The other physical indicators are easier for me to judge than trying to decide whether a watermelon sounds appropriately hollow.
Which is reassuring, because I don’t know that I’m qualified to distinguish the subtle musical notes of watermelon thumping. For me, watching the tendril and rind is much easier.
How to Tell When a Trellised Watermelon Is Ripe
Growing our watermelons vertically worked well for us, but it did change the way we had to judge ripeness. If your watermelon is hanging from a trellis instead of resting on the ground, you may not have that creamy yellow field spot to use as a guide.
Based on what I learned—and what we saw with ours—I’d look for a combination of:
- the tendril nearest the fruit turning brown and completely drying up
- the rind losing its shiny appearance and becoming dull
- the fruit reaching roughly the expected maturity for the variety you’re growing
- other signs that the fruit and nearby portion of the plant are reaching maturity
And, perhaps most importantly in my case, actually go outside and look at your watermelons occasionally.
Turns out that helps.
So, Did We Wait Too Long to Pick Ours?
Maybe a little.
We harvested two different watermelons that day. I believe the yellow one was a Mountain Sweet Yellow, although I’m not completely certain.
It never grew to the full size I expected, and it also had a somewhat pointy shape on the bottom.
When we cut it open, though, it looked great. The inside was yellow with mature seeds, the flesh was still firm, and there weren’t any hollow or mushy areas.
And for the most important test?
It was sweet.
Our second watermelon was the dark green Sugar Baby.
That one was red inside, also had mature seeds, and was very juicy. It had some cracking through the middle and the flesh felt a little softer than the yellow watermelon.
Between the dry vine, softer texture and just how juicy it was, I think that one was probably getting pretty close to the edge of being overripe.
But it still tasted great.
So technically, yes, I think we would have been better off harvesting these a little sooner—especially if we needed them to sit around for a while before we ate them.
Thankfully, storage turned out not to be much of a problem.
We Thought We’d Have to Give Some Away
Two watermelons at once seemed like a lot.
When we brought them inside, I thought we might have to share some with friends so we could get through all of it before it went bad.
Then the girls started eating them.
Problem solved.
Ellie helped taste-test them when we cut them open, and both watermelons were a hit.
The girls managed to eat both of them within a couple of days.
So much for needing to find homes for our excess watermelon.
What I’ll Do Differently With Our Watermelons Next Time
This was my first year growing watermelons, and overall, I’m calling it a success.
We grew them from seed, direct-sowed them into a raised bed, trained them up a trellis and actually harvested watermelons that tasted good. Our first big watermelon earlier in the season was great, and despite neglecting these last two a little longer than I probably should have, they were sweet too.
Next time, I’ll start checking the fruit more closely once the tendrils begin drying instead of relying on my ability to suddenly remember there are watermelons hiding out in the garden.
And I’ll plant more.
Because apparently that’s the real lesson here.
I can spend all summer trying to figure out exactly when a watermelon is perfectly ripe, but if my daughters are going to eat two of them in a couple of days, we’re going to need more watermelons.