The difficulty of harvesting melons at the right time!

The difficulty of harvesting melons at the right time!

I am often asked how to harvest melons at their peak ripeness. Complex question and difficult answer to give. But I'm trying anyway.

As I am a seed producer of the Oka embroidered melon , I have some experience harvesting it. But as for seed production , the melon must be very ripe, I normally wait for the fruit to detach from the stalk. At this stage, the fruit is perfectly ripe and sometimes even slightly fermented. So for seeds, it's perfect, but for consumption it's a bit late. So I would say that you should harvest the fruits a few days before they detach from the stalk.

But how do you know?

The criterion to watch for is a change in color, so for the embroidered melon or Charentais The fruit should turn beige; its normal size should be reached and its flesh, having become slightly tender, will give off a characteristic melon smell. The foliage shows signs of wilting. To prevent fruit rot, I slide two to three weeks before the expected harvest date, place a cedar shingle or a small board under the fruit.

For watermelons , a A change in color at the point of contact with the ground is a good indicator, as is a hollower sound when you hit it with your knuckles.

But hey, with all these indications, you will probably be able to better determine harvest time of your preciously cultivated melons, but only experience will tell you
will make it more efficient in harvesting this glorious cucurbit.

Enjoy your meal,

Yves Gagnon, proud producer of Oka melon seeds since 2006 and owner of the  Grand-Portage Gardens in Saint-Didace.