When to plant watermelon

Tender · frost kills it

Watermelonis keyed to your local frost dates. The offsets below hold anywhere — but the calendar dates they land on don’t. Enter your ZIP for dates tuned to your city’s nearest NOAA station.

Watermelon planting timeline

Start indoors

2–4 wks before

Transplant out

1–2 wks after

Direct sow

1–3 wks after

Harvest

75–95 days later

-5 wksLAST SPRING FROST+16 wks

Tender: wait until the danger of frost has passed before planting out.

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Watermelon planting FAQ

When should I start watermelon seeds indoors?

Start watermelon indoors 2–4 weeks before the last spring frost, so seedlings are ready to plant out once the weather warms.

Can I direct sow watermelon?

Yes — you can sow watermelon directly outdoors 1–3 weeks after the last spring frost.

How long does watermelon take to grow?

Watermelon takes about 75–95 days from transplanting to harvest, depending on the variety and conditions.

Is watermelon frost-hardy?

Tender: wait until the danger of frost has passed before planting out.

Planting reminders

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An email when it’s time to start seeds, transplant, and sow — timed to your frost dates. Double opt-in, one-click unsubscribe, no spam.

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Planting windows are offsets from your local 1991–2020 NOAA frost normals. How we compute this.