How do I know when a watermelon is ripe?
Check the ground spot (it should be creamy yellow, not white), the tendril nearest the fruit (dry and brown means ripe), and the sound when you thump it (a hollow, low thud rather than a high-pitched ping).
Watermelon ripeness is harder to judge than most fruit because you can't see inside. The three most reliable indicators, used together, give you a high degree of confidence. First, the ground spot: every watermelon rests on the soil on one side, and that side turns from white to creamy yellow to deep orange-yellow as the fruit ripens. A white or pale yellow ground spot means the watermelon is likely not ready. A creamy to golden yellow ground spot is a good sign.
Second, the tendril closest to the fruit — the small curling vine attachment nearest the stem connection — dries out and turns brown when the fruit is ripe. This is the signal the plant uses: once it's done delivering resources to the fruit, that tendril dies. If the tendril is still green and curly, the watermelon is still receiving sugars from the plant. A dead, brown, papery tendril is one of the most reliable ripeness indicators for experienced growers.
Third, the thump test. A ripe watermelon, when thumped with your knuckle, tends to produce a dull, hollow sound — more like thumping your chest than tapping your head. An unripe melon rings higher and sharper. This takes some practice to interpret consistently, but after a few seasons you'll have a reference point.
Most standard watermelons take 70–90 days from transplanting to harvest. Counting days from transplant date, combined with the visual and tactile checks, is more reliable than any one indicator alone. When in doubt, err on the side of a few more days — a watermelon harvested a week early is starchy and disappointing; one left a day or two past peak is still good.
- AnthracnoseSunken, dark circular lesions on ripening fruit, sometimes with salmon-colored spores in the center.
- Bird DamageBerries pecked or missing, seeds scratched from beds, and seedlings dislodged — birds feeding on ripe fruit, seeds, or soil grubs.
- Black RotV-shaped yellow lesions at brassica leaf margins with blackened veins inside — a bacterial disease that moves through the vascular system.
- Blossom End RotDark, sunken, leathery patch on the blossom end of tomato or pepper fruit — a calcium deficiency disorder.
- Gray Mold (Botrytis)Gray-brown fuzzy mold on fruit, flowers, or stems — soft, collapsing tissue beneath the coating in cool, wet conditions.
- How do I know when to harvest garlic?Harvest garlic when roughly half of the leaves (scapes) have turned brown and dried — this corresponds to the bulb having formed its full complement of papery wrapper layers.
- When should I harvest my onions?Harvest onions when about half the tops have fallen over naturally — don't bend them down by hand, and give the rest 1–2 more weeks before pulling.
- How do I store winter squash so it lasts through winter?Cure winter squash at 80–85°F for 10–14 days to harden the skin, then store at 50–60°F in a cool, dry location — not the refrigerator.