Honeydew melons usually have green or white flesh, although some newer varieties may have orange or pink flesh. About 30 to 35 days are required from fruit pollination to harvest for most cantaloupe varieties. [7] If you smell a strange odor that smells off, discard the melon. The honeydew melon is another group of melons. Melons that are picked green will not ripen after being harvested, so it is important to wait until they become ripe and yellow with a few brown spots before harvesting them. Avoid melons that have green spots or veins running across the outer skin.Don't pick honeydew melons before they turn yellow or they will never ripen.Choose melons with small brown freckles on the outer skin for extra sweetness. The blossom end will give slightly when pressed, and the fruit will readily separate from the stem. 1. Round, sunken, yellow spots appear on melons, darkening to brown and then black. Most honeydew varieties take a little longer. Harvest your melons. Muskmelons will last a couple weeks at 40 F; honeydew and casaba can be stored up to three weeks at 50 F. Relative humidity should be about 90 percent for best results. The best indicator of ripeness is a slight softening of the blossom end of the fruit. Spray with water again to make sure some reaches the seeds. Poke a small hole about inch deep. Please note that this greatly depends on many different factors like the overall climatic conditions, the soil conditions and also your skill level. The increment comes in when the melons start to bear fruit. Separate the melons based on how sweet they smell and choose the one that smells ready to eat. Transplants should have 2-3 mature leaves and a well-developed root system. Storage time for melon depends on the type. The riper the melon, the stronger its sweet fragrance. Harvest watermelons when the underside or belly of the melon turns from a greenish white to buttery yellow or cream. Tasting one when you think its at peak ripeness is how Lightly cover the seeds with soil mix. Your melons will be ripe and ready to eat by late summer or early fall. In Japan, melons are grown twice a year. Honeydew is a type of melon that is grown in the summer months. How can you tell when to harvest honeydew melons? It is not ripe if the melon is beige with green streaks or brilliant yellow. Is ready for harvesting in about 100 to 120 days. Honey Orange produces 3-pound fruits with orange flesh and is a good choice for northern gardens as its ready to harvest in about 75 days. 2. Melons take in large amounts of water, requiring a gallon to 1 gallon of water twice a week. Honeydews are ripe when they turn from green to yellow or white. Allow 6 weeks to grow transplants. Dont twist or pull it, as this can damage the vine. Harvest. For optimum sweetness, harvest honeydews before they are overripe. To prevent damaging your fruit, cut the honeydew from the vine with a pair of sharp scissors. Vine tendrils closest to the melon may turn brown and start to dry up as it nears ripeness. Smell the honeydew melons for a sweet scent. Honey Blonde produces 3-pound fruits with orange flesh and is a good selection for northern gardens as its ready for harvest in about The ultimate test of a melons ripeness comes when you cut one open and eat it. Plant late and early varieties at the same time to provide a succession harvest of melons over a month-long period. Green melons will rot in your home if you do not harvest them when ready; the easiest way to tell if a watermelon is ripe is to thump it and listen for a dull sound, which means the watermelon is ripe. Harvest net-skinned cantaloupe when the rind netting changes from gray-green to creamy and the background turns golden. The best time to harvest honeydew melons is when the skin is thin, and the fruit gives slightly when squeezed. To prevent this, try rotating crops, amending soil with compost before Youll know your melons are ready for harvest when you can smell the melon through the skin. Watermelons and honeydew melons both mature in about 80-100 days of warm weather to mature properly, with smaller personal varieties being on the shorter end of that spectrum. There are compact varieties that produce tasty and prolific fruits. Honeydew tastes a lot like cantaloupes, but it is much sweeter and doesnt have the musky aftertaste that cantaloupes do. Honeydew has a lighter flavor, the texture differs depending on how ripe the fruit is. A ripe honeydew will have a rough texture on the outside but will be soft and juicy on the inside. An unripe honeydew will be very hard and slick. Many people do refer to the taste of honeydew as bland, this is because they are eating unripe or overripe fruit. When purchasing honeydew Akin to its popular relative the cantaloupe, honeydew melons are members of the cucurbit or gourd family along with cucumbers and squash. One of the surer signs of when to harvest melons is to examine the stems, which usually show signs of cracking. Transplants mature about 2 weeks before seeded melons. Once theyve been picked from the vine, melons will get softer, but not sweeter. In addition, the fruit tends to lose its glossy appearance on top and becomes dull when ripe. Plant melon seeds directly in the garden 2 weeks after the last frost date. It take about 90 days for the melon to be ready for picking. It typically takes about two to three months for honeydew to mature and be ready for harvest. If its a golden hue with some brown speckles, its ripe. The fruit will Drop a honeydew seed into each hole. Melons and Ripening. Honeydews and other winter melons can be grown from seed or transplants. Harvesting Honeydew You will know that your honeydew fruits are ready to be harvested when the skin becomes a creamy yellow color. If using a 3 to 4 nursery pot, you can poke 2 or 3 holes. The crisper drawer in a refrigerator is a great place to store these melons once they are ripe. The next several years were spent gaining insight on the complex and lengthy breeding process for different melon varieties. As the fruit ripens, reduce too much water can dilute the sweetness of the melon. Harvest smooth-skinned muskmelonswhich include honeydew, Crenshaw, and casabawhen they turn cream-colored. If you harvest it now, youll have to let it mature in your house until it becomes golden. Answer: Unlike muskmelons, the fruit of honeydews do not slip off the vine when mature. To grow your honeydew melons from seed to harvest, it will usually take you between 100 and 130 days. A few melons continue to ripen after they're picked, but If left on the vine too long, the skin will thicken, and the flavor will worsen. The blossom end of the fruit will be somewhat soft, too. A honeydew melon will turn a light yellow-white color when its ripe. Initially, Matsui said his knowledge of breeding better melons was lacking, and amounted to little more than growing and harvesting melons before cutting them up and tasting them. The sweet fragrance of the fruit is another telltale sign your melons are ready for harvesting. Cantaloupes typically mature in about 75-85 days. Planting. Repeat this for however many honeydew plants you would like to grow. This color change is especially pronounced on the dark green-skinned cultivars. Take a whiff of the melon. Start transplants 2 to 4 weeks before setting out, which can be done 4 weeks after the last frost. When to Harvest Melons. Honeydew Green produces 5-pound melons with green flesh and is an heirloom. All types of melons should be stored at 95% relative humidity. Cantaloupe should be stored at 40 degrees fahrenheit, and honeydew can be stored in slightly warmer conditions, between 45-50 degrees fahrenheit. Honeydew Shelf Life: How Long Do Honeydew Melons Last?Shelf Life of Honeydew MelonsShelf Life of Honeydew: Honeydew is food that never gets spoiled. Purchasing Honeydew: Mature melons look well-shaped in their appearance. Storing Honeydew: You can store ripe honeydew in the refrigerator for up to six days. Handling Honeydew: It is recommended to everyone never to choose honeydew melons that are damaged. More items If you live in an area with a long growing season, you may be able to find honeydews in stores year-round. What Is Honeydew Melon? Honeydew, a creamy, yellowish and oval-shaped fruit, is a member of the Cucurbitaceae family, which includes other vine-growing foods like cucumbers, squash, pumpkin and watermelon, and its scientific name is Cucumis melo. Here are some facts about honeydew melon: It can be described as sweet, luscious and juicy. Seed should be planted 1-1 inches deep. Take a look at the honeydew melons hue. There may also be Honeydews are typically harvested from July to September. If its fully ripe, it should smell delicious.