Why Did My Baby Watermelon Turn Black? Understanding and Preventing This Common Garden Heartbreak

Oh, the joys and occasional heartaches of the home garden! There’s nothing quite like the anticipation of a homegrown watermelon, is there? You nurture those tiny seedlings, watch the vines spread, and then, finally, a precious baby watermelon begins to form. It’s round, vibrant green, and full of promise. But then, one morning, you step out, and your heart sinks. That beautiful, burgeoning melon, once so full of life, has turned a dark, ominous black. You stare, utterly bewildered, asking yourself, “Why did my baby watermelon turn black?”

I know that feeling all too well. Just last summer, I had a promising Sugar Baby melon, about the size of a tennis ball, looking absolutely perfect. I was already dreaming of its sweet, juicy flesh. Then, overnight it seemed, a dark, spreading lesion appeared, quickly consuming the little fruit, turning it into a shriveled, blackened mess. It was a real bummer, a testament to how quickly things can go south in the garden. This common problem, where baby watermelons inexplicably turn black, usually signals a serious underlying issue, often a combination of fungal diseases, pest infestations, or severe environmental stress, which leads to the fruit’s premature demise and decay.

Don’t despair, though! While it’s disheartening, understanding the “whys” behind this phenomenon is the first step toward preventing it in the future. We’re going to dive deep into the culprits and arm you with the knowledge to keep your future melon harvests healthy and thriving.

The Immediate Culprits: Unpacking the Mystery of Blackened Melons

When a baby watermelon turns black, it’s essentially a sign of necrosis – the death of plant tissue. This can be triggered by a range of factors, but they generally fall into a few key categories. Let’s break down the primary reasons you might be seeing this unwelcome discoloration.

Fungal Foes: The Most Common Offenders

Fungal diseases are arguably the most frequent cause of premature fruit blackening in watermelons. These microscopic invaders thrive in certain conditions and can quickly decimate a crop. Identifying which fungus is at play can be tricky, but understanding their general characteristics helps a lot.

Anthracnose (Colletotrichum orbiculare)

This is a big one for cucurbits, including watermelons. Anthracnose can attack all parts of the plant, but on fruits, especially young ones, it can be devastating. You’ll often see small, water-soaked spots that grow rapidly, turning dark brown to black and becoming sunken. These lesions can merge, encompassing the entire fruit. In humid conditions, pinkish spore masses might even be visible within the lesions. My experience with that Sugar Baby melon? I’m pretty sure anthracnose was the culprit, given the speed and nature of the blackening.

• Symptoms on Fruit: Small, circular, water-soaked spots that enlarge, turn dark brown to black, and become sunken. Often, the entire fruit can be consumed by these lesions.
• Conditions Favoring It: Warm, humid weather with frequent rain or overhead irrigation.
• Prevention & Management:
  • Plant disease-resistant varieties if available.
  • Ensure good air circulation around plants.
  • Avoid overhead watering; use drip irrigation.
  • Sanitize your garden: remove and destroy infected plant material.
  • Rotate crops every 2-3 years to non-cucurbit crops.
  • Fungicides can be used preventatively in areas with a history of the disease, following label instructions carefully.

Gummy Stem Blight (Didymella bryoniae)

Another major player in the world of watermelon woes, gummy stem blight, also known as black rot, is particularly nasty. While it gets its name from stem cankers that often exude a gummy substance, it’s just as destructive to fruits. On young watermelons, it manifests as water-soaked spots that quickly turn black, often starting at the blossom end, leading to a complete rot. The fruit can look like it’s been scorched.

• Symptoms on Fruit: Dark, water-soaked lesions that expand rapidly, turning black and leading to soft rot. Can start at the blossom end.
• Conditions Favoring It: Warm, wet, and humid conditions, especially with prolonged leaf wetness.
• Prevention & Management:
  • Use disease-free seeds or treat seeds.
  • Practice strict crop rotation (at least 3 years).
  • Remove and destroy all infected plant debris.
  • Improve air circulation by proper plant spacing.
  • Utilize drip irrigation to keep foliage dry.
  • Fungicide applications, especially for commercial growers or in high-risk areas.

