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Botanical Name
Citrullus lanatus
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Planting, Growing, and Harvesting Watermelons
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Planting
When to Plant Watermelons
- In cool climates with short growing seasons, start seeds indoors 2 to 3 weeks before your last frost date. Plan to transplant seedlings into the garden about 2 weeks after that date or when the soil has warmed to at least 65°F (18°C).
- In warmer climates with long growing seasons, sow seeds directly outdoors 1 to 2 weeks after your last frost date, as long as the soil temperature has warmed to at least 65°F (18°C).
- Young watermelon plants can also be bought from nurseries. Plant these after there is no longer a chance of frost; they are very tender. Watch the local forecast and err on the side of caution! Consider laying black plastic over your planting area to warm the soil even more.
- Tip: Starting with young plants can result in an earlier harvest (usually up to 2 weeks earlier), so consider buying young plants, particularly if you live in a cooler climate.
Choosing and Preparing a Planting Site
- Amend soil with aged manure, seaweed, and/or compost before planting. Watermelons are heavy feeders, meaning they need soil that is fertile and has a high nutrient level. Learn more about soil amendments and preparing soil for planting.
- Watermelons do best in loamy, somewhat sandy, well-drained soil. They can struggle in soil that contains too much clay and doesn’t drain well.
- Watermelons prefer a soil pH between 6.0 and 7.5 (“slightly acidic to neutral”).
- Watermelons need A LOT of space—up to 20 square feet per plant. Their vines need room to sprawl, so plant them in a place where they won’t crowd out other crops.
- Growing the vines in raised rows, known as hills, ensures good drainage and will hold the sun’s heat longer.
- Plan to space the plants 2-3 feet apart in a 5-foot-wide hill.
- If you’re growing in traditional rows, space them at least 6 feet apart.
How to Plant Watermelons
- Sow seeds 1/2 to 1 inch deep outdoors or 1/4 to 1/2 inch deep in seed-starting pots indoors.
- Tip: To allow for more root growth, use larger starting pots than you would for most seeds. Also, consider using compostable pots that can be cut away or planted directly in the garden, as this will minimize the risk of damaging seedlings’ tender roots during transplanting.
- If direct seeding outdoors, sow 4 to 6 seeds per hill, eventually thinning to 2 to 3 seedlings.
Transplanting Seedlings
- Handle watermelon seedlings with extreme care when you transplant. Their roots are very fragile, so try not to disturb the soil when removing them from pots.
- After transplanting, cover the plants with row covers to keep pests at bay. Remember to remove the row covers when you see both male and female flowers on the vine, as pollinators will need to access the flowers.
- Find even more tips for planting melons in your home garden.
Growing
Watering Watermelons
- Watering is very important—from planting until fruit begins to form. While melon plants are growing, blooming, and setting fruit, they need 1 to 2 inches of water per week.
- Keep soil moist but not waterlogged. Water at the vine’s base in the morning, and try to avoid wetting the leaves and avoid overhead watering. Reduce watering once fruit is growing. Dry weather produces the sweetest melon.
Fertilizing
- If you choose to fertilize (and many do), make sure it delivers more nitrogen than phosphorus and potassium, as this will encourage leaf and vine growth. However, after flowering begins, use a fertilizer with less nitrogen to instead encourage flowers and fruit. We like to use a seaweed-based fertilizer.
Flowering and Fruiting
- Vines produce male and female flowers separately on the same plant. They often begin producing male flowers several weeks before the females appear. Do not be concerned if the male flowers fall off. The female flowers (which have a swollen bulb at the base) will stay on the vine and bear fruit.
- Blossoms require pollination to set fruit, so be kind to the bees! Learn how to support pollinators in your garden.
- As the fruit is ripening, prevent rotting by gently lifting it and putting cardboard or straw between the fruit and the soil.
General Watermelon Care Tips
- Mulching with black plastic or straw around the plants will serve multiple purposes: it will warm the soil, hinder weed growth, and keep developing fruits off the soil.
- Pruning generally isn’t necessary for watermelon plants, but vine productivity may be improved if you do not allow lateral (side) vines to grow and stick to the main vine. When the plant is young, just cut off the end buds as they form (before the side shoots become vines). You can also pinch off some blossoms to focus the energy on fewer melons (though it’s challenging to kill off a potential fruit).
Types
- ‘Sugar Baby’: 80 days to maturity. Produces 10-pound melons with bright red flesh. This variety of smaller fruit can be planted just 4 feet apart.
- ‘Sweet Beauty’: 80 days to maturity. A 2004 All-America Selection. Bears 6-pound, oblong melons with red flesh.
- ‘Golden Midget’: 70 days to maturity. Bears petite, yellow-skinned 3-pound melons with pink flesh. Good for Northern gardeners.
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I have four boys who wanted to try planting something from seed, so last fall I was busy and gave them some watermelon seeds from the watermelon we had gotten at the store. Well, we now have a watermelon plant with about six watermelon on them. I have been reading the posts and have gotten most of my answers but I still have one. Should I try to expose the watermelon that are under the foliage or just let them sit where they are? Thanks!
I am a grower as well and have not heard if moving the melon helps or not. However while weed picking, I typically rearrange the vines to expose the fruit and even sometimes rotate them. I have not seen a negative effect from doing this.
Sun on the melon is not as important as sun on the plant. Leave it go for now and give the plant lots of water, a drip hose, if possible, except of course when it rains. If you have several melon on the same vine, you might have better luck with one strong one by sacrificing the others.
I live in New York. This is my first time planting watermelon. We started getting male flowers last week, but the female flowers haven't opened yet. How long does it take for them to bloom?
Every seventh flower on a plant vine is female. Flowers open one to two hours after sunrise and female flowers are receptive to pollen throughout the day, although usually pollination occurs by noon. Flowers close in the afternoon and never reopen, pollinated or not.
How long from flowering stage to ripe fruit?
I live in Tennessee & i bought 6 watermelon plants in June. I planted them on June 5. When should i expect to see watermelon start to come out. There are many yellow flowers on there, but all I see is more male them female. I think there is about 8 male two females. The vines are around 3 to 5 feet long. Thank U,
The male flowers, which open first, will often fall off. The female flowers will follow about a week later so if you have a couple, you're on your way. Both flowers need to open at the same time in the morning with nice warm weather conditions so that your bees can pollinate them.
I rotate my watermelon (carefully); will I still have a white or yellow mark on the bottom?
We do not advise that turn your watermelon or you risk having the vine snap. It is better to place a flat rock, board, or hay underneath the melon to avoid rot or pests.
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