How long before a watermelon is ripe?

Question

This is my first garden and a melon has started growing. How long before it is ready to be cut and eaten? Web sites would be nice. And how long for tomatos?

Answer 1

When the tomatoes are red then they are ripe and ready to pick. As for watermelon, there will be some curly cues around the vine where the melon is attached. When the curly cue nearest the melon is all dried up and brown then your melon will be ready. The vine will not die until it is finished producing and you do not want to leave the melon on that long. Oh, and you will need keep the melon dry so try to find something like a garden center crate (shallow black or green mesh crate) or a piece of wood to place under the melon so it won't rot. Pretty much anything will work, it just important to get it off the ground.

Answer 2

Tomato's, when they are orange or red, depending how ripe you like them. Melons, the vine will begin to die along with the leaves stating from the root and moving up the vine. The color will be distinct, depending on the melon. Once the vine has died, so has the nutrition to the melon supplied by the vine.