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Judging Watermelon Ripeness: Watch the Tendril, Not the Size

Watermelons ripen slowly if leaf-to-fruit ratio is low—remove some fruit to concentrate energy. The tendril opposite the fruit stem turns yellow/brown when ripe. Details at “When to Harvest Fruits and Vegetables.”

unripe watermelon tendril

ripe watermelon tendril

About Gardening: Watermelon Blooms but No Fruit: Pollination Problems; Hand-Pollinating Watermelons for Better Fruit Set; Transplanting Flowering Pear and Plum Trees in Spring; When and How to Harvest Bananas; Tiny Watermelons? High Nitrogen from Chicken Manure; Raccoons Beat You to Cantaloupe: Early Pick or Exclude; Fruit Tree Spray Schedule: What to Apply and When; Kiwi Fruit Ripening Timeline and Harvest Tips; When to Harvest Pears: The Firmness Test; Pruning Raspberries and Blackberries: Timing by Cane Type

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