Sorry not to be able to offer any help, but I quit growing them after 3 tries. I could never get a tasty one. They were either under-ripe and fairly tasteless or over-ripe and rotten.

Or maybe they just weren't tasty? Either way, I gave up on them.

Sakata Sweet is a typical Asian melon that turns from green to pale yellow when ripe. They often have green suture lines when at peak maturity. A ripe melon can be stored in the refrigerator for up to a month with little change in flavor. As noted above, they go from green to ripe to overripe in just a day or two.

DarJones

Sakata Sweet never is going to taste like a typical honeydew or other "western" type melon. Essentially, they're more like semi-sweet, semi-soft cucubmers. I grew those and also one called 'Silver Line' and, while they didn't impress me, my sister's co-worker who was originally from Taiwan thought they were perfect. Just a cultural thing, all in what you are used to.

By my recollection, they don't slip like a canteloupe, but they will definitely turn bright yellow when fully ripe.

Thanks!
Well I got impatient and picked one too early. I have another that's starting to change color a little so maybe it's almost ready.
Some of the descriptions I found on the web say it's "golden yellow" when ripe but the photos I've come across don't look golden yellow to me. They're more of a pale yellow like you said FusionPower. I don't know what you mean by "green suture lines". Are they solid colored and then develope the lines as they ripen?
Crud it's dark! I may need to go out and look at them with a flashlight. lol

Lol Christie, you have it bad. Flashlight indeed!

Sakata Sweet does not at all turn golden yellow. It is a pale yellowish green at maturity. While it does not have sutures like a cantaloupe, when it matures, you can sometimes see faint tracings in the skin that are greener than other areas. These markings are similar to the suture lines in cantaloupes.

One thing I found with asian melons is that they taste significantly better if picked ripe and kept in the refrigerator for about a week. I am not sure why this makes a difference, but once I figured it out, I started growing them every year.

DarJones

Try CHAM-WAY,(a Korean melon) next time.To get seeds, buy one from an Asian market and save the seeds.
It is very small(~~2lbs), oval shape ,grows green then turns yellow/orange when rip,
Its very sweet(crunchy, not soft), compares to good honey dew.Can be kept in frig for weeks. I have 5 Of them in there right now.

Just added Cham-Way to my wish list so I won't forget the name. I prefer melons that aren't mushy so I bet I would like that one.

I didn't go out with my flashlight. lol I looked up the days to maturity for Sakata's Sweet and I think I have plenty of time. It said 75 to 85 days. Going by that, I'll have to wait at least 12 more days. But the tendril dried up over a week ago and the first one that set on is starting to change color so I'm afraid it will be overripe by then. It's funny that such a small melon would take so long to mature.

FusionPower - I read somewhere else that the flavor improves after they've been refrigerated so you must be right. Also read that it tastes better with the peel on which is surprising.

I had good germination with my seeds but very few melons for some reason. Some vines don't have any on them at all. My other melons and watermelons did just fine this year.