Fusarium Wilt (Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. niveum)

While Fusarium wilt is primarily known for causing wilting and death of the entire plant, it can also manifest on fruits, especially if the infection is systemic and severe. Infected fruits might fail to develop properly, becoming stunted, misshapen, and eventually turning black as the plant struggles to support them. The blackening here is often a secondary symptom of the overall plant’s decline.

• Symptoms on Fruit: Stunted, misshapen fruit development, followed by discoloration and blackening as the plant collapses.
• Conditions Favoring It: Warm soil temperatures, poor drainage, and soil that has previously grown susceptible crops.
• Prevention & Management:
  • Plant resistant varieties – this is key for Fusarium.
  • Avoid planting watermelons in the same spot more than once every 5-7 years.
  • Ensure good soil drainage.
  • Sanitize tools and equipment to prevent spread.

Pesty Predicaments: When Bugs Bring Bad News

It’s not always fungi calling the shots. Sometimes, the initial damage that leads to blackening is caused by insect pests. These critters can directly damage the fruit, or, worse, act as vectors for diseases, delivering pathogens directly to your unsuspecting watermelons.

Squash Bugs (Anasa tristis)

These notorious pests aren’t just for squash! They love all cucurbits. Squash bugs feed by sucking sap from the plant and fruit. On young watermelons, their feeding can create small, yellowish spots that eventually turn dark and sunken. Severe feeding can lead to stunted growth, discoloration, and ultimately, a black, shriveled fruit. They’re like tiny vampires, slowly draining the life out of your plants.

• Symptoms on Fruit: Initial yellow spots that darken and become sunken as tissue dies.
• Damage Mechanism: Sucking sap and potentially transmitting diseases.
• Prevention & Management:
  • Inspect plants regularly, especially the undersides of leaves, for eggs and nymphs.
  • Hand-pick adults and drop them into soapy water.
  • Use row covers early in the season to prevent adults from laying eggs.
  • Clean up garden debris in the fall where they can overwinter.
  • Neem oil or insecticidal soaps can be effective on nymphs.

Cucumber Beetles (Acalymma vittatum and Diabrotica undecimpunctata howardi)

Cucumber beetles are a double whammy: they chew on foliage, flowers, and fruit, and they are notorious vectors for bacterial wilt, a disease that can quickly kill watermelon plants. While the bacterial wilt itself usually causes wilting, the direct feeding damage on young fruits can create wounds that become entry points for secondary fungal infections, leading to blackening and rot.

• Symptoms on Fruit: Chewing damage, scars, and open wounds that can lead to secondary infections.
• Damage Mechanism: Direct feeding and disease transmission (bacterial wilt).
• Prevention & Management:
  • Use floating row covers to exclude beetles.
  • Practice crop rotation.
  • Plant resistant varieties if available.
  • Introduce beneficial insects like parasitic wasps.
  • Apply organic insecticides like pyrethrins or neem oil if infestations are severe.

Aphids & Sooty Mold

While aphids don’t directly cause blackening of the fruit, their presence can lead to an indirect blackening. Aphids excrete a sticky substance called honeydew. This honeydew then becomes a breeding ground for a black fungus known as sooty mold. Sooty mold doesn’t directly harm the plant or fruit by feeding on it, but it covers the surface, blocking sunlight and impeding photosynthesis. On a baby watermelon, a heavy layer of sooty mold can make it appear entirely black, though the fruit underneath might still be sound. However, the reduced light and overall stress can weaken the fruit, making it more susceptible to other issues.

• Symptoms on Fruit: A black, powdery, non-damaging film on the fruit surface.
• Damage Mechanism: Indirect, via honeydew excretion and subsequent sooty mold growth.
• Prevention & Management:
  • Control aphid populations with insecticidal soap, neem oil, or strong blasts of water.
  • Encourage natural predators like ladybugs and lacewings.
  • Ensure proper plant vigor to resist infestations.

Environmental Extremes: Nature’s Tough Love

Sometimes, the garden just throws a curveball, and the environment itself becomes the enemy. Watermelons are particular about their growing conditions, and when those conditions go awry, the plants – and their fruits – show it.

Inconsistent Watering and Water Stress

Watermelons are thirsty plants, especially when fruiting. Both overwatering and underwatering, or wildly inconsistent watering, can stress the plant and the developing fruit.

Underwatering: Prolonged drought causes the plant to shut down, sacrificing fruits to conserve resources. Small fruits may shrivel and blacken as they abort.

