Watermelon
fruit
Heat lover — pick when the tendril nearest the fruit dries up.
At a glance
- USDA Zones
- 4–11
- Sun
- Full sun (6+ hrs)
- Water
- Medium — water when top inch of soil is dry
- Soil
- Loam, sandy
- pH
- Neutral
- Spacing
- 36 in. between plants
- Space needed
- A 3×3 ft block of the bed
- Days to maturity
- About 90 days
Planting & harvest windows
Northern Hemisphere timing. Adjust ±4–6 weeks based on your last/first frost dates.
| Activity | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plant | ||||||||||||
| Harvest |
Plant Harvest
Good companions
Keep apart from
Recommended varieties
- Sugar Baby75 daysseed
Compact icebox melon — 8-10 lb, perfect for small beds.
- Crimson Sweet85 daysboth
Classic big striped picnic watermelon — sweet & juicy.
Add Watermelon to your raised bed — the planner handles spacing and companion warnings automatically.
Open the planner →