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18 Dec 10, stu (Australia - sub-tropical climate)

my father grew a variety of watermelon that was yellow fleshed when ripe he called them "champagne" mellons.

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18 Mar 10, Jess (Australia - temperate climate)

Hi, we planted our watermelons around october and we are now harvesting large and small fruit. we are first time growers and were told we wouldn't grow any. the largest and first to be picked, we left on the vine as i was told to pick them when the short vine attached to them dies, but the fruit caved in and rotted before that happened. since then we have picked another and sat it aside for a week and it's nice, red and very tasty! it was only finding this site and others alike that we know what to do and will experiment with the many many others that are nearly ready. also, how will we know when pumpkins are ready to harvest? are they similar?

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01 Jun 10, Andrea (Australia - tropical climate)

Watermelons are ready to be picked when there the patch on which they were sitting on the ground is white. I learnt this in a very very embarrassing way. I had a job picking melons a farm in Israel. There was an enormous melon lying temptingly in the field and we were all watching it and waiting for it to ripen. One day I knocked on it and heard this hollow sound and declared it was ready to pick. The boss went along with me (but knowing better). He let me open the melon. It was not ripe. It was white inside. Sweetish but simply not ripe. I learnt my lesson.

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17 Sep 10, Suzette (Australia - sub-tropical climate)

Can you please advice how much watering each of the following veges/herbs need: Pumpkins Watermelons Rockmelons Basil Parsley Thank you

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17 Oct 10, Geoff (Australia - temperate climate)

Knowing when to pick watermelons can be heartbreaking. The hollow sound when tapped can vary with different fruit, as does the colour where they touch the ground. I have found the best way to tell is when the small curly tenderal CLOSEST to the fruit stalk has died off. This method has saved a lot of mellons being picked too early in my garden. Give it a go, you will be very happy

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27 Oct 10, Davis (Australia - tropical climate)

How well do watermelons grow in the Australian tropics in the wet season?

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21 May 11, wayne (Australia - tropical climate)

growing watermelons in the tropics can be very tricky..with a huge wet season like we have just had,i had about an acre of melons and most either rotted,were tastless or didnt develop properly before rotting..to top it off,the flat flooded and washed the rest away.

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27 Jan 11, robyn (Australia - temperate climate)

i have 3 vines which have lots of flowers and fruit are growing quickley.i would like to know if the vines should be pruned so all energy goes into already established fruit or just leave the plant alone t grow long runners.

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30 Jan 11, Adam (Australia - sub-tropical climate)

Robyn your best to avoid pruning the vines as the leaves are a very important part of producing your fruit, what your best off doing is if you have enough melons and want to prevent anymore forming just remove the new ones that are developing and let the vines keep growing and all the energy will go into the existing fruit.

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06 Feb 11, Veronika (Australia - temperate climate)

My question is if can be the watermelon plants overwatered? I've got the first fruit beautifully grown for almost the finished size, but the others are seem like going to die before grow to big. I was told that it needs plenty of water. Do I give it too much?

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