Overwatering/Poor Drainage: Saturated soil suffocates roots, leading to root rot and an inability for the plant to take up nutrients and water effectively. This stress can also cause fruits to fail and blacken, often accompanied by mushy decay. I once had a patch near a leaky sprinkler head that taught me this lesson the hard way; those melons just couldn’t handle the constant wet feet.

• Symptoms on Fruit: Shriveled, stunted, or mushy blackening, often accompanied by overall plant decline.
• Damage Mechanism: Cellular damage, resource allocation issues, and root problems.
• Prevention & Management:
  • Provide consistent, deep watering, especially during dry spells and fruit development.
  • Aim for 1-2 inches of water per week, adjusting for rainfall.
  • Use mulch to retain soil moisture and regulate temperature.
  • Ensure good soil drainage to prevent waterlogging.

Temperature Extremes and Sunscald

Watermelons love warmth, but too much or too little can be detrimental.

Cold Snaps: If an unexpected cold snap hits when fruits are young, the delicate tissues can be damaged, leading to chilling injury and subsequent blackening as the cells die.

Extreme Heat/Sunscald: While watermelons thrive in sun, very intense, direct sunlight, especially on exposed young fruits, can cause sunscald. This appears as bleached or yellowed spots that eventually become sunken, papery, and often turn black due to cellular damage and secondary fungal infections. Imagine leaving a tender young thing out in the scorching sun with no protection – it’s just too much.

• Symptoms on Fruit: Discolored, shriveled, or blackened spots/areas, often on the exposed side of the fruit.
• Damage Mechanism: Cellular death from temperature shock or direct UV radiation.
• Prevention & Management:
  • Plant watermelons after all danger of frost has passed and soil temperatures are consistently warm (above 65°F).
  • Provide adequate foliage cover; avoid pruning too aggressively.
  • If necessary, use shade cloth during extreme heat waves to protect developing fruits.

Nutrient Imbalances: The Unseen Struggle

Your soil is the pantry for your plants. If it’s missing key ingredients or has too much of something, your watermelons will suffer, and sometimes, this manifests as fruit blackening.

Blossom End Rot (BER) – A Calcium Conundrum

While often associated with tomatoes, blossom end rot can absolutely affect watermelons, and its symptoms often involve blackening at the blossom end. BER isn’t a disease; it’s a physiological disorder caused by a lack of available calcium in the developing fruit, usually due to inconsistent watering or rapid growth rather than a true calcium deficiency in the soil itself. The cells at the blossom end can’t develop properly and break down, turning brown, then black, and becoming sunken and leathery.

• Symptoms on Fruit: A dark, water-soaked spot at the blossom (bottom) end of the fruit that enlarges, becomes sunken, and turns black and leathery.
• Damage Mechanism: Insufficient calcium transport to the fruit’s rapidly growing cells.
• Prevention & Management:
  • Ensure consistent soil moisture; avoid drastic fluctuations between wet and dry.
  • Use mulch to help regulate soil moisture and temperature.
  • Avoid excessive nitrogen fertilizer, which promotes leafy growth at the expense of fruit and can exacerbate BER.
  • A soil test can confirm actual calcium deficiency, but often it’s a water uptake issue.

Other Nutrient Deficiencies

While less common as direct causes of blackening, deficiencies in other nutrients like potassium or boron can weaken the plant, stunt fruit development, and make the fruits more susceptible to stress and disease, indirectly leading to blackening or abortion.

• Prevention & Management:
  • Conduct a soil test before planting to understand your soil’s nutritional profile.
  • Amend soil as recommended.
  • Use a balanced fertilizer specifically formulated for fruiting vegetables during the growing season.

Pollination Problems and Developmental Issues

Sometimes, the problem isn’t external, but an internal developmental hiccup. Watermelons need proper pollination to set fruit. If a female flower isn’t adequately pollinated, the resulting fruit will often abort, failing to develop, shriveling, and turning black or yellow before dropping off. This is the plant’s way of conserving energy. You might notice this more often with the first fruits of the season or during periods of low pollinator activity.

• Symptoms on Fruit: Small, shriveled fruit that turns yellow or black and falls off the vine.
• Damage Mechanism: Inadequate fertilization of the ovules within the flower.
• Prevention & Management:
  • Encourage pollinators by planting pollinator-friendly flowers nearby.
  • Avoid spraying insecticides during peak pollinator activity.
  • Consider hand-pollination if you suspect a lack of natural pollinators.

