How to choose a ripe and sweet watermelon - ways to determine by sound, dry tail and stripe color. How do you know if a watermelon is ripe? How to tell if a watermelon is ripe

10.03.2022

Determining the ripeness of a watermelon without picking or cutting it can be difficult even for experienced gardeners. Most often, problems arise with new varieties, so it is better to take a small amount of seeds “for testing”. And next year, when it becomes clear how to determine the ripeness of a watermelon in the garden, it will be possible to buy more of them.

Real signs of ripeness

There are a lot of ways to determine the ripeness of a watermelon, but not all of them are equally effective. With the greatest degree of probability, the following signs help to determine ripeness:

Watermelon almost stops growing in size. After the fruit sharply slows down its growth, it is necessary to wait only 2-3 weeks, after which it can be safely plucked.
Yellow spot on the side. In an unripe watermelon, this spot will be greenish or white, and a change in color indicates that the fruit is fully ripe.
The condition of the tendril closest to the fetus. If the tendril, located in the same leaf axil as the tail of the watermelon, has dried up, then the fruit itself has definitely ripened.
The condition of the crust. A ripe watermelon has a fairly dense rind. Therefore, if you try to run a fingernail over it, then it will not be so easy to do it. If the crust is easily cut through with a fingernail, then it is better to leave the fruit in the garden - it has not yet ripened.
Skin color. When ripe, the watermelon skin, previously matte, acquires a glossy sheen, and the stripes on it become clearer.

How not to define ripeness?

Some folk methods for determining ripeness work only in 50% of cases or do not work at all. You can try to apply them, but the result is not guaranteed. The chances of determining maturity by the following features are low:

By average. If the watermelons of your chosen variety ripen within 35-40 days, this does not mean at all that you will definitely get a ripe fruit during this period. Weather, humidity, soil characteristics and many other factors can delay the ripening time by several days.
According to the condition of the tail. In mature watermelons, the tail really dries up, but a dry tail can indicate both ripeness and the fact that it simply lacks moisture.
By sound. A ripe fruit is one that makes a booming sound when tapped. To determine ripeness by this criterion, you need a good ear for music and a certain amount of luck, since in almost half of the cases the method does not work.
By the ratio of diameter and weight. You can find a special table that indicates the optimal values \u200b\u200bof this ratio, but this table can not always be used. For example, for varieties with an oblong fruit shape, it is completely useless.
To size. You can determine ripeness by the size of the fruit if you have been growing this variety for more than a year. In other cases, this trait is too unreliable, since it depends both on the characteristics of a particular variety and on the conditions in which the watermelon was grown.

Determining the ripeness of a watermelon in the garden - tips, proper care. Watermelon is most often consumed fresh, but it is also pickled, fermented in tubs, candied fruits are prepared from the peels, and the so-called “watermelon honey” is prepared from the juice. The juice and pulp of watermelon perfectly quench thirst, and the seeds of the ripe fruit and the oil made from them are used for medicinal purposes.

Harvesting is carried out as the watermelons ripen. It is believed that it is easier to determine the ripeness of a watermelon in the garden than in a store. It is easy for a non-specialist to make a mistake, however, as a rule, the signs indicating that a watermelon is ripe are quite accurate.

Ripe watermelon selection

You can determine the degree of ripeness of a watermelon using the following tips:

You should not pick or buy watermelons too early. As a rule, they do not reach a mature condition before mid-August;
The ripe fruit stops its growth, and the “wax” coating disappears from its surface;
The side that lies on the ground of a ripe watermelon should be yellowish, but not white or green;
If the watermelon is not very thick-skinned, you can bring it to your ear and gently squeeze it with your hands. If it is ripe, then crackling will be heard;
A ripe watermelon is lighter than a green one and does not sink in water;
The peel of a ripe fruit is even, smooth, without cracks, with a characteristic luster. If you draw a fingernail or a sharp object along its surface, the top layer (zest) should be easily removed;
You should pay attention to the place where the tail grows from. In a ripe watermelon, this area is usually convex and with callused, brightened edges;
When tapped on a ripe watermelon, a characteristic clear, sonorous sound will be heard.

A dry tail is often considered a sign of the maturity of a watermelon. However, you should not rely only on him: the tail could dry out after the fruit was plucked.

