About two weeks before the fruit is ready to harvest, you'll reduce the amount of water to just the bare minimum needed to prevent the plant from dying
There are a few signs you can check for to know when your watermelons are ripe and entering that final growing phase.
As the watermelon matures, the tendrils closest to the fruit stem start to turn brown and dry while the leaves closest to the fruit will begin to yellow.
On the fruit itself, the surface will start to feel rough and the vibrant green color will start to dull to a pale green or yellow.
When you start to see those early signs of ripeness, you can gradually scale back your watering.
Throughout the growing season, take some time before each watering to look closely at your watermelon garden.
That way, you'll notice these changes as soon as they start and can cut back on watering at the right time
In this final growing phase, let the soil dry out between watering.