Watermelon Cracked....

I have watermelon vines in my garden, and yesterday one of the 7 melons I have cracked. It looks healthy in every other way, but it just split open with a bout a 5 inch crack as if it just couldn't contain what was inside. My mother swears she didn't touch it (I thought maybe she dropped something on it or something). I took it inside and opened it up the rest of the way, and it looks healthy - not fully ripe but it was getting there. Does anyone know what could cause this? I just don't want my other 6 to fall victim to the same fate :-)

Did ya'll get any of the rain we got? Like sudden deluges?

We got rain last week Friday/Saturday, but nothing like you guys got!! (dang, I saw it on the weather channel!!) I'd say it rained an hour then stopped and rained again 12 hours later for an hour or so - that's pretty much it. I was thinking it could possibly have something to do with watering, but I use black plastic mulch, and I thought everthing stayed pretty much even (could be wrong).

There are several cultivars that are notorius for cracking in the patch. Don't know what you are growing, but usually it is a function of the cultivar. Changes in water available exascerbates the problem. But there are cultivars that don't ever crack and others that split if you look at them crosseyed. Grew Tastigolds once, lost half of them to splitting in the patch.

It can get quite dry under plastic mulch after a while unless watering of some kind is done. Then if it was dry and the melons got a real good drink, they might burst open. Again as Farmer said, variety can make a big difference. Splitting is one problem I have not really had on watermelons. I tend to water them some.

They are supposed to be Charleston Gray (according to the pot from Bonnie's); however, they are looking nothing like all the pics of Charleston Gray watermelon's I've seen. They look more like Crimson Sweet. I never thought about the plastic being hot, and it has been very hot here. I will start shading them & put them up on some mulch to get them away from the plastic.

Thanks for the help everyone!

Never had either a Charleston Grey or a Crimson Sweet crack. Had a Crimson Sweet explode once. Got behind in the harvest, overripe melon in full sun at triple digit temps. Waited till I was picking one hill away. Yes I jumped.

Hahaha!! OMG - did it make a big noise? No chance of me ever getting behind in harvesting in my small 35x40 ft plot. I only have 7 melons and they were all spoken for even by family/friends. I usually eat the cherry tomatoes before I can get them in the house. I do get behind in weeding though (I work two jobs and had my daughter's boyfriend rig me a light on the side of my garden shed so I can work in the garden after dark when I have the energy).

That is hilarious an exploding melon....

"I usually eat the cherry tomatoes before I can get them in the house."

My cherries are usually so prolific there are way too many for me and my dog to eat like that, but the cukes never make it to the kitchen! Them small ones are soooooo tender!!!!

I grow my Cherry Tomatoes against the chain link fence of my back yard (outside), and the branches are falling over into the yard. My lab picks them off, chews them up, and spits them out. What a waste.

they crack because the soil's low on copper and phosphate. (according to the real soil experts)
copper helps the shell be flexible and expand, and phosphate has to be higher to make the copper availible to the plant.
and the varietys that crack worse are less able to pick up the little copper that's there.

Thank you for that information reubenT - good to know.