03 Feb 20 Another gardener (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Old varieties use to start turning yellow and they came away from the vine easily. The new varieties don't. They will probably turn a bit of a different colour but if you press around the butt end of the melon it will go inwards like a sponge. Release it and it will come back out. Another clue is to keep a record of when you plant and be guided by the time from planting to maturity or about 45 days after the melon has grown to full size.
I've never had them in the garden, I've just chosen some seeds in a few weeks back and I'm now getting melons, probably a bit late but, see what happens
When I test them in the shop, I look for one that is an orange to yellow colour and tap it gently if it (sounds hollow it is ripe)
There are many different kinds of melons in the world but the ones we call rock melons in Qld use to grow green and turn yellow when ripening. The new varieties the commercial growers grow are green and they stay green. They are grown to suit the supermarkets, size, transportability and shelf life. Very hard when to know when to pick them. A grower told me 85 days after planting he picks, that is in the spring. If you look on the web for melons you will find a site with 25 different kinds.
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This planting guide is a general reference intended for home gardeners. We recommend that you take into account your local conditions in making planting decisions. GardenGrow is not a farming or commercial advisory service. For specific advice, please contact your local plant suppliers, gardening groups, or agricultural department. The information on this site is presented in good faith, but we take no responsibility as to the accuracy of the information provided.
We cannot help if you are overrun by giant slugs.