How do you know if a pumpkin is ripe? How do you know when a watermelon is ripe? Harvesting according to ripening period.

Summer... It remains in the memory of the hot sun, warm nights, travel, gatherings by the fire, photos from vacation and the main dessert of this season - watermelon. Of course, everyone is eager to try this berry as soon as possible, but there is a chance that you will buy a watermelon that is not yet ripe. And this will be a real disappointment! Therefore, it is quite obvious why very often people standing in front of the counter have a question: how to understand that a watermelon is ripe?

What does a ripe watermelon sound like?

One of the most famous ways to select a ripe watermelon is to tap it. A dull sound will tell you that the fruit is ripe, and a ringing sound will mean that the berry is still “young” or there is a lot of water in it.

There is another way by which you can accurately determine the degree of ripeness of the fruit. You need to take it approximately in the middle, bring it to your ear and squeeze very hard. An unripe fruit will be “silent,” while the skin of a ripe berry will bend slightly and crackle quietly.

How to choose a ripe watermelon?

Very often, buying a striped berry becomes like buying a lottery ticket. So, you are standing in front of the counter, looking forward to cutting into the deliciously juicy and sweet fruit at home.

What will help you determine exactly which fruit is worth taking, and which one is better to refrain from buying:

It is necessary to check the integrity of the berry; it must be without cracks, “bruises”, small scratches, cut off pieces and, of course, rotten parts;
The fruit's rind should be shiny, not dull, and hard. It should not be easily pierced with a fingernail, and if it is rubbed, it should not smell like mown grass - in this case, the fruit is most likely unripe. The stripes on the crust of the fetus should be clear and contrasting;
A ripe fruit should have a spot on its side that has been “laid down” on the bed - a “cheek” - of a yellowish or sometimes even slightly orange tint;
It is also worth remembering the time when to buy a watermelon. These berries begin to tempt everyone from the shelves already in June-July, but it is better to wait for the watermelon season - August;
When buying this berry, you should follow the rule of the “golden mean”; you do not need to buy huge fruits; it is better to give preference to medium-sized berries;
And finally, one of the most well-known signs of ripeness is a dry tail. But it can dry out even during long transportation, so you must remember that all these signs should be taken into account only as a whole.

Where is the best place to buy these fruits?

It is highly not recommended to buy striped berries near roadways, because melons and melons very quickly absorb pollutants from the external environment. Therefore, it is better to buy juicy fruits in stores and tents that are specially equipped for this. In such tents, the fruits should be on special floorings located at least 15-20 cm above the ground.

This is necessary to prevent germs, dust and dirt from getting on the fruits. Also, tents should be equipped with awnings that protect the berries from the bright sun. Ideally, of course, it is better to buy watermelons in tents located near the fields where they were grown.

How to identify a watermelon that contains nitrates that are hazardous to health?

Sometimes watermelons turn out to be “overfed” with nitrogen fertilizers, which are contained in huge quantities in the pulp of these berries and become dangerous to human health.

There are several known ways in which you can determine at home from a cut of a watermelon whether it contains nitrates:

The veins in the pulp of the fruit are yellowish, not white;
A smooth cut of a berry may indicate the presence of nitrates; a cut of a watermelon free of chemical fertilizers should be uneven, with grains;
Too bright red color or sometimes even a purple tint of the pulp can also indicate the presence of nitrates.

If you still have doubts about the “purity” of the fruit, it is better to eat the pulp from the middle, not reaching the white border with the crust (more nitrates accumulate there).

When you bring the berry home, you must wash it with a brush (you can even use soap) so that there is no dust or dirt left on the crust. And the cut fruit should be stored for no more than a day in a cool, dark place (for example, in a cellar or in the refrigerator).

Thus, you should choose a watermelon not only by its external characteristics, but also by the time and place of its sale. Choosing a watermelon is a rather complex and, one might even say, labor-intensive process, but if you approach it responsibly and with a clear understanding of how to understand that a watermelon is ripe, your efforts will be rewarded with the delicious taste that this symbol of summer will give you.

Knowing how to determine the ripeness of your buds is one of the most important aspects of growing cannabis. What do we mean by maturity? This is a state at which you can begin to cut off the inflorescences (cones).

