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.
Purchase seed flats or pots to start garden seeds indoors. Fill each pot with sterile potting soil to a level slightly below the rim. Press a few seeds into each pot according to package directions for depth of planting. Water your seeds after planting them. Place seed pots or seed flats in a warm, sunny location. Keep soil slightly moist while seedlings develop indoors. Help your plants acclimate before transplanting by setting them outside for a few hours every day for a period of seven to 10 days before placing in garden soil.