When to harvest? / Watermelon seedlings

So I am glad I hung in there with my SFG -- (wouldn't have done it without the encouragement from you all. So now I have some cucumber babies that seem to take off overnight with our hot days and storms and my intermittent watering.
So I wanted to know when should I harvest the two large ones I have that look like this:

The seed packet didn't give a DTM time so I looked it up online and it said 57 days. I am trying to get an understanding of when to pick.

Also, for those that are growing watermelons,if someone could tell me how many of these I should snip out: I know I shouldn't pull it because it would disturb the roots.

Thanks

I'm happy for you with your cucumbers. I'll let others address when to pick them. I don't know what type they are and what they should look like at maturity. As far as the watermelons, what size is their box? Are you going to trellis or let them fall over the edges and ramble around on the ground?

I tend to pick pickling cucumbers on the small side just because they seem to get too big the next time I go check them...I think they turn a bit yellow and fat once they get aged and past the point of tasting good. 

With slicing cucumbers, I tend to let them get as big as the package says they should....for example, Chelsea Prize 12-15", Straight Eight 8", Marketmore 8-9".

I'm sorry I should have added the needed info -- They are "Boston Pickling" cucumbers started 5/3. I wasn't sure when to pick them because I was hoping they would get a little greener. Do I need to fertilize more?

Also, I want to trellis the watermelons. - They are the smaller kind, "Sugar Baby" and are planted in a 2x2x12 box. Do I need to keep mounding them as they grow?

I am also growing sugar baby watermelons.  No, as far as I know you do not need to keep hilling them.

Here is my watermelon trellis.  The legs are 8 foot T posts. .  I also installed a 3/4 inch by 3/4 inch board on the very top and one on the bottom about 6 inches above the ground.  I attached nylon netting to the top and bottom boards and to the T posts with zip ties.  The top and bottom boards give the trellis stability and also allow you to attach a makeshift sling to hold the watermelon if you think you need it.  There are about 5 good size fruits and about 5 the size of baseballs on the trellis now.

Very nice Yolos!! Was that expensive to make? I am gardening on a limited budget. It sounds like from what you wrote that it holds the weight well?
It also looks like you have more than one plant. So should I snip two out of my 2x2 and trellis the other two?

Babygr33nthumb wrote:Very nice Yolos!! Was that expensive to make? I am gardening on a limited budget. It sounds like from what you wrote that it holds the weight well?
It also looks like you have more than one plant. So should I snip two out of my 2x2 and trellis the other two?

In the following picture, my watermelons are at the bottom of the picture followed by a row of cantaloupes and then pumpkins.  That is a 4 foot wide bed.  I have three groups of watermelons with 1 foot between each group.  Each group contains two plants.  I was going to wait until they got established to determine the most vigorous plant and thin down to one plant per group.  But, I can never make myself do any thinning so I just let them all grow.



The trellis is made from 7 or 8 foot T posts.  You can check on line at Lowes or Home Depot or Tractor supply to find the cost of each.  The nylon net runs anywhere from 4 to 6 dollars depending on where you buy it.  The top and bottom of the trellis is approx. a 1 x 1 or 3/4 x 3/4 piece of wood four feet long.  I got the wood free from work so I don't know what they cost.  Some people just use twine or wire across the top and bottom but I use wood cause it is free and makes the trellis sturdier and you can tie slings from the top if needed.  Then I used zip ties to attach the netting to the sides, top and bottom.  But you could use wire or twine to secure the netting.  Or you can look at Camprn's thread "Trellis" and make your own netting.

Does anyone else use this guide for when a watermelon is ready to harvest?

TreeHugger: "Examine the vine: The leaves and vine itself should still be green and healthy-looking, but on a ripe watermelon, the tendril closest to the fruit will tend to be brown and dried. If the tendril is still green, the watermelon is probably still ripening. If the whole vine and leaves are getting brown, the watermelons probably won't get any riper, and it might be best to harvest them before they go bad."

Look also at the bottom of the melon.  If there's a lighter YELLOW spot, it's ready for harvest.  White means it's still developing.

sanderson wrote:Does anyone else use this guide for when a watermelon is ready to harvest?

TreeHugger: "Examine the vine: The leaves and vine itself should still be green and healthy-looking, but on a ripe watermelon, the tendril closest to the fruit will tend to be brown and dried. If the tendril is still green, the watermelon is probably still ripening. If the whole vine and leaves are getting brown, the watermelons probably won't get any riper, and it might be best to harvest them before they go bad."

Yes the tendril closest to the fruit method is what I use mostly but I always have trouble and actually stopped growing them.

I use the tendril cue as well, and also check color and overall plant health matters as well.

I use the tendril method as well.  I have the mini melons and grow them on trellises, so I don’t think there is any yellow spot

Toledo, What variety do you grow on the trellis? I can't get a Sugar Baby plant to grow big enough to vine up. Third try this year so I'm sure it will be a charm.