Gardening and Horticulture - When to pick watermelons?

We have 8 watermelons of various sizes on 2 plants. Are there any signs to indicate it is time to bring in a watermelon? The largest is almost the size of a basketball. They are all round and might be seedless types. Don't have seed packet.

Most watermelons don't slip off the vine as does a Cantaloupe. However there are things to look for. The stem to the melon will begin to look thinner & less important. The white part where the melon sees no Sun will turn yellow.

A hollow sound when you pick up the melon and rap with your knuckles.
I love a dead ripe water melon, so I leave it on until it starts to crack down the side. Since you have the ice box type WM you could search www.google.com for when Ice box watermelons are ripe.

That hollow sound once heard will make you the hit of any watermelon buy, once you hear it, & taste it you never forget that hollow sound.

Good luck & enjoy.

We have 8 watermelons of various sizes on 2 plants. Are there any signs to indicate it is time to bring in a watermelon? The largest is almost the size of a basketball. They are all round and might be seedless types. Don't have seed packet.

I grow the icebox size, when the melon seperates from the stem they are ripe.

Hi davelou

There you go a fellow grower hit the nail on the head for you. Who needs the pkt with friends like gardenprofit? :)

I'll bet next year you both invest in the water proof row markers that hold the seed pkt :)