DibbleGrowing watermelon: from seed to harvest
Watermelon needs heat and room. Sow 2 weeks after last frost; in short seasons start indoors and pick early varieties.
Planting dates for watermelon by zone
| Zone | Start seeds indoors | Sow or transplant | Harvest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zone 3 | not needed | May 29 | August 22 |
| Zone 4 | not needed | May 24 | August 17 |
| Zone 5 | not needed | May 14 | August 7 |
| Zone 6 | not needed | May 5 | July 29 |
| Zone 7 | not needed | April 24 | July 18 |
| Zone 8 | not needed | April 11 | July 5 |
| Zone 9 | not needed | March 15 | June 8 |
| Zone 10 | not needed | February 14 | May 10 |
| Zone 11 | not needed | January 15 | April 10 |
These dates use typical frost dates for each zone. Dibble tunes them to your exact ZIP and lets you adjust frost dates for your own yard.
Companion plants
Good neighbors for Watermelon:
Better kept apart:
Family and rotation
Watermelon is in the cucurbits family. Sprawling heavy feeders. Rotate away from where squash family grew last year. Learn about crop rotation.
Related crops
Cucumber
When to plantZucchini
When to plantWinter Squash
When to plantCantaloupe
When to plantPumpkin
When to plantStrawberry
When to plant
Questions
When should I plant watermelon?
It depends on your zone. Watermelon is a tender crop, so the timing follows your last spring frost. Look up your zone in the table below for exact start, sow, and harvest dates, or open Dibble and enter your ZIP to get your own calendar.
How long does it take to grow watermelon?
About 85 days from sowing to the first harvest, with a picking window of roughly 21 days after that.
What grows well with watermelon?
Good companions include Sweet Corn, Nasturtium. Keep it away from Potato.
Plant at the right time this season
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