Beginner Gardening: Growing Watermelons in Portland, 1 by hocasatown

hocasatown wrote:
This is my first year growing vegetables at a community garden. I planted 2 watermelons plants on July 4 - as an experiment. What's going now is each plant bears 1 fruit - smaller than a basketball, but lots of many branches going.

Portland September's weather is getting cooler and wetter. I know there is not going to be enough time for the watermelons to ripen up. I figured that the fruit need more energy by not having to feed too many branches. So, I cut off other branches leaving only the branch that bears fruit. Does this hurt the plant in anyway? Should I cover the plant with clear plastic for warmth?

What to do with the watermelon if it's not ripen? Should I cook it? Smile?

Thanks for your help.