Using a food thermometer. Checking the temperature of your cooked meat, poultry, and seafood with a food thermometer is the only reliable way to make sure your food has reached a safe internal cooking temperature.
Planting Watermelons. The ideal date to plant watermelons varies according to the climate of the region. To produce the sugar necessary for sweet fruit, the melons need hot weather. Seedlings should not be transplanted until three to four weeks after the last average frost date in the spring. Starting seed indoors about six weeks before planting gives you a head start when the soil is warm enough.
The right pH level ensures baby watermelons grow up to be juicy giants. A large, sunny spot in a compost-enriched garden that enjoys 65 to 90 days of warm weather is all you'll need to grow your own juicy watermelon -- almost. The fruits also require slightly acidic soil.