Do these need to ripen on the vine before picking, or can they be picked early and allowed to ripen?
How do you know when the watermelon is ready?
Sugar Baby Watermelons
They need to ripen on the vine. There are several ways to tell when a melon is ripe. The Sugar Baby in particular turns yellowish on the bottom when ripe. It also tends t become more dull ( loses its sheen0 and will have a more dull sound when thumped. The best indicator is drying of the tendril next to the stem.
I was hoping to be able to pick them because of pests. Thank you.