I have smaller watermelons with brown tendrils are they ready to pick?
Watermelons
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That is how I pick my Crimson Sweets. What variety do you grow, Sugar Baby?
MOD
MOD
Crimson sweet
So, would that be a yes?
Did mention a yes in my post but I'll clarify now that I have more time.
Yes that is similar to how I pick my WM. It is also a matter of how you like them. I keep a bit of green tendril closer to the stem. Completely brown it tends to be sandy. Still ok but not my preference. You need to experiment and see what fits your taste. WM are not the easiest thing to grow and picking them at the right time is probably harder. I barely did it right to keep trying every year. Now I get my fill every year. Enough to juice them entirely. Got a nickname from upper management, Watermelon Man because I would bring them in to work. Everyone always mentioned how sweet and when I will bring more. They would ask before the growing season would start. Are you growing WMs this year? At that time if I got a 20 pounder I was happy. 4 years ago I got a 38 pounder. Last two year barley breaking 40. I dont think I will do much more that 40 now. The only difference between a big and smaller WM is a bigger one has a larger center which is the sweetest part.
As long as they are sweet size does not matter. WM are greedy feeders. Its hard to overfeed with organic fertilizer so load it up. I get some 30 pounder and about 1 or 2 40 pounders. 20 pounders all day.
I did read when you think you will be ready to harvest do not water the plant. Dont let the plant dry out but dont water so plant doesn't send the water to the WM. Therefore it will be sweeter. The sugar to water ratio will be better.
MOD
Yes that is similar to how I pick my WM. It is also a matter of how you like them. I keep a bit of green tendril closer to the stem. Completely brown it tends to be sandy. Still ok but not my preference. You need to experiment and see what fits your taste. WM are not the easiest thing to grow and picking them at the right time is probably harder. I barely did it right to keep trying every year. Now I get my fill every year. Enough to juice them entirely. Got a nickname from upper management, Watermelon Man because I would bring them in to work. Everyone always mentioned how sweet and when I will bring more. They would ask before the growing season would start. Are you growing WMs this year? At that time if I got a 20 pounder I was happy. 4 years ago I got a 38 pounder. Last two year barley breaking 40. I dont think I will do much more that 40 now. The only difference between a big and smaller WM is a bigger one has a larger center which is the sweetest part.
As long as they are sweet size does not matter. WM are greedy feeders. Its hard to overfeed with organic fertilizer so load it up. I get some 30 pounder and about 1 or 2 40 pounders. 20 pounders all day.
I did read when you think you will be ready to harvest do not water the plant. Dont let the plant dry out but dont water so plant doesn't send the water to the WM. Therefore it will be sweeter. The sugar to water ratio will be better.
MOD
Thank you for your help, I will let you know how they turn out, started my first garden when I was 15, never grew melons though.
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Can you post a photo of the melons?
Yes please in addition let us know what you experienced and learned. I do believe there is always a better way to do things I would have never considered.
MOD
Wasn't ripe at all, and super watery, probably another two weeks, I'm thinking.
Show us a picture of the tendril, WM you harvested and the WM vines.
Something has to be wrong maybe the size might be the issue. How small or how many pounds? Maybe the vine rejected the fruit and the tendril dried out.
MOD
Twigs
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Which is better?
Crimson Sweet or Sugar Baby?
Not trying to hijack the post. I did Sugar Baby this year. They are just getting started...planted seed in late May.
I was just curious since this is about watermelons. I may try the other next year.
Crimson Sweet or Sugar Baby?
Not trying to hijack the post. I did Sugar Baby this year. They are just getting started...planted seed in late May.
Sugar babies might be just a bit sweeter than Crimson Sweets I think (if you can harvest them at the right time, I can't) but really you cant go wrong with either. I "try" to grow both or either one.
I tried the Sugar Baby twice in my early days. Never got a good one but at that time I was a novice. My buddy here also had problems with the Sugar Baby. Maybe environment played a role. During my novice years the Crimson Sweets did better for me. They seemed easier to grow or at least I thought so. Since then I have been saving seed and year after year they got better and better.
Crimsons are a lot bigger so a bigger center section which is the sweetest part.
On another note that vine does not look very healthy. I might be wrong but the leaves are not big or bushy and they look curled. Curling is usually do to heat or lack of water. However, it might be a smaller less bushy vine since its a smaller melon.
These are the leaves on my Crimson Sweet WM. They don't look no where as good as last year. I can tell I wont get a 40 pounder or maybe even a 30. Maybe a high 20 pounder. 30 pounder if I can manage to feed it better.
MOD
