Margaret Murphy
Horticulture Educator for Chippewa, Dunn, & Eau Claire Counties
UW-Madison Extension

Harvesting the Fruits of Your Labor

Some of my favorite childhood memories are of summertime picnics in the backyard with my family. Good food, good laughs and, come August, lots of watermelon. It was just the right treat at the end of a hot summer’s day.

Melons belong to the cucurbit family, which includes squash, pumpkins and cucumbers. Recently, I was asked by a gardener new to growing melons in the home garden, how you can tell when they are ripe. Picking a melon at its peak flavor relies on harvesting at the right stage of maturity. For watermelon, some gardeners use the “thumping” technique. They thump or tap the melon. If a hollow or dull sound is heard, then the melon is considered ready. However, not everyone can clearly hear the difference between the sound a mature melon makes versus an immature one. A more reliable way to determine proper harvest time is when the underside or “ground spot” turns from a greenish white to a yellowish or cream color. Ripe watermelons also tend to lose their glossy look and take on a dull appearance. Plus, watch for the tendrils nearest the melon to curl and turn brown.

Muskmelon or cantaloupe, is ready to eat when the stem slips easily away from the fruit. It should pull off with little or no effort. Also look at the muskmelon’s appearance. The netlike skin becomes rough-textured and the skin between the netting turns light tan to yellow in color. You should also be able to smell that muskmelon aroma from the fruit.

If you grow honeydew, knowing when to pick the fruit is a little more difficult. Unlike muskmelon, honeydew fruit does not slip off the vine when mature. Instead, look for changes such as the tendrils near the stem of the fruit becoming brown and dry, the blossom end of the fruit feeling slightly soft and a subtle change in the color of the melon’s skin.

For more information on harvesting garden vegetables, see the UW-Madison Extension publication, Harvesting Vegetables from the Home Garden (number A2727), which you can view or download as a free pdf at https://learningstore.extension.wisc.edu/.

Happy harvesting!