Why are my watermelons not getting any bigger and the green rind is fading away to a pale white color?

Question

I planted them in April by seed so it should be ready to harvest…but even though I have new melons forming the first 7 that started to grow have stopped growing for a few weeks and they are turning white…the vine that they are on I noticed most the leaves dead this morning….and one melon cracked open. I actually picked one and opened it, I want to say it was 7-8 lbs and it tasted fine and sweet, and very juicy but seemed it should have been much bigger…could they just be over ripe and they have gotten full grown and are ready… could it be somehow I planted mini personal watermelons and didn’t know..because I really didn’t see what kind they were? Should I just go ahead and harvest them now?…I think I should, being we are about to have a huge amount of rain here in southern Louisiana and a possible hurricane………need some advice, please anyone…thanks.

Answer 1

You probably need to examine the leaves on your plants to see if they're being affected by a fungus or mildew.https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/fruits/watermelon/watermelon-disease-control.htm

Here's another article that discusses watermelons that split: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/fruits/watermelon/watermelon-splitting.htm

There's no way to tell from here what varieties you've planted, but if you're finding ripened melons, regardless of their size, it would probably be best to go ahead and harvest them before they become over-ripe.