- Hardiness
- Grown as a yearly crop in every zone
- Light
- Full sun
- Water
- Average, about an inch a week
- Size
- vine
- Days to harvest
- 70 to 90
- Start indoors
- 4 weeks before planting out
Growing tip. Black plastic mulch warms the soil and speeds it up in the North. Ripe when the spot on the bottom turns cream yellow.
When to plant watermelon by zone
| Zone | Median last / first frost | When to plant |
|---|---|---|
| 3b | May 16 / Sep 25 | Plant outside: May 30 to Jul 11 Start seeds indoors: around May 2 |
| 4a | May 12 / Sep 28 | Plant outside: May 26 to Jul 7 Start seeds indoors: around Apr 28 |
| 4b | May 8 / Oct 1 | Plant outside: May 22 to Jul 3 Start seeds indoors: around Apr 24 |
| 5a | May 3 / Oct 5 | Plant outside: May 17 to Jun 28 Start seeds indoors: around Apr 19 |
| 5b | May 1 / Oct 10 | Plant outside: May 15 to Jun 26 Start seeds indoors: around Apr 17 |
| 6a | Apr 29 / Oct 16 | Plant outside: May 13 to Jun 24 Start seeds indoors: around Apr 15 |
| 6b | Apr 22 / Oct 22 | Plant outside: May 6 to Jun 17 Start seeds indoors: around Apr 8 |
| 7a | Apr 16 / Oct 25 | Plant outside: Apr 30 to Jun 11 Start seeds indoors: around Apr 2 |
| 7b | Apr 5 / Nov 1 | Plant outside: Apr 19 to May 31 Start seeds indoors: around Mar 22 |
| 8a | Mar 29 / Nov 7 | Plant outside: Apr 12 to May 24 Start seeds indoors: around Mar 15 |
| 8b | Mar 16 / Nov 14 | Plant outside: Mar 30 to May 11 Start seeds indoors: around Mar 2 |
| 9a | Mar 2 / Nov 26 | Plant outside: Mar 16 to Apr 27 Start seeds indoors: around Feb 16 |
| 9b | Feb 1 / Dec 9 | Plant outside: Feb 15 to Mar 29 Start seeds indoors: around Jan 18 |
Zones 10 and warmer have little or no frost. There, plant cool-season plants in fall and warm-season plants from late winter.
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Frequently asked questions
What zone does watermelon grow in?
Watermelon is grown fresh each year, so it fits every zone. What changes is when you plant. Find your zone by ZIP code.
How much sun does watermelon need?
Full sun. Full sun means at least six hours of direct sun a day; part shade means about three to six.
Hardiness ranges, light and size are typical figures from university extension services and botanic garden plant records; a named variety can differ, so check its tag. Planting dates come from each zone's median frost dates (NOAA 1991 to 2020 climate normals) and the timing rules in how we check.