First Harvest of Melons

Recently harvested a water melon and a musk melon. Both of them were not perfectly ripened. The maturity could be accurately known from the duration since pollination. But it is not practical for an amateur farmer like me. Trying to know how ripe they were from various signs like percussion, decayed tendril or softened back surface etc, I have harvested them. This is the result. Not a complete success but not a total failure. They were fresh even though they could be a bit sweeter. 

Another thing I have learned about growing these cucurbits this year, even only with compost for fertilizer, they could vine up like crazy and won't bear so many fruits. Pumpkin vines are crawling all over in the garden at present. Maybe, too much compost have been given to them. I would fertilize less next year. 

I also recently read the cost of the fertilizer chemical is rising and it could burden to the famers. Organic fertilizers like compost are reevaluated as for their value in farming. Green manure or grass mulching is also reappraised at present in the world agriculture. It is ecologically a good maneuver and may contribute much to counter  global warming.  My farming is of too little in size. But I would go on using compost, grass mulching and possibly green manure from now on. It gives me a practical advantage but also much fun in farming.