When to Plant Watermelon
Watermelon is a tender warm-season fruit. Frost damages it, so it goes out only after the last spring frost.
Start seeds indoors in the 2 weeks before the last spring frost, and plant out 2 to 4 weeks after the last frost. Or sow it where it will grow, 2 to 4 weeks after the last spring frost. The first harvest comes about 80 to 100 days after sowing.
Example dates
The same rules in dates for three climates, using typical frost dates. Enter your ZIP code above for the dates where you live.
| Task | Last frost Mar 15first Nov 15 | Last frost Apr 15first Oct 25 | Last frost May 15first Sep 30 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Start seeds indoors | Mar 1 – 15 | Apr 1 – 15 | May 1 – 15 |
| Harden off | Mar 22 – 28 | Apr 22 – 28 | May 22 – 28 |
| Plant out | Mar 29 – Apr 12 | Apr 29 – May 13 | May 29 – Jun 12 |
| Harvest | May 20 – Jun 10 | Jun 20 – Jul 11 | Jul 20 – Aug 10 |
| Direct-sown: Sow outdoors | Mar 29 – Apr 12 | Apr 29 – May 13 | May 29 – Jun 12 |
| Direct-sown: Harvest | Jun 17 – Jul 8 | Jul 18 – Aug 8 | Aug 17 – Sep 7 |
Growing watermelon
Melons need heat; a dried curly tendril next to the fruit and a yellow ground spot signal ripeness.
- Spacing: 36 in apart, in rows 72 in apart. In a raised bed, 1 per 4 sq ft at square-foot spacing.
- Days to harvest: 80 to 100 from sowing, then about 3 weeks of picking.
- Rotation: watermelon is in the squash family. Plant it where nothing from that family grew in the last two years. See crop rotation.
- Traditional companions: borage, chamomile (german), dill, nasturtium, pumpkin. See companion plants for watermelon.
Plan your beds with these dates
Draw your beds, tap squares to plant watermelon and everything else, and get every crop's dates for your ZIP code in one calendar. Free, in your browser.
Open the garden plannerQuestions
When do I start watermelon indoors?
In the 2 weeks before the last spring frost: with a last frost of April 15, that's Apr 1 – 15. Enter your ZIP code above for your own dates.
Can watermelon go in before the last frost?
No. Watermelon is damaged by frost: plant it out 2 to 4 weeks after the last spring frost.
How long does watermelon take to grow?
About 80 to 100 days from sowing to the first harvest, which then lasts about 3 weeks. Varieties differ: check the seed packet.
More planting dates
Sources
- NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020 (annual/seasonal, by station: freeze dates at 32 °F)
- Colorado State University Extension: Vegetable Planting Guide (CMG GardenNotes #720)
- Virginia Cooperative Extension, Virginia Tech: Virginia's Home Garden Vegetable Planting Guide: Recommended Planting Dates and Amounts to Plant (426-331 / SPES-673P, 2025)
- University of Maryland Extension: Vegetable Planting Calendar for central Maryland
- UNH Cooperative Extension: Growing Vegetables: When to Plant your Vegetable Garden (2016)
- NC State Extension: Extension Gardener Handbook, Chapter 16: Vegetable Gardening
- WSU Extension: Pacific Northwest Gardener's Handbook, Chapter 7: Vegetable Gardening
- Iowa State: Germination Requirements for Annuals and Vegetables
- Iowa State: Growing Watermelon in the Home Garden
- Utah State University Extension: Suggested Vegetable Planting Dates for Utah
- Purdue University Extension: Starting Seeds Indoors (HO-14-W)
- University of Wisconsin–Madison Extension, Kenosha County: Companion Plants for the Vegetable Garden (column, 2012)
- Oregon State University Extension Service: Herbs and Flowers in the Vegetable Garden