When to plant melons & watermelon
Melons & Watermelon are frost-tender: plant them out only after your last spring frost. Melons want heat; black plastic mulch warms the soil and speeds them up in cooler areas.
- Start seeds indoors 3–4 weeks before the last spring frost.
- Transplant outside 2–4 weeks after the last spring frost.
About 85 days from planting to harvest.
Get exact dates for your garden
Planting dates by hardiness zone
| Zone | Typical last frost | Start indoors | Transplant | Fall crop |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2a | May 24 | Apr 26 – May 3 | Jun 7 – Jun 21 | — |
| 3b | May 17 | Apr 19 – Apr 26 | May 31 – Jun 14 | — |
| 4a | May 12 | Apr 14 – Apr 21 | May 26 – Jun 9 | — |
| 4b | May 8 | Apr 10 – Apr 17 | May 22 – Jun 5 | — |
| 5a | May 3 | Apr 5 – Apr 12 | May 17 – May 31 | — |
| 5b | May 1 | Apr 3 – Apr 10 | May 15 – May 29 | — |
| 6a | Apr 29 | Apr 1 – Apr 8 | May 13 – May 27 | — |
| 6b | Apr 22 | Mar 25 – Apr 1 | May 6 – May 20 | — |
| 7a | Apr 16 | Mar 19 – Mar 26 | Apr 30 – May 14 | — |
| 7b | Apr 5 | Mar 8 – Mar 15 | Apr 19 – May 3 | — |
| 8a | Mar 29 | Mar 1 – Mar 8 | Apr 12 – Apr 26 | — |
| 8b | Mar 16 | Feb 16 – Feb 23 | Mar 30 – Apr 13 | — |
| 9a | Mar 3 | Feb 3 – Feb 10 | Mar 17 – Mar 31 | — |
| 9b | Feb 20 | Jan 23 – Jan 30 | Mar 6 – Mar 20 | — |
| 10a | Mar 2 | Feb 2 – Feb 9 | Mar 16 – Mar 30 | — |
Zone rows use the median frost dates of all ZIP codes in that zone. Zones measure winter cold, not season length, so two places in the same zone can have frost dates weeks apart — use your ZIP code for real dates.
When to plant melons & watermelon in major cities
| City | Median last frost | Start indoors | Transplant |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seattle, WA | Mar 13 | Feb 13 – Feb 20 | Mar 27 – Apr 10 |
| Portland, OR | Feb 25 | Jan 28 – Feb 4 | Mar 11 – Mar 25 |
| Salt Lake City, UT | Apr 25 | Mar 28 – Apr 4 | May 9 – May 23 |
| Denver, CO | Apr 30 | Apr 2 – Apr 9 | May 14 – May 28 |
| Minneapolis, MN | Apr 23 | Mar 26 – Apr 2 | May 7 – May 21 |
| Chicago, IL | Apr 10 | Mar 13 – Mar 20 | Apr 24 – May 8 |
| Detroit, MI | Apr 27 | Mar 30 – Apr 6 | May 11 – May 25 |
| Kansas City, MO | Apr 4 | Mar 7 – Mar 14 | Apr 18 – May 2 |
| Columbus, OH | Apr 20 | Mar 23 – Mar 30 | May 4 – May 18 |
| Boston, MA | Apr 4 | Mar 7 – Mar 14 | Apr 18 – May 2 |
| New York, NY | Mar 30 | Mar 2 – Mar 9 | Apr 13 – Apr 27 |
| Philadelphia, PA | Mar 30 | Mar 2 – Mar 9 | Apr 13 – Apr 27 |
| Washington, DC | Mar 29 | Mar 1 – Mar 8 | Apr 12 – Apr 26 |
| Charlotte, NC | Mar 30 | Mar 2 – Mar 9 | Apr 13 – Apr 27 |
| Nashville, TN | Apr 1 | Mar 4 – Mar 11 | Apr 15 – Apr 29 |
| Atlanta, GA | Mar 25 | Feb 25 – Mar 4 | Apr 8 – Apr 22 |
| Dallas, TX | Mar 2 | Feb 2 – Feb 9 | Mar 16 – Mar 30 |
Growing melons & watermelon: quick facts
| Frost tolerance | Very tender: damaged by frost and stalled by cold; plant once nights stay above 50°F |
|---|---|
| Soil temperature | at least 65°F to germinate; 70–95°F is ideal |
| Planting depth | ½–1 in |
| Spacing | 36–72 in |
| Germination | 4–10 days |
| Days to harvest | about 85 days from planting out |
Typical figures from university extension planting guides. Seed packets give the best numbers for a specific variety.