Growing watermelons

It is not so difficult to grow a sweet watermelon in the garden if you know the biological characteristics of this crop, its requirements for light, heat and mineral nutrition:

In the southern regions, it is possible to grow varieties from different ripeness groups, in the forest-steppe and woodland - only early and medium-early ones;
Watermelon prefers uniform heat without sudden changes (20-30 degrees), a sufficient amount of warm moisture in the soil and at the same time dry air;
Watermelon seeds intended for sowing are stored at 18-22 degrees Celsius. In addition, you need to use only two-three-year-old seeds, otherwise there will be few "female" flowers on the plant;
Immediately before sowing, the seeds need to be warmed up in the sun for a week. Soil temperature at the time of sowing should be at least 12-14 degrees at a depth of 10 cm;
Sow watermelon under the hoe to a depth of 5-6 cm, put 3-5 seeds in each hole. Then cover with fresh soil and lightly press down;
It is necessary to leave the aisles large - 120-200 cm, and the distance between the holes in one row should be 70 cm;
As weeds appear, the beds need to be weeded. After the appearance of true leaves, it is necessary to leave only one, the most developed leaf;
The fruits of early ripening combs ripen 30-35 days after setting, mid-ripening - after 40-45, and late-ripening - after 50 days.

Determining the ripeness of a watermelon in the garden - tips, proper care

Watermelon is most often consumed fresh, but it is also pickled, fermented in tubs, candied fruits are prepared from the peels, and the so-called “watermelon honey” is prepared from the juice. The juice and pulp of watermelon perfectly quench thirst, and the seeds of the ripe fruit and the oil made from them are used for medicinal purposes.

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Ripe watermelon selection

You can determine the degree of ripeness of a watermelon using the following tips:

You should not pick or buy watermelons too early. As a rule, they do not reach a mature condition before mid-August;
The ripe fruit stops its growth, and the “wax” coating disappears from its surface;
The side that lies on the ground of a ripe watermelon should be yellowish, but not white or green;
If the watermelon is not very thick-skinned, you can bring it to your ear and gently squeeze it with your hands. If it is ripe, then crackling will be heard;
A ripe watermelon is lighter than a green one and does not sink in water;
The peel of a ripe fruit is even, smooth, without cracks, with a characteristic luster. If you draw a fingernail or a sharp object along its surface, the top layer (zest) should be easily removed;
You should pay attention to the place where the tail grows from. In a ripe watermelon, this area is usually convex and with callused, brightened edges;
When tapped on a ripe watermelon, a characteristic clear, sonorous sound will be heard.

A dry tail is often considered a sign of the maturity of a watermelon. However, you should not rely only on him: the tail could dry out after the fruit was plucked.

Growing watermelons

It is not so difficult to grow a sweet watermelon in the garden if you know the biological characteristics of this crop, its requirements for light, heat and mineral nutrition:

In the southern regions, it is possible to grow varieties from different ripeness groups, in the forest-steppe and woodland - only early and medium-early ones;
Watermelon prefers uniform heat without sudden changes (20-30 degrees), a sufficient amount of warm moisture in the soil and at the same time dry air;
Watermelon seeds intended for sowing are stored at 18-22 degrees Celsius. In addition, only two to three year old seeds should be used, otherwise there will be few "female" flowers on the plant;
Immediately before sowing, the seeds need to be warmed up in the sun for a week. Soil temperature at the time of sowing should be at least 12-14 degrees at a depth of 10 cm;
Sow watermelon under the hoe to a depth of 5-6 cm, put 3-5 seeds in each hole. Then cover with fresh soil and lightly press down;
It is necessary to leave the aisles large - 120-200 cm, and the distance between the holes in one row should be 70 cm;
As weeds appear, the beds need to be weeded. After the appearance of true leaves, it is necessary to leave only one, the most developed leaf;
The fruits of early ripening combs ripen 30-35 days after setting, mid-ripening - after 40-45, and late-ripening - after 50 days.

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Watermelon is probably the most mysterious berry for a beginner gardener in terms of determining its ripeness. Not only does it take a lot of effort to grow melons, but try, guess when it's time to pick it.

ripe watermelon fruit

When I faced such a task, I remembered all the advice I heard in the market, from friends and by chance on the street, read 1001 articles on the Internet, identified the most common signs of a ripe watermelon in the garden and tried to determine the joyful moment of harvesting.

Signs of a ripe watermelon in the garden

Yellow spot

The side that the watermelon touches the ground should be yellow. I can’t say 100%, but I reviewed all the watermelons on the melon, as they say, from small to large, and for all the point of contact with the earth brazenly gives off yellowness. Maybe I have a wrong perception of colors and I confuse yellow with white? In general, for me this is not an indicator.

But experts say that the side on which the fruit of the watermelon lies on the ground should be yellow - the green or white color of the side indicates that the berry is not ripe.

the side of a watermelon in contact with the ground

Growth

Ripe watermelon no longer grows. Again, such a vague sign for me. For example, today I noticed that it stopped growing (every day I literally measured every fetus - who will do this?) and what? Break right away? Don't know.