Preventative Measures and Management Strategies: A Gardener’s Guide

Okay, so we’ve identified the potential culprits. Now, what can we do about them? Proactive measures are your best friends in the garden. Trust me, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, especially with watermelons. It’s much easier to stop these problems before they start than to try and save a blackening melon.

1. Smart Site Selection and Soil Preparation

• Sunny Spot: Watermelons need full sun – at least 6-8 hours a day. Choose a location that gets plenty of direct sunlight.
• Well-Drained Soil: Ensure your soil drains well. Watermelons hate wet feet. If you have heavy clay soil, amend it generously with compost and other organic matter to improve drainage and aeration. Raised beds are often a great solution.
• Soil Testing: Before planting, get a soil test done. This is invaluable! It tells you exactly what nutrients your soil has (or lacks) and its pH. Watermelons prefer a slightly acidic to neutral pH (6.0-7.0). Adjust pH as recommended by the soil test.
• Crop Rotation: This is fundamental for preventing soil-borne diseases. Don’t plant watermelons (or other cucurbits like squash, cucumbers, pumpkins) in the same spot year after year. A 3-5 year rotation cycle is ideal to break disease and pest cycles.

2. Masterful Watering Techniques

Consistency is key. Watermelons need a steady supply of moisture, especially when fruits are developing. Here’s how to do it right:

• Deep and Infrequent: Instead of light, daily sprinkles, water deeply and less frequently. This encourages roots to grow deeper, making the plant more resilient. Aim for 1-2 inches of water per week, including rainfall.
• Morning Glory: Water in the morning. This allows the foliage to dry out before evening, significantly reducing the risk of fungal diseases.
• Drip Irrigation or Soaker Hoses: These are gold standards for watermelons. They deliver water directly to the root zone, keeping foliage dry and minimizing water waste. If using overhead sprinklers, do so early in the day.
• Mulch: Apply a 2-4 inch layer of organic mulch (straw, shredded leaves, wood chips) around your watermelon plants. Mulch conserves soil moisture, regulates soil temperature, suppresses weeds, and keeps fruits off the bare soil, reducing disease risk.

3. Thoughtful Nutrient Management

Feed your plants right, and they’ll reward you!

• Balanced Fertilization: Use a balanced fertilizer during initial growth. Once flowering and fruiting begin, switch to a fertilizer higher in phosphorus and potassium to support fruit development.
• Avoid Nitrogen Overkill: Too much nitrogen can promote lush leafy growth at the expense of fruit, and can also exacerbate blossom end rot by interfering with calcium uptake.
• Calcium Availability: Ensure adequate calcium. If your soil test indicates a deficiency, amend with gypsum or bonemeal. More often, BER is about *water consistency* rather than a lack of calcium in the soil, so focus on watering.

4. Vigilant Pest Control

Early detection and intervention are crucial.

• Regular Inspections: Walk through your garden daily. Check the undersides of leaves, stems, and developing fruits for pests like squash bugs, cucumber beetles, and aphids, as well as any signs of disease.
• Hand-Picking: For larger pests like squash bugs, hand-picking them off plants and dropping them into soapy water is surprisingly effective.
• Row Covers: Use floating row covers early in the season to protect young plants from flying pests like cucumber beetles. Remember to remove them once flowering begins to allow for pollination.
• Organic Sprays: For aphid infestations, insecticidal soap or neem oil can be very effective. For more serious pest issues, consider organic pesticides, always following label directions.
• Encourage Beneficials: Attract beneficial insects like ladybugs, lacewings, and predatory wasps by planting a diverse range of flowers near your garden.

5. Robust Disease Prevention

Keeping diseases at bay requires a multi-pronged approach.

• Disease-Resistant Varieties: Whenever possible, choose watermelon varieties that are known to be resistant to common diseases like anthracnose or fusarium wilt. This is your first line of defense!
• Good Air Circulation: Proper plant spacing is essential. Don’t crowd your watermelon vines. Good airflow helps dry foliage, making it less hospitable for fungal spores. Trellising watermelons (if using smaller varieties) can also help.
• Sanitation: Remove and destroy any infected plant parts immediately. Don’t compost diseased material, as the pathogens can persist. At the end of the season, clean up all plant debris thoroughly.
• Fungicides: In areas with a history of severe fungal diseases, or for commercial operations, preventative fungicide sprays may be warranted. Always select products labeled for watermelons and use them according to instructions. Consider organic options first, like copper or sulfur-based fungicides.

