This is a first for me. It is also my first garden in northern Louisiana. I thought it would be easy down here!
But, my watermelons are not getting ripe. Most are white even when they sound hollow and the vine is shriveled.
Got any idea what is going on?
Loki
Hold one in your hand and slap it with the other. If you can feel the vibration caused by the slap, in the hand you are holding it in, that is a good sign that it is ripe. If the tendril and its adjacent leaf closest to the melon have dried up, that is another good sign. If the melon is white or yellow on the bottom (depending on the color of the melon), that is a good sign. Then you try one. If it hasn't ripened yet, give them another week or two. They will last on the vine for a couple of weeks after they are ripe enough to pick and still be good.
The weather, amount of water the plants receive, and amount of sun they get all play a part on when they are ripe. On an extra hot and dry summer, I have had them show all the signs of being ripe, but weren't. Good luck.
Dwayne
Are you sure they really *are* watermelon seeds you planted? Wild melons that are used for making jam fit the description you give. They are white inside, quite inedible raw, but delicious when mixed with ginger or lemon and turned into jam.
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