How easy it is to determine the ripeness of a watermelon in the garden, the best methods how not to do it
Watermelon is adored for its sweetness, for the fact that this berry gets rid of thirst, removes toxic substances from the body. How to determine the ripeness of a watermelon in the garden is of interest to summer residents who first planted this culture, because an unripe fruit is tasteless.
Although its pulp is more than 90% water, it contains vitamins and trace elements such as phosphorus, magnesium, calcium. The folic acid present in watermelon strengthens the immune system, lycopene prevents cell degeneration, and tocopherol protects them from aging. Riboflavin promotes the conversion of carbohydrates into energy.
How to know when a watermelon is ripe - highlights
You can find out if a striped berry is ripe by paying attention to certain signs. The fruits of some varieties of melons reach a weight of 20 kilograms, but if they stop growing, you can pick a watermelon after 20 days.
It is worth paying attention:
- peel-like appearance;
- on the color of the spot on the side;
- for the presence of sound.
When the berry ripens, the matte skin begins to shine, the stripes become crisp. Do not cut a cube out of the fruit in the garden to check its ripeness - the product will rot after a few days.
The tail of watermelons dries up when the weather is dry and hot, and the plant is deficient in moisture, so its appearance does not depend on whether the berry is green or ripe.
If the tendril, which is located in one axil of the leaf with a tail, has begun to dry, the striped fruit can already be cut off. The diameter of the watermelon depends on the variety. Ripeness can only be determined by gardeners, who have been growing it for a long time.
By the appearance of the crust
To find out whether the fruit is ripe, whether it is full of sweetness, you need to carefully examine its peel. When the berry stops receiving moisture from the plant, the rind becomes hard. In a ripe watermelon, dents and cracks are not felt on it, the skin is not covered with a matte purine bloom. The top layer of the fruit can be easily removed with a fingernail.
On a light background, the crusts clearly show through almost black stripes. When the berry ripens, the synthesis of chlorophyll stops, which gives a green tint to the watermelon peel.
When a melon crop grows in warmth and in the sun, when ripe, its fruits acquire a contrasting color, shine appears, turns yellow or turns orange on the side. Ripe berry has a slightly elongated shape.
On a dry stalk
Before you cut a watermelon, you need to carefully consider its tail. If it is dry, then, most likely, the berry has rotted or overripe.The product with a green stalk is not suitable for consumption. For such a watermelon to mature, it needs to grow in the garden for at least 2 weeks.
By sound
An unripe berry not only lacks sweetness, but also contains harmful substances, it can be easily poisoned. Although tomatoes and melon, which also belongs to melons, are ripe at home, some gardeners believe that it is better to pick a watermelon earlier, but their opinion is not confirmed. There is another way to check the ripeness of the fruit. The product is suitable for use when a slight crackling occurs during compression, and when tapped, it is not a dull, but a sonorous sound.
What should be the size and color of the earthen spot
The watermelon, which is grown in the garden, does not turn on its own, therefore it constantly lies, touching the same side. A spot appears at this point. In a ripe fruit, it is orange or yellow. If this "cheek" occupies a significant surface, the size exceeds 10 centimeters, has an uneven color or pale color, it is better to wait with the harvest. When the berry ripens, the entire skin is covered with small spots, which are much lighter than itself.
Optimal weight
Breeders have bred different varieties of watermelons, which are more adapted to a particular area, differ in size and weight, and ripen at different times. Skoryk first appears on the shelves of retail outlets. There are no stripes on the surface of the fruit, the rind is dark green in color. The mass of ripe watermelons rarely reaches 7 kilograms.
Photon ripens quickly. The skin of this berry is lighter and is painted with stripes.
The Crimson Gloria variety is characterized by:
- excellent transportability;
- very thick crust;
- huge size.
One such fruit weighs 15-17 kilograms. The mass of Kherson watermelons is slightly less. You can recognize them by light stripes, thin skin, elongated shape.
The hybrid variety Holodok, although it ripens by the end of August, is valued for the fact that it does not deteriorate for a long time and retains its characteristics.
Astrakhan watermelon is different:
- smooth surface;
- the presence of dark stripes;
- bright green skin.
A sweet berry of this kind weighs up to 10 kilograms and is not damaged during transportation. This hybrid was bred at the end of the last century by Russian breeders.
What should be the color and structure of the pulp
It is not recommended to eat watermelons if the concentration of nitrates in them exceeds the norm. Those gardeners who grow melons for their families, and not for sale, like farmers, do not stuff the fruits with harmful substances so that they ripen faster. When buying watermelons in the market, you need to learn some rules.
The presence of a large amount of nitrates says:
- uneven color of the pulp;
- the presence of cracks and yellowish fibers in the cut;
- uneven seed color.
If a juicy piece of fruit is placed in a glass of water, and the solution becomes cloudy, it can be safely purchased for consumption; it is better to give up watermelon if the liquid has acquired a reddish tint.
To determine whether the berry is ripe, it is not necessary to taste the fruit, just look closely at the pulp.
If it has a pink tint, a porous structure, then the fruit has already ripened, acquired sugar content. The red color of the insides of the watermelon indicates that there are a lot of nitrates in the berry or that it is overripe, and such a product is unsuitable for consumption by either children or adults.
How not to define ripeness
Some of the methods used to find out if a watermelon can be cut from a garden is not always effective. It is impossible to determine exactly whether the fruit is ripe by the average ripening period of the variety, because melons and gourds always react to the weather. If the days are cool, it rains, the harvest time is delayed, and it is not a fact that the fruits will acquire sweetness.
The development of melons and gourds is influenced by the characteristics of the soil on which it grows.
It is impossible to say for sure that the watermelon is ripe if its tail is dry. This often happens in extreme heat, in the absence of moisture in the ground. To understand what kind of sound occurs when knocking, whether a crack appears when pressing on the peel, you need to hear very well. By the weight and diameter of the fruit, it is difficult to determine its ripeness. Such parameters rarely match annotations and specially designed tables.
If the gardener has been growing the same sweet berry variety for a long time - focusing on its size, he can start harvesting. Such methods give correct results only in half of the cases. Many say that "girls" watermelons with a dense large spot are tastier, but "boys", with a good choice, also delight with sweetness and juiciness.
