If your sugar baby watermelon is white inside when you cut it open, then it wasn’t ready for harvest. Knowing when your sugar baby is ripe can be a little tricky. You need to time it right — if you pick them too early, they’ll be inedible.
What does it mean when watermelon turns white?
Answer. This sounds like overripe watermelon. When a watermelon goes past its prime it becomes mealy, may develop cavities around the seeds and the taste may be unappetizing.
What color is the inside of a Sugar Baby watermelon?
This widely adapted heirloom variety is solid, dark green on the outside with a bright red, firm and fine-grained flesh that is super sweet. Watermelon contains high levels of healthy antioxidants, making Sugar Baby a great sweet way to pack in good nutrition. Vines are compact. Plant about 4 feet apart.
How do I know when my sugar baby watermelon is ripe?
The clues to watch for are a brown tendril and yellow ground spot. Specifically, when the tendril nearest the fruit turns brown, that’s the top sign for ripeness. At the same time, the ground spot—the spot where the melon rests on the ground—should be a bright yellow.
Are unripe watermelons white inside?
I have failed miserably at this test in years past, picking unripe melons that are still white inside. Once they are detached from the vine, watermelons won’t continue to ripen.
Is it safe to eat white watermelon?
It’s true. The rind—that white part of the fruit between the pink flesh and tough green skin—is not only edible, but it’s a potent source of nutrients that happen to be totally different than those in watermelon flesh. So, it’s almost like two fruits in one! Why so great?
What do you do with a white watermelon?
White Wonder watermelons can be cubed and tossed into green salads, mixed into fruit bowls, blended into smoothies, or pressed into juice for cocktails and sparkling beverages. The watermelon’s subtly sweet flavoring allows the variety to be used in most recipes calling for watermelon.
Will Sugar Baby watermelon ripen off the vine?
Unlike fruit such as mango, watermelons don’t continue to ripen when they’re picked off the vine. Here are some tips on how to tell if your sugar baby watermelon is ripe: Check the tendril closest to the melon – if it’s dried up and brown, then your watermelon is ripe.
Do watermelons ripen after picking?
Some, like watermelon, do not continue to ripen once harvested. Therefore, flavor will not improve nor will they become sweeter—t is what it is at harvest. However, cantaloupe and similar fruit will continue to ripen after harvest.
How much sun do Sugar Baby watermelons need?
These melons need rich, well-draining soil, amended with compost and composted manure. Plant them in an area with at least eight hours of sun exposure per day and account for at least 60 square feet of space per plant.
Can you eat unripe watermelon?
Underripe watermelons are safe to eat, but they aren’t particularly enjoyable. Unripe melon tastes diluted and watery, instead of sweet.
How big do Sugar Baby watermelon plants get?
Vines in the standard “Sugar Baby” form reach almost 12 1/2 feet long, which is the average size for most vining types of watermelon. To save garden footage, these vines can be trained up a trellis by tying the vines along the support structure as they grow.
What kind of watermelon is white inside?
They can, but according to Dave’s Garden, the White Wonder watermelon (Citrullus lanatus ‘White Wonder’) is a rare kind that’s also called an icebox fruit. It is smaller than regular watermelons, coming in at about 3 to 8 pounds.
What does unripe watermelon look like?
Look at the Belly
Watermelons have an underside, or belly—which is in contact with the ground throughout its growth—called a “field spot.” This spot on a ripe watermelon will be yellowish (sometimes referred to as “buttery”) and not white, which indicates an unripe melon.
How do you know when watermelon goes bad?
The easiest way to tell is to check the skin for any soggy spots and patches of greenish-blue, black, or white mold. Even if the exterior looks OK, there’s a chance that the fruit could have gone bad. If the flesh has noticeable dark spots or is covered in anything slimey, you should toss it.
Why is my watermelon pink and white?
An over-ripe melon will have paler pink flesh, more a shell pink than hot pink. The rind may be greener, and the outside will be more splotchy or discolored. If there are any dark blotches, consider the melon over-ripe and choose another one.
Why did my watermelon not turn red?
Hot weather (temperatures in the 90s) can also lead to fruit disorders. In general, watermelons tolerate high temperatures; however, some varieties are less tolerant of extended hot weather, leading to irregular ripening. Long season varieties often take longer to ripen, even when outwardly they appear to be mature.
Is it OK to eat light pink watermelon?
You can check the concentration of nitrates in a watermelon and avoid poisoning by placing a little piece of its pulp into clean water at room temperature. If the fruit is dangerous, the water will take on a bright pink color and you’re better off throwing the melon away.
What is the sweetest small watermelon?
Sugar Baby
The quintessential icebox melon. Sugar Baby produces round, 6-10 pound, dark green fruits that are super sweet, and super cute!
Why don’t my watermelons ripen?
If your watermelons are slow to ripen or are failing to fully ripen at all, it could be due to the wrong temperature levels, insufficient sunlight, soil nutrient imbalance, insect infestation, incorrect watering, or overcrowding.
How often should you fertilize watermelon plants?
Melons do best when treated with small amounts of fertilizer in two or three applications. During the growing season, liquid (soluble) fertilizers may be applied every 2 weeks and granular fertilizers about every 6 to 8 weeks. Since slow-release fertilizers work for months, one application is generally adequate.