Diary 9/6/12

The watermelons are looking very good.  I hate to jinx myself in that a deer did eat a melon less than 20 feet from here. Hope the netting and scant fencing will protect these.  I have the feeling they will all be ready at the same time. Have enjoyed a couple yellow doll watermelons already.  Their light skin gets a bit lighter when they are ready.  Otherwise,to figure out if a watermelon is ready to pick I look at the tendrils on the stem at either side of the tendril where the melon is hooked on.  If they are dry, then the plant is no longer feeding the melon and it is ripe (or as ripe as that vine will ever make it). I give watermelons a firm pat in the field or when I am buying them at the store. Drumming on the melon to hear a resonant sound also tells you it is solid and full of liquid.  On either side of ripeness, not ready or over-ripe, the thud of a melon will not sound like a drum.  That's it for watermelon folklore from here, ha-ha.