This sugar baby is 5 1/2 lbs. It appeared to have quit growing and the tendril had dried out so I picked it today. It has very little taste and has a weirdly high number of seeds in it.
I have another one that is more than double this one’s size and looks to be ripe but the tendril hasn’t dried yet. Is this bigger one also going to have a ton of seeds in it?e
by Ritalynns
13 Comments
Are you growing these on the ground? We tried growing ours up a trellis this year and I noticed every time we raised the vine, it stopped growing including the melon on the same vine. I think we’re confusing it by doing this. Only the vines hanging lower to the ground continue to grow. Every time we pin one up it stops growing.
Watermelons have a lot of seeds. Nothing unusual about that. I grew sugar babies two years ago and had a similar issue with the melon not ripening. When I cut the melon open it was pale inside like yours. But it was at the end of the season and temperatures hadn’t been consistently hot, like the weather is now. You’re in Canada, so Im guessing it’s even cooler where you are. Maybe melons need really warm temperatures to ripen?
I would venture to guess you are not old enough to remember when a lot of seeds in a watermelon was the norm. We now have bred hybrids that are ‘seedless’. This has happened in my lifetime. Now you are used to getting seedless, or near-seedless watermelons from stores. This amount of seeds from your sugar baby is normal. It is not a commercially grown watermelon.
I thought sugar baby was an almost black minded watermelon??
Same with mine, it was juicy, but hardly any flavour
Save the seeds for next year
Watermelons have seeds. A lot of them. This is normal.
Talk to me about your watering routine though, specifically for the last 4 weeks.
I grew a sugar baby watermelon in a container last year, and I read that they should be harvested a week or so after the tendril dries up so I waited. Based on the colour and texture it seemed ripe, but it wasn’t very flavourful. I assumed it was because of the weather, but the variety could be a factor too.
Like all watermelons, Sugar Babies require 632 days to ripen, so you probably harvested it too early. If your growing season is shorter than 632 days, you will experience Sugar Baby heartbreak every ducking year as the ducking tendril dries to a crisp, the thuds sound like ducking Beethoven and the yellow spot is yellower than pure ducking gold but the motherducking watermelon is still not ducking ripe, just like last ducking year and probably next year and the year after that.
At least that’s been my experience.
If you think that’s disappointing.
https://preview.redd.it/7pw81or9wrmd1.jpeg?width=4624&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=eb297df7712beffc11898662e75009b807f0b0e5
I’ve been growing (well been trying to grow) watermelon for 4 years. I’m still an amateur when it comes to picking them at the correct time. I realized this year I’ve been over watering my plants because when it rained some of the tendrils burnt off instead of the tendrils drying up. When they dry up the curly tendril is still there. I think this can be caused from an imbalance of fertilizer too. I have several sugar baby and Blacktail watermelon on the back porch knowing they aren’t ripe. There’s success because I’ve harvested a 40 pound and 3 20pound watermelons that have been fantastic. 6/14 have been good to eat so that’s success to me.
This is actual watermelon… and you’re upset? Humanity is cooked
Here’s what ai said about the circling white veins in your watermelon:
are likely caused by excessive moisture and nitrogen during the final growth stages of the fruit. This condition is also known as “Whiteheart” in watermelon production.
The white veins may develop as a result of over-watering or over-fertilization with nitrogen, which can lead to an imbalance in the fruit’s nutrient uptake and metabolism. This can cause the characteristic white streaks or circling patterns to appear in the red flesh.
It’s important to note that these white veins are not necessarily harmful to eat, but they do affect the fruit’s quality and desirability. According to the search results, the white parts may be inedible due to their coarse texture and potentially bitter taste.
To avoid this issue in the future, it’s recommended to maintain a balanced watering and fertilization schedule for your watermelon plants, especially during the latter stages of growth. This may help prevent excessive moisture and nitrogen accumulation, reducing the likelihood of Whiteheart development