Yes, they are ripe when they separate easily from the vine. They will ripen more off the vine but probably not taste much better.

I would probably want to taste them before I decided if I was going to grow them again :)

And if you grow them vertically, supporting the hanging cantelopes with a sling made of old stockings does wonders to hold them in place.

That's what cantaloupes are supposed to do when ripe. They look just fine and probably taste fine, too.

That's what mine looked like this year and they were great!

I make sure I can see no more green color through the netting.

The lopes that slip automatically when ripe are nice as it takes the guess work out of it. If they had been supported they probably would have stayed on a couple more days but still I am sure they are ripe but may still need to soften up a bit on your counter.

Most netted cantaloupes (muskmelons) slip from the vine when ripe. Flavor is better if water is restricted before ripening. Some cultivars develop a yellow, orange or creamy color under the netting when ripe, some remain green when ripe.

Personally, I prefer not to let typical muskmelons ripen further after slipping. Some netted melons DO NOT slip when ripe and are cut from the vine. And signs for determining ripeness of other melons (honeydews, etc.) vary by cultivar. I think it's nice when seed houses tell you how to determine when the cultivar you are considering is ripe.

p.s.: Melons may slip off the vine early if plants are over-watered while melons are ripening.

This post was edited by carolync1 on Wed, Sep 11, 13 at 20:29