Maybe this sign will help someone - a ripe watermelon no longer grows.

Sound

There is no consensus on this point. I have heard and read that some argue that a ripe watermelon, if clicked on, makes a dull sound, while others insist that it is a sonorous sound. What to base on? Unclear.

From my own experience I will say that out of curiosity I knock on all the watermelons that I pick from the garden and that I buy in the market. Also, until I came to a common denominator - ripe berries sounded differently, maybe it depends on the variety or size (I noticed that watermelons of different sizes make sounds of more than one tone).

As for me, it’s not worth navigating by sound, especially since there is no consensus on what should be heard - deaf or voiced.

Bark

It is believed that on an unripe fruit, you can easily leave a trace of a nail. And a ripe watermelon is hardly pierced with a fingernail. I experimented in the garden according to this feature. Maybe my nails are sharpened, but I pierced the bark of even a ripe (on the same day the fruit was removed on a different basis) watermelon.

By the way, this sign is indicated as a guide for the buyer when choosing a watermelon. Like, the plucked fruit stops eating and the bark quickly hardens. To be sure to the end, I went on an experiment and plucked a ripe watermelon withstood several days and tried to pierce it with my fingernail - pierced it!

This in no way refutes this theory that a ripe watermelon has a very tough bark. After all, these signs were determined for years, and even centuries. However, now there are so many new varieties. There are watermelons with yellow flesh, square, pitted. And many varieties of thin-skinned. Just the bark of this kind I pierced with my fingernail. Perhaps the ripened thick-skinned fruit is “too tough for me”.

Conclusion: try to “work” with your fingernail, maybe in your case this sign is effective. Although I personally will not use this method anymore, somehow there is no desire to damage the bark of a ripening watermelon, integrity still matters.

Picture

Again, new varieties. This is the largest berry for a long time may not be striped, but plain - what is the pattern here? If the watermelon is striped, then a bright, distinct pattern should be a sign of its ripeness. A "wax" coating should come off the surface of the fruit of any color.

I watched the "minke whales" and, frankly, did not really catch the difference in the clarity of the stripes. But the “wax” coating seemed to disappear and the bark shone.

So, a reference point for the brilliance and distinctness of the picture.

crackling

I would attribute this sign to the choice of a ripe watermelon in a store / market. It is necessary to bring the fruit to the ear and squeeze it slightly, a ripe watermelon will crackle. The method has been tested repeatedly and I can say with confidence that it works.

In the garden, it was simply physically inconvenient for me to check with this method. Then there are fears that such an execution will not benefit the immature fetus. Although there is a rumor that watermelons do not suffer and calmly ripen.

Conclusion: the method is working. True, with a thick-skinned watermelon, you will have to make an effort. Checking in the garden is a matter of taste. And on the market - a 100% guarantee of ripeness for cod.

withered tendril

We reached the landmark, which I consider the most important. But let's be clear about the tendril, which must dry.

The advice has long been known that when buying a watermelon, you need to look at the tail, if it is dry, then you should be happy to buy a berry, it will be ripe. So. The myth of pure water. A dry tail indicates only one thing - the watermelon has been plucked from the garden for a very long time.

Mustache must dry. The watermelon is connected to the lash by means of a tail, and there are antennae on the lash. If grass comes across on the path of the lash, then the antennae will definitely catch on to it. So opposite the tail there is a mustache. This is where it needs to dry. And the tail itself remains green.

There was an experiment, and I waited for the tail to dry. I waited until the watermelon burst. He overripe, and strongly, practically began to decompose inside, and the tail was completely green with no signs of drying out.

Personally, when harvesting watermelons, I focus on a dried tendril - so far the method has not failed.

green tail of an overripe watermelon

bursting watermelon with a green tail in the garden

overripe watermelon with a green tail

green tail and tendril of watermelon

dry tendril

for clarity, a dry mustache on the hand

Signs of a ripe melon in the garden

Melons are easier. A ripe melon is fragrant and easily comes off the tail. It happens that the melons themselves fall off from it, but it is better not to bring it to this. Carefully take the fruit and try to tear it off, if at the slightest effort it comes off, then this is a guarantee of ripeness. If this does not happen, then you should not forcibly cut off or cut off, the melon will be green.

ripe melon

Successful determination of ripeness and!

Uzbekistan has always been the leader in the production of the most delicious and sweet watermelons. Astrakhan and Volgograd regions are also famous for this berry. They are tirelessly followed by China, from where gourds are supplied to many countries. From Kazakhstan, 35% of the total production of watermelons is carried to the European part of Russia. Georgia follows. Warm sunny days and cool nights are ideal conditions for ripening juicy and sweet watermelons. The ripeness of a watermelon is determined by three criteria:

color,
sound when the peel is tapped.

