Annual vegetable
Watermelon plant profile
Citrullus lanatus
An annual vegetable for full sun.
Last updated .
When to plant
When to plant Watermelon
Transplant outdoors
at your last spring frost to 2 weeks after your last spring frost
Direct sow
at your last spring frost to 2 weeks after your last spring frost
Growing conditions
- Sun
- Full sun
- Planting depth
- 1 in
- Lifecycle
- Annual
- Spacing
- 60 to 72 in apart, rows 72 in
- Days to maturity
- 85 to 90 days (from transplant)
Common problems
Watch for these
- poor pollination
- blossom end rot
- cucumber beetles
- squash bug
- aphids
- anthracnose
- powdery mildew
- root knot nematodes
Also watch for: gummy stem blight.
By hardiness zone
Watermelon by zone
Planting dates for a typical location in each zone:
Evidence trail
Evidence behind this profile
Original extension and institutional publications behind the planting, care, and safety facts on this page.
- Watermelons (HGIC 1325)
Clemson Cooperative Extension, Home & Garden Information Center. Supports direct-sowing timing (normalized), outdoor transplant timing (normalized), days to maturity (direct), plant and row spacing (direct), planting depth (direct), and common problems (direct). Checked 2026-06-11.