CucurbitsCucurbitaceae
Watermelon.
At a glance
The spec sheet.
- Indoor start
- Apr 20
- Direct sow / out
- Jun 1 (needs warm soil, longer season than cantaloupe)
- Germ
- 5–10 days
- Days to harvest
- 80–100
- Spacing
- 72"
- Depth
- 1"
- Square-foot
- 3 squares per plant (very sprawling)
- Qty target
- 2–4 vines for summer eating.
Plant
Wait for genuinely warm soil. Small varieties (Sugar Baby, Blacktail Mountain) work best in Zone 6b.
Care
Deep, infrequent water. Support fruit on straw or a jar lid to prevent soil rot.
Harvest
Tendril nearest fruit browns; underside yellow spot develops; the thump sounds hollow.
Best fresh. Rind can be pickled (watermelon rind pickles).
Companion planting
What watermelon likes, and doesn’t.
Good neighbors
More in this family