6. Environmental Buffers

Help your plants cope with Mother Nature’s mood swings.

• Shade Cloth: In regions with extremely hot summers, a light shade cloth (30-50%) can protect fruits from sunscald during the hottest part of the day.
• Heat Protection for Fruit: Sometimes, ensuring the leaves adequately cover developing fruit can prevent sunscald. If a fruit is very exposed, you can gently adjust a large leaf to shade it.

What to Do When You Spot Blackening: A Quick Checklist

If you discover a baby watermelon turning black, here’s a quick action plan:

1. Inspect Immediately: Closely examine the blackened fruit and the surrounding plant. Look for specific disease symptoms (sunken lesions, gummy exudate), pest damage (chewing, sap suckers, eggs), or environmental stressors (sunscald, very wet/dry soil).
2. Remove and Dispose: As heartbreaking as it is, remove the affected fruit immediately. Do not leave it on the vine or compost it. Bag it and put it in the trash to prevent the spread of disease or pests.
3. Prune Affected Areas: If other parts of the vine show signs of disease (e.g., stem lesions), carefully prune them out using sterilized tools.
4. Adjust Watering: Evaluate your watering schedule. Are you watering too much, too little, or inconsistently? Make necessary adjustments.
5. Check for Pests: If pests are identified, implement appropriate control measures (hand-picking, organic sprays).
6. Consider Fungicides: If a fungal disease is suspected and widespread, and you’re inclined to use them, consider an appropriate fungicide application for the remaining healthy plants.
7. Learn and Adapt: Take notes on what happened. This information is valuable for planning next season’s garden.

Understanding the “Black” Color: Is There Any Hope?

When a baby watermelon turns black, what you’re seeing is essentially dead or dying plant tissue. This necrotic tissue can be the direct result of fungal activity, cellular breakdown from disease or environmental stress, or even the byproduct of pest feeding. In some cases, like with sooty mold, it’s a surface phenomenon. However, more often than not, if the fruit itself is blackening, it’s a sign that the internal structure and health of the melon have been severely compromised. The fruit is essentially rotting.

Is the fruit salvageable?

In nearly all cases where a baby watermelon turns genuinely black, meaning the fruit tissue itself is decaying, it is no longer salvageable. Trying to cut off the black part and hope for the best is usually a futile effort. The pathogens or damage are often systemic or too extensive, and the fruit will not ripen properly. It’s best to remove it and focus your energy on protecting the remaining, healthy fruits on your vine. Think of it as triage in the garden – sometimes you have to cut your losses to save the rest of the crop. It’s a tough decision, but a necessary one for the overall health of your watermelon patch.

Frequently Asked Questions About Black Baby Watermelons

Gardening always brings up questions, and dealing with blackening watermelons is no exception. Here are some common queries I hear from fellow gardeners, along with some professional insights.

Can I eat a watermelon that started turning black?

This is a question many gardeners wrestle with, especially when a lot of effort has gone into growing the fruit. The short answer is: No, you absolutely should not eat a watermelon that has started turning black.

When a baby watermelon turns black, it’s usually indicative of decay, often caused by fungal or bacterial diseases, or severe physiological stress. These pathogens can produce toxins that are harmful to humans, even if the “good” part of the fruit looks okay. The internal structure of the fruit is compromised, and it will not ripen properly. Eating such fruit could lead to digestive upset or more serious health issues. It’s a real disappointment to lose a potential harvest, but your health is far more important than a risky melon. Trust your instincts on this one: if it looks rotten, it probably is.

What’s the difference between blackening and blossom end rot?

This is a fantastic question because both conditions can lead to dark, unappetizing spots on your melons, but their underlying causes and appearances are distinct.

Blossom End Rot (BER) primarily appears as a brown to black, sunken, leathery patch on the *bottom* (blossom end) of the fruit. It’s a physiological disorder, not a disease. It’s caused by a calcium deficiency in the fruit, which itself is almost always due to inconsistent watering that prevents the plant from transporting enough calcium to the rapidly growing fruit cells, or sometimes rapid vegetative growth due to too much nitrogen. The affected tissue feels dry and leathery to the touch.

