Growing Watermelon

Cucurbitaceae c. lanatus : Cucurbitaceae / the gourd family

Jan F M A M J J A S O N Dec
              S S S S  
                  T T T
                  P P  

(Best months for growing Watermelon in Australia - temperate regions)

  • S = Plant undercover in seed trays
  • T = Plant out (transplant) seedlings
  • P = Sow seed

August: Frost tender Start under cover

  • Grow in seed trays, and plant out in 4-6 weeks. Sow seed at a depth approximately three times the diameter of the seed. Best planted at soil temperatures between 70°F and 95°F. (Show °C/cm)
  • Space plants: 24 - 30 inches apart
  • Harvest in 12-17 weeks.
  • Compatible with (can grow beside): Sweetcorn, Sunflowers
  • Avoid growing close to: Potatoes

Your comments and tips

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15 Jan 20, Another gardener (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
I'm sub-tropical Qld - they plant seedlings here late august and pick the melons up until Xmas. Planting later leaves you wide open to heavy rain, hot weather. A lot of rain when the melons are fully developed and they can/will split. Water melon seeds I threw in the garden in Oct germinated within 2-3 weeks. Here you can grow a spring and autumn crop. I would suggest you planted too late. If not growing I don't think the soil is very fertile.
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16 Nov 19, Anne Hay (Australia - temperate climate)
What sort of of soil should be used for growing watermelon. Should they be grown in the sun or shade and what do you feed them please.
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18 Nov 19, Another gardener (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Any reasonable soil just not heavy clay soil. In the sun and any general vegie fert. If you prepare your soil well before planting by adding compost, manures, organic fert, inorganic fert, then that is enough to grow the crop. I have never used any of these soil enhancing products. If you grow pretty good crops without them why waste money putting all that stuff on.
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04 Nov 19, (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
What fertiliser do you use and where do you put it. Also how often do you water?
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05 Nov 19, (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
It is best to prepare your soil and add the fertiliser (compost, manures, in-organic fert , organic fert) when preparing it unless you want to use these soil enhancers that have very little NPK.
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05 Nov 19, anon (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Most veges just need an all round fertiliser. Leafy veges a bit more N, fruity/root veges a bit more P/ K. Read up about what N P K does in the soil. that will determine what you put on. But it is impossible to go and buy 20 different fertilisers for 20 different plants. I buy the same fertiliser to fertilise all my vegetable, lawn and shrubs. Also look at crop rotation. A leafy crop will take the N out, so you might plant a root crop after. When plants are very small they need a light watering each day, as they grow you can water less often but put more water on. Plants half grown need watering each 2-3 days. The amount depends on how big that plant grows. You would water lettuce a lot less than 1.8m high tomatoes. I water 3 days a week.
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23 Sep 19, jamie clodial (Australia - tropical climate)
what are the harvesting conditions to grow watermelon
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30 Sep 19, Anon (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Are you growing them or harvesting them?
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30 Apr 19, bella (Australia - temperate climate)
it doesn't have any sowing depth or distance or the proper months to plant
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30 Apr 19, Liz (New Zealand - temperate climate)
Look up individual plants e.g. /www.gardenate.com/plant/Watermelon?zone=2 for information on planting etc.
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It is now the beginning of August 2022 and I was wondering if it is possible to grow watermelons from seed in grow zone 9a (Houston Texas) if I grow them in a giant pot and keep it in a shady area of my yard out of the extreme heat we are experiencxing now in Texas? I planted some seeds (direct seeded into the top of a compost pile I have in direct sunlight) they did germinate into very small seedling plants, but because the weather was hitting over 100 degrees they immediately died back. So I am attempting to grow some in a large pot and keeping them out of direct sunlight and seeing if they will continue growing, if so I will try to grow them vertically on a trellis. Has anyone else ever attempted such a experiment? If so, were they successful in getting a watermelon to grow out of season?

- rhonda

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This planting guide is a general reference intended for home gardeners. We recommend that you take into account your local conditions in making planting decisions. Gardenate is not a farming or commercial advisory service. For specific advice, please contact your local plant suppliers, gardening groups, or agricultural department. The information on this site is presented in good faith, but we take no responsibility as to the accuracy of the information provided.
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