We don't think twice about determining the ripeness of the fruits we eat, but how can we tell when our cannabis is ripe?

Just like fruits, hemp buds have several stages of maturity. The degree of maturity is indicated by the transparency and color of the trichomes (glands that cover the surface of flowers and leaves), the color of the leaves and the color of the hairs on the buds themselves.

Let's start with your personal tastes. Just as not everyone likes bananas with brown spots on the skin and cloying semi-liquid flesh, although this is probably their peak ripeness, you may also like the buds that have not reached peak ripeness better. In hemp, the period when it is best to cut inflorescences is usually extended over two weeks. At the beginning of this period it is already possible to harvest, at the end it is simply necessary.

It is best to follow a simple rule: if a seed or clone seller says that a given variety will mature in, for example, 9 weeks, you need to add at least a week. The fact is that the last week is very important, since it is this week that ensures significant weight gain. Sometimes we are talking about an extra 20-30 percent. During this extra week, the trichome heads will increase in size and approximately 10% of them will turn amber. This can only be truly seen with the help of a microscope, which should be in every grower's arsenal. The appearance of an amber color in the trichomes indicates the beginning of an important stage in the maturation process. Immature trichomes are clear, then due to the abundance of THC they become cloudy, and finally amber appears.

If you are looking for maximum THC levels, cut your buds early in the ripeness period. If you want to get a bit of the “sofa” along with the “uplifting” effect, then you should wait for 15-20% of the trichomes to turn amber, since this will turn part of the THC into another cannabinoid - CBN, which enhances the hypnotic effect of cannabis.

It's worth experimenting with different stages of maturity and finding the one you like best. Cut off the bud for testing within the time specified by the seller, and the rest within the next two weeks. Don't forget to cure the buds in the most correct way - that is, in glass jars.

When growing any long-blooming sativa, you can get multiple harvests from the plant. Start at the top, where the buds ripen fastest, then wait for the buds on the next tier to fill and reach maturity, and then the ones at the bottom.

Autumn is a wonderful time of year: all the most delicious fruits ripen, the sweltering heat gives way to coolness, and nature turns into a colorful kaleidoscope. During this period, it is important not to miss the moment when a ripe melon in the garden becomes suitable for consumption. From this article you can learn how to determine that a juicy pumpkin with sweet pulp is ripe, when ripeness occurs in different regions, and how to properly harvest and store the crop.

It is impossible to accurately name the time when the fruits ripen, even within the same variety. The fact is that the speed of ripening is influenced by many factors: weather, amount of fertilizers, watering, quality and structural composition of the soil. Thus, when a melon ripens in the southern regions, in the Moscow region or in the Urals it has barely formed.

Speaking about proper care and compliance with all growing rules, we mean a standard set of products for caring for plants in the garden:

pinching and pinching;
timely watering;
moderate feeding;
proper loosening of row spacing;
tying up the main shoot;
protection from insects and diseases.

So, if these points are observed and planted no later than mid-June, most early ripening varieties produce a harvest already in mid-August. Mid-ripening and late-ripening varieties ripen by mid-September.

By growing melon in a greenhouse (which is ideal in the Urals and Siberia), you can significantly speed up the ripening of the crop and get the first fruits already at the end of July.

Methods for determining ripeness

How to determine whether a melon is ripe or not? Quite easy, just need a little attention. First of all, ripeness can be determined by smell. Smell the pumpkin. If you can smell a distinct sweet aroma, you can pick it. Depending on the variety, it can be honeyed, spicy or floral. If the smell is heavy, with notes of foulbrood, then the fruit is already overripe. But the lack of smell indicates that it is too early to pick the fruits.

Pay attention to the condition of the pumpkin peel; it is quite easy to determine its ripeness. Depending on the variety, the color of the peel varies from rich green to bright yellow, but this does not interfere with testing. The color should be even, although perhaps it will be a little lighter on the side facing the sun (in greenhouses in the Urals, this amendment does not really help determine). If you tie up melons in the garden, the fruits should be free of damage (cracks, dents, areas of rot).

Ripe pumpkin is easily separated from the stalk; it is soft on the flower side. Such fruits can and should be collected from the garden so that the melon does not become overripe.

