When to plant Watermelon
The ultimate heat crop — long, hot summers grow the sweetest fruit. Cool-climate gardeners start it indoors and warm the soil with black plastic. It's ripe when the underside spot turns creamy yellow and the tendril nearest the fruit dries.
Companions: Corn, beans, nasturtium, radish
How to grow Watermelon
Watermelon is usually started indoors and transplanted out, giving this tender crop the head start it needs. Give it full sun and space plants about 36 inches apart. It takes roughly 85 days from planting to its first harvest, so count that against your frost dates to be sure it can finish. Classic companions include corn, beans, nasturtium, radish.
Grower's tip: Needs heat and a long season. In short-summer zones, start indoors and use black plastic to warm the soil.
When to plant Watermelon by USDA zone
Timing shifts with your climate — the same watermelon goes in weeks earlier in a mild zone than a cold one. Find your zone below for its planting window, or open that zone's full calendar.
| Zone | When to plant |
|---|---|
| Zone 1a | Start seeds indoors May 18–Jun 1 Transplant outdoors Jun 29–Jul 6 Direct sow outdoors Jun 22–Jul 6 |
| Zone 1b | Start seeds indoors May 13–May 27 Transplant outdoors Jun 24–Jul 1 Direct sow outdoors Jun 17–Jul 1 |
| Zone 2a | Start seeds indoors May 8–May 22 Transplant outdoors Jun 19–Jun 26 Direct sow outdoors Jun 12–Jun 26 |
| Zone 2b | Start seeds indoors May 2–May 16 Transplant outdoors Jun 13–Jun 20 Direct sow outdoors Jun 6–Jun 20 |
| Zone 3a | Start seeds indoors Apr 27–May 11 Transplant outdoors Jun 8–Jun 15 Direct sow outdoors Jun 1–Jun 15 |
| Zone 3b | Start seeds indoors Apr 22–May 6 Transplant outdoors Jun 3–Jun 10 Direct sow outdoors May 27–Jun 10 |
| Zone 4a | Start seeds indoors Apr 17–May 1 Transplant outdoors May 29–Jun 5 Direct sow outdoors May 22–Jun 5 |
| Zone 4b | Start seeds indoors Apr 12–Apr 26 Transplant outdoors May 24–May 31 Direct sow outdoors May 17–May 31 |
| Zone 5a | Start seeds indoors Apr 7–Apr 21 Transplant outdoors May 19–May 26 Direct sow outdoors May 12–May 26 |
| Zone 5b | Start seeds indoors Apr 2–Apr 16 Transplant outdoors May 14–May 21 Direct sow outdoors May 7–May 21 |
| Zone 6a | Start seeds indoors Mar 24–Apr 7 Transplant outdoors May 5–May 12 Direct sow outdoors Apr 28–May 12 |
| Zone 6b | Start seeds indoors Mar 18–Apr 1 Transplant outdoors Apr 29–May 6 Direct sow outdoors Apr 22–May 6 |
| Zone 7a | Start seeds indoors Mar 10–Mar 24 Transplant outdoors Apr 21–Apr 28 Direct sow outdoors Apr 14–Apr 28 |
| Zone 7b | Start seeds indoors Mar 4–Mar 18 Transplant outdoors Apr 15–Apr 22 Direct sow outdoors Apr 8–Apr 22 |
| Zone 8a | Start seeds indoors Feb 22–Mar 8 Transplant outdoors Apr 5–Apr 12 Direct sow outdoors Mar 29–Apr 12 |
| Zone 8b | Start seeds indoors Feb 15–Mar 1 Transplant outdoors Mar 29–Apr 5 Direct sow outdoors Mar 22–Apr 5 |
| Zone 9a | Start seeds indoors Jan 31–Feb 14 Transplant outdoors Mar 14–Mar 21 Direct sow outdoors Mar 7–Mar 21 |
| Zone 9b | Start seeds indoors Jan 18–Feb 1 Transplant outdoors Mar 1–Mar 8 Direct sow outdoors Feb 22–Mar 8 |
| Zone 10a | Start seeds indoors Jan 3–Jan 17 Transplant outdoors Feb 14–Feb 21 Direct sow outdoors Feb 7–Feb 21 |
| Zone 10b | Start seeds indoors Dec 18–Jan 1 Transplant outdoors Jan 29–Feb 5 Direct sow outdoors Jan 22–Feb 5 |
| Zone 11a | Start seeds indoors Dec 4–Dec 18 Transplant outdoors Jan 15–Jan 22 Direct sow outdoors Jan 8–Jan 22 |
| Zone 11b | Start seeds indoors Dec 4–Dec 18 Transplant outdoors Jan 15–Jan 22 Direct sow outdoors Jan 8–Jan 22 |
| Zone 12a | Start seeds indoors Dec 4–Dec 18 Transplant outdoors Jan 15–Jan 22 Direct sow outdoors Jan 8–Jan 22 |
| Zone 12b | Start seeds indoors Dec 4–Dec 18 Transplant outdoors Jan 15–Jan 22 Direct sow outdoors Jan 8–Jan 22 |
| Zone 13a | Start seeds indoors Dec 4–Dec 18 Transplant outdoors Jan 15–Jan 22 Direct sow outdoors Jan 8–Jan 22 |
| Zone 13b | Start seeds indoors Dec 4–Dec 18 Transplant outdoors Jan 15–Jan 22 Direct sow outdoors Jan 8–Jan 22 |