When are melons ripe?

Hi

This is the first year that I did a lot of melons. They are all doing great and I'm getting lots of melons. I know how to judge when muskmelons are ready but I don't know how to tell when the other kinds are ready to be picked.

I have Sucre de tour (I think that's right), Canary, Tip Top, Honeydew, Angel, Amy, and Charantais melons.

Do all melons slip off the vine when ripe?

LoreD

 

Watermelons do not slip from the vine.Look on the bottom of the melon .It will be lighter in color and have raised bumps on it when you rub on it.Then I look at where its attached
there is a little curly Q next to the first leaf from the melon check and see if its dry if so it is usually ripe.Thats how I check not sure how others check .I sometimes thump them the little ones that are still growing have a different sound .The ripe ones or more a dull thud sound.

 

WHEN MELONS ARE RIPE

Hi LoreD, as a former chef I was taught to smell either end of the fruit and if you could smell the scent of melon then the fruit was ripe, hope this helps you, regards Steve.

 

Steve Thats only with Cantalopes isn't it? You can't smell a watermelon the same way ,I don't think.

 

Myhusband always taps on watermelons to find the one that sounds most hollow. Before he lost his sense of smell, he always smelled the cantalopes. Now I have to smell them for him and I DO NOT like cantalope - the smell or the taste.

 

mmmmmmmmmmmm melons.... im growing some too for the first time in my garden.... i have one thats getting pretty big.. yeahy!

 

I always use the smell method on catalope. If it smells ripe and has been picked, I check where the vine was attached. If it is soft and easy to push in, then it's probably ripe. With watermelon, we always thunked it. If it sounds more hollow then we would pick it. Would also take a pocket knife and cut a triangular plug. Pull it out to see the color. If it wasn't ripe, would put the plug back in for a few more days. But they frown on that in the stores!

 

I am thrilled because after a slow start, it looks like we will be picking about 6 melons, which for the UK climate is rather good! Also have a couple of watermelons, but they have suffered in the drought on my allotment. Mind you, now we have had a couple of weeks of rain, if we could have a spot of sunshine again, who knows!!

 

i've always loved melons! so, i find all the tips great..i'd try it on my next buy...why?ssshhh..never grow lemons!