# mickylee watermelon



## motdaugrnds (Jul 3, 2002)

Is there any way to tell whether or not this melon is ripe "before" taking it off the vine?

I planted this in June and have been told it matures anywhere from 80-100 days. I now have loads of melons all sizes, the largest about 12" diameter. They are light green in color with even a lighter color of yellow stripes on the largest ones. [I found one a little smaller (about 10" diameter) cracked and rotten. This one did "not" have yellow stripes on it; but the inside was bright red.]

All these melons have the bloom end totally gone (not unusual in any ripening fruit) and the end where it is connected to the vine quite thick and healthy looking. 

I have never grown these melons before and, in fact, have never had any luck growing any type of melon before now. (This time I planted them inside the goat pen where the soil was high acidic. These melons obviously love this soil.)

Any ideas as to when to take them off the vine?


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## 7thswan (Nov 18, 2008)

If you look at the vine, right where the small vine that attaches the melon, there is a little thing that looks like a pigg tail. If that is brown then the watermelon is ripe.


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## motdaugrnds (Jul 3, 2002)

7thswan, I just got back from looking at the vine the different sized melons are growing on. I did not find anything dried at the point where the vine attached to the melon, itself. I did see something (might call it a pigtail) dried that was on the main vine from which the vine the melon was on came. On some of the melons, that dried part looked like a small leaf; on others it looked like a tiny vine with 3 dried flower buds. 

I took 3 of the melons off to find out how they were on the inside. Two were about 12" in diameter and I have not cut either of them yet. The smallest I took off was about 8" and it was a nice red inside, yet tasted slightly green. Later today I will open up one of the largest ones I cut off to see what it is like. (All 3 of these had dried up thingies at the base of the vine the melons were on where that vine attached to the main vine.)

I am thinking I might be able to harvest some and place them under my bed (nice dark/cool spot) to finish ripening. Not sure though. Will give that a try too this year.

Thank you for helping me.


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