General Blackening, on the other hand, can occur anywhere on the fruit, not just the blossom end. It’s more often linked to active fungal diseases (like Anthracnose or Gummy Stem Blight) or pest damage. These black areas are typically softer, mushier, and may show signs of active fungal growth (like fuzzy mold or spore masses) or insect feeding. The blackening from disease is usually a progressive decay, spreading from an initial infection point. So, while both involve black spots, BER is usually dry and localized at the bottom, while other blackening issues tend to be more widespread, often mushy, and caused by an active pathogen or pest.

How often should I water baby watermelons?

Watermelons are thirsty plants, but the frequency of watering truly depends on several factors: your soil type, the current weather conditions, and the stage of plant growth. However, a good rule of thumb for baby watermelons and throughout their growth is to aim for 1 to 2 inches of water per week. This includes any rainfall.

During dry spells or when temperatures are particularly high, you might need to water more frequently, possibly every 2-3 days. Conversely, in cooler, humid weather, you might stretch it to once a week. The goal is to keep the soil consistently moist, but never waterlogged. Stick your finger about an inch or two into the soil; if it feels dry, it’s time to water. Deep watering is much better than shallow watering, as it encourages deeper root growth, making your plants more resilient to stress.

Are there watermelon varieties more resistant to blackening?

Absolutely! Plant breeders have done some amazing work in developing varieties that offer increased resistance to common diseases, which are often the primary cause of blackening. When you’re selecting seeds or seedlings, look for terms like “disease-resistant” or specific resistances listed, such as “Ant” for Anthracnose, “FW” for Fusarium Wilt, or “GSB” for Gummy Stem Blight. While no variety is 100% immune to everything, choosing resistant cultivars can significantly reduce your chances of experiencing these issues.

Some examples of varieties known for good disease resistance include ‘Crimson Sweet,’ ‘Jubilee,’ and certain hybrid watermelons. It’s always a good idea to check with your local agricultural extension office or a reputable seed catalog for recommendations specific to your region, as local disease pressures can vary. Investing in resistant varieties is a smart, proactive step toward a healthier, more fruitful harvest.

When should I give up on a blackening watermelon plant?

This is a tough one for any gardener, as we tend to be eternal optimists! However, knowing when to call it quits can save you time, effort, and prevent the spread of problems to healthier plants. If you have a single baby watermelon turning black due to a localized issue (like mild sunscald or a single pest bite), and the rest of the plant looks healthy, you can certainly remove the affected fruit and monitor the plant. There’s hope for the other fruits.

However, if you observe that multiple fruits are blackening, or if the entire plant shows severe symptoms of disease (widespread wilting, significant stem lesions, or rapid decline), it’s often best to remove the entire plant. This is especially true for aggressive diseases like Fusarium wilt or severe Gummy Stem Blight, which can quickly spread. Trying to save a severely infected plant might be a losing battle and could jeopardize your other watermelon plants or even future crops in that soil. It’s a pragmatic decision to protect your garden as a whole.

Does companion planting help prevent black watermelons?

Companion planting can definitely play a positive role in creating a healthier garden ecosystem, and by extension, can indirectly help prevent issues that lead to blackening watermelons. While it won’t directly stop a specific fungal disease, it can contribute to overall plant vigor and pest management.

For example, planting marigolds or nasturtiums nearby can deter certain pests that might otherwise damage watermelon fruits or act as disease vectors. Similarly, strong-smelling herbs like basil or oregano might confuse pests. Some companion plants can also attract beneficial insects that prey on watermelon pests. Furthermore, deep-rooted companions might improve soil structure, and others could even fix nitrogen, subtly benefiting the watermelon’s health. While it’s not a magic bullet, incorporating companion planting strategies into your garden design is a holistic approach that can enhance biodiversity, support natural pest control, and promote generally healthier watermelon plants, making them more resilient to the stresses that can lead to blackening.

Gardening is an ongoing learning process, and every challenge, even a black baby watermelon, offers a chance to grow your skills and understanding. With a little knowledge and consistent care, you’ll be on your way to a bountiful harvest of juicy, delicious watermelons!