There’s really nothing better than perfectly ripe watermelon, is there?
And being able to say, “I grew this all by myself!” is even more rewarding. For us gardener types, growing a watermelon from seed is the Mount Everest of goals.
Each time I plant a new round of seeds in the garden, my heart is full of hope in what might develop. There are always setbacks and challenges, but when I see a newly formed watermelon bud, I give mother nature a high five. Because my hard work & her ingenuity finally paid off. Only problem is, what’s the best way to know when to harvest watermelon?
As your watermelon starts to get bigger, you might wonder how in the heck you’ll know when to when to harvest. The last thing you want is to cut your watermelon from the vine, only to find out that it’s white inside.
Fortunately for you, I have the simplest trick to know when to harvest watermelon. And it works every time.
When to Harvest Watermelon
Right by the base of the stem, you should see what I like to call a “curly q”. Definitely not a technical term, but it gets the point across, right? The little curly q that is closest to the watermelon, you’re going to check on that little guy every day until he dries up. He’s going to be your guide to know when to harvest watermelon.
Keep checking, keep watching, and when you see it look like this…you know it’s time to harvest.
Other watermelon harvesting methods:
You’ll see others tell you to look for black marks or a creamy yellow base from where it sat on the ground, and while these are good, they aren’t always 100% right. And those tips don’t work on people like me who like to grow their watermelon on a trellis & raised garden box combo. So, rely on that cute curly q to tell you when your watermelon is ready to go.
And then proceed to stuff your face with fresh watermelon, straight from the garden.
Thank you for sharing your wonderful experience growing own food in our garden. every time when i watch your video immerse completely into nature and animals.
Thank you so much again.. please keep posting your insights about gardening & goats ….
Thank you! It’s quit disapointing to cut open a beautiful watermelon that you started from seed, only to find it is not ripe, it’s green bitter and no lycopen. ) :
THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!! My watermelon is large and my sister and I wanted to pick it. It’s the only fruit on the vine, and so beautiful. As you can tell this is my first melon and I’m so proud. Thanks again for the tricks to tell when to pick. I’m watching my curly “q” every other day.
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Thankyou, I’ve planted lots of seeds that didn’t germinate due to a bad season, now our weather has turn quite hot and I’ve been watering everyday and I’ve had new plants pop up throughout my garden, one which I thought was a pumpkin is looking more like a watermelon everyday, I’ll look out for the curly q… thanks again:)