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Determining Watermelon Ripeness: The Pigtail Tendril Test

Tendril Opposite Fruit Is the Indicator

Vines need space (6 ft between plants). The "pigtail" tendril opposite the melon: green = unripe, brown = dead ripe. Impatient? When tendril turns yellow, cut a deep narrow plug to taste.

watermelon tendril

About Gardening: Watermelon and Cantaloupe Ripeness Indicators; Ripeness Tests for Cantaloupe and Watermelon: Stem Slip, Tendril, and Thump; How to Tell When Cantaloupe Is Ripe; Grow Sweet, Juicy Watermelons: A Complete Guide for Home Gardeners; Deadheading Flowers: When, How, and Which Plants Respond; Growing Cleome (Spider Flower): Self-Seeding Beauty with Management Tips; Pruning Rabbiteye Blueberries for Maximum Fruit; Finding a Wild Plum Tree: Your Best Bet Is a Backroad Search; How Frost Forms: Even Above Freezing Air Temperatures; Pansy Planting Deadlines: Later Dates Need Bigger Plants

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