Determining the ripeness of melon and choosing for storage

A good way to determine ripeness is to scrape the skin with your fingernail. If the pumpkin is ripe, the top layer can be easily removed; if dents remain, the melon is overripe. You can find out whether it’s time to harvest the plant by patting the pumpkin with an open palm. The duller the sound after the blow, the higher the ripeness of the fruit.

Storage

So, we have decided on the time frame in which melons can be collected in the Urals. Now you need to figure out how to preserve the fruits. It’s nice to taste still sweet and fresh pulp in the middle of winter! First of all, it’s worth understanding which pumpkins can be stored and which ones will only ruin all the preparations.

You should collect only those fruits that have no signs of rotting, cracks, or damage.

Keep in mind that early-ripening varieties are stored worse than late-ripening varieties. Therefore, it is better to collect melons in September and store them.

Make sure you have a dark, cool room with low humidity. It’s good if you can attach poles there on which you hang melons, or if there is enough space for drawers or shelves. Remember that when storing a large number of pumpkins, you should not allow them to come into contact with each other. To avoid the formation of rot, pumpkins are stored on cloth, sand or sawdust. It is also important to regularly check their condition and remove rotten ones so that they do not spoil the rest of the fruits. Avoid storing melons next to apples and potatoes, as they lose their smell.

Already cut melon is stored exclusively in the refrigerator for a maximum of 7 days. Usually it retains its taste and suitability for consumption for 2-3 days. If you freeze it, you can extend the period to several weeks, but still retain the taste. In any case, it is recommended to place the melon pieces in airtight containers so that the pulp does not pick up foreign odors.

Still, one of the most reliable ways to store a melon is to hang it. To do this, in a cool room with low air humidity, poles are fixed at a distance of 30-40 centimeters above each other. The fruits are cleaned of soil and dirt and dried well. Each pumpkin is placed in a net or in a well-breathable fabric bag, and then hung on poles. The better the ventilation in the room and the lower the humidity, the longer you can keep melons fresh. However, with this storage method, you should check every fruit every 2-3 weeks and those that show signs of rotting, take them away and either eat them (after removing the spoiled area) or throw them away.

Pumpkin is one of those crops that remain in garden beds until the very end. Later, only the beets are harvested. However, you should not delay harvesting the pumpkin. Despite the fact that its seedlings have good frost resistance, the fruits themselves are quite vulnerable to frost. If you keep a pumpkin in the garden until frost, after freezing it becomes unsuitable for storage. Therefore, it is important for gardeners not to miss pumpkin harvesting time.

How can you tell if a pumpkin is ripe? The general ripening time depending on the pumpkin variety, as well as external signs, will help you navigate this issue.

Classification of pumpkin varieties and their ripening periods

There are many varieties of pumpkin. According to their ripening time, they are:

early ripening (Vesnushka, Almond 35, Gymnosperm);
mid-season (Rossiyanka, Kroshka, Smile);
late ripening (Muscatnaya, Vitaminnaya, Zhemchuzhina).

They are harvested in August, since they have the shortest ripening period - 3.5 months. This culture must be used within a month; it can no longer be stored.

A little later (in the first ten days of September), mid-season varieties are harvested, which ripen within 4 months and are also used mainly for consumption in the next two months.

Late-ripening varieties with thick skins are used for winter storage. They begin to be removed from the garden at the end of September. The peculiarity of these varieties is that the pumpkin reaches full ripening during storage (on average 30-60 days after harvest).

Depending on the climate of the region where the pumpkin is grown, some shift in harvest dates is allowed. For example, in the southern regions, where the first frosts come later, crops can stay in the beds longer.

There is one general rule when harvesting, regardless of the region: the pumpkin should be stored before the onset of frost.

How to determine the ripeness of a pumpkin?

You can determine that the pumpkin is already ripe and it’s time to start harvesting it by the following signs:

The pumpkin stalk has become dry and hard.
The leaves and wattles have turned yellow and have partially (or completely) dried out.
The color of the pumpkin became more vibrant and the pattern became clearer.
The peel has a rigid structure that does not leave a mark after pressing with a fingernail.
The pumpkin rings when tapped.

During harvesting, care should be taken not to damage the integrity of the pumpkin skin, and also to prevent it from falling. From impacts, the pumpkin will begin to rot from the inside during storage.

The removed pumpkin is stored in a dry and cool place (in the basement).