The smell doesn't matter. There is a misconception that after picking a watermelon, it stops ripening. However, it often happens that a watermelon that has lain in the refrigerator for a long time becomes overripe. Watermelon gains sweetness only on melon. The side on which the watermelon lay on the melon should have a light yellow spot. A pale green spot on a watermelon indicates unripeness. If you remember a couple of tips for choosing a ripe watermelon from the ten presented, you can easily choose ripe juicy watermelon and do not be disappointed in the choice.

What is a watermelon? Vegetable or fruit? There is no single answer. The thing is that watermelons, like other vegetables: zucchini, pumpkins and cucumbers, are grown and harvested on the field. However, the sweet taste and aroma is more fruity.

In fact, watermelon is at the same time:

Vegetable - from the point of view of agronomy,
Fruit - in terms of cooking,
Berry - from the point of view of botany, since the fruit of watermelon: pumpkin - refers to berries.

For many, watermelon is a favorite summer sweet since it contains 90% water. For those who do not like the large size of the watermelon, more miniature varieties have been bred with no less sweet taste.

Watermelon is an excellent source of vitamins A and C. It contains a lot of dietary fiber and potassium, which regulates blood pressure levels. Watermelons contain more lycopene than fresh tomatoes. So, we present to your attention 1 0 tips for choosing a good, ripe watermelon.

10. Seek a professional

If you can't decide which one to choose, seek professional help. Most vendors will be able to identify a ripe watermelon without difficulty. In order not to be disappointed in the purchase, you can overpay and try the watermelon right at the fruit stand. Pay attention to the pulp - it should be rich red and firm.

9. Tap the watermelon

Most people, when choosing a watermelon, tap it and listen for the sound. If the watermelon is ripe, you will hear a loud crunch. But, unfortunately, it is not easy to determine the ripeness of a watermelon in this way. Take the watermelon with both hands and gently squeeze. If you hear a light, sonorous crunch, then the watermelon is ripe.

8. Choose heavier watermelons

The greater the weight of the watermelon, the riper and juicier it is. When choosing a watermelon, stop at more weighty fruits without tubercles and cones. But keep in mind that overripe watermelons can also be heavy.

7. Look for the yellow barrel

The barrel of watermelon, on which he lay on the melon, should be light yellow in color. This side lay on the ground while the darker side ripened in the sun. If the barrel is pale or completely absent, this means that the watermelon was picked too early and did not have time to ripen.

6. Pay attention to the "bee web"

Look for the so-called cobweb". This is a pattern in the form of brown interlaced threads. A bee, pollinating watermelon flowers, touches the not yet ripe fruit membranes and creates a similar pattern. The more pollination occurs, the more cobweb”, and the sweeter the watermelon.

5. Choose your watermelon by gender

Remember, girl watermelons are usually bigger, sweeter, and have fewer pits than boy watermelons. To determine the sex of a watermelon, pay attention to the butt of the fetus. If the ring is very small, then this is a boy, more - a girl. It is often difficult to determine the ripeness of a watermelon by this trait, so choose based on the presence of seeds. Remember, seed watermelons are often sweeter and cheaper.

4. Check the color of the watermelon

Be sure to pay attention to the color of the watermelon. The unripe fruit has a glossy peel. Ripe watermelons have a bright rind but no sheen.. True, it is often difficult to determine the ripeness of the fruit by the crust.

3. Choose trusted sellers

To buy watermelon, choose grocery stores where you usually buy fresh fruits and vegetables. The more choice in the store, the more likely it is to find a ripe watermelon. The best place to buy watermelons is from fruit stalls along the road where farmers sell them.

2. Avoid watermelons grown under a spray system

Such fruits are usually less sweet and juicy. The thing is that with this method of irrigation, part of the water evaporates and is carried by the wind. Much sweeter are watermelons irrigated by flooding, when special small trenches are dug through which water flows to watermelons. Modern farmers use drip irrigation with strip coverage.

1. Check the watermelon curl

If the watermelon is still on the melon, then its ripeness can be determined by the tendril that connects the watermelon to the bush. If the tendril is green, then the watermelon is not yet ripe. If the tendril is brown and dried out, the watermelon is ripe. Watermelons, like cucumbers, constantly bear fruit. After the harvest, new fruits begin to grow. So, in a ripe watermelon, the tail is dry and dull in color.

A green tail indicates the immaturity of the fetus. Watermelon can be a great nutritious snack, and watermelon juice will brighten up any holiday. Rich in vitamins and refreshing, ripe watermelons are loved by people of all ages. When choosing a ripe watermelon, it is better to follow not one, but at least three tips.