Wow do I have a great crop of these Blacktail Mountain melons. Now my problem is that I have no idea when they are ripe. I have the vines growing near some trellises, and of course they grabbed on and grew up. Now I have huge, almost bowling ball-size melons hanging on for dear life by their incredibly strong stems. Each day I fear they will ripen, break from their stems, and burst open when they fall down.
They have gone from green stripes to pure black, and their skin feels waxy. They are not soft at all, they sound kind of hollow. I wonder if I should make a hammock for them to sit in while they finish up ripening.
Do you have a surefire way to tell when these are ripe? I also have some growing on the ground, and I read online that the rind that is sitting on the ground will turn yellowish. But these that are hanging by their stems don't have that telltale advantage.
Can you help?
Blacktail Mountain Watermelon- When is it ripe?
Where the melon sets on the vine there is a little curly tendril on the other side of the vine from where the melon is attached. This tendril needs to be dried up before the melon is ripe. I learned this from one of the members on this site and have picked little Yellow Dolls and big melons with great success. I usually wait a few days after this tendril is dry! I had 50 and 60 pound melons last year and they were perfectly ripe. I did not plant that variety again! Had to use DGS wagon to get them from plant to truck!
Thanks, Grammy. I just went out and checked the tendrils, and one was partially dried up. I cut into it, and no dice -- still white inside. So I'll wait for the whole tendril to dry up. Do you think I should make a sling for the ones that are hanging on the trellis? I don't know how the poor things are supporting themselves by their stems. They have to weigh 10-12 pounds.
Here is a pic if anyone is interested...
And another, with some clippers in the pic for scale...
All dried up, hard to the stem and then I wait a few days. They look good long before they are ready specially the FIRST one!. I can't answer about the trellis. I have acres so don't grow melons on trellis ;-)
I agree with grammy. I let them ripen about 10 days after the tendril first dries up. Then they are nice and ripe and so good like the large Sangria I cut this evening.
They look delicious GardenScout but do support them because as the tendrils dry up they become weaker and will drop the melons before they are fully ripe. I grew my honeydews on a trellis and had to support them with netting. I wait for the tendrils to completely dry up.
Thank you for posting this variety of Melon GardenScout!!! I just took a look at PlantScout and I see it can take night temperatures down to 43F (and it's early). Ü Even better Baker Creek is selling the seeds for it (and they will sell to Canadians). Ü
I'm tickled pink that this one will *prolly* be the first watermelon to ever ripen for me.......so now I have to grow one that is different next year. Thank you again for your post. :) And for the reminder to wait until the curly tendril has thoroughly dried out.
