Watermelon
How far apart to plant watermelons, how many fit your bed, when to plant them and how many you need.
- In the row
- 36 to 48 in
- Between rows
- 60 to 120 in
- Per square foot
- 0.5
- Planting depth
- 1 to 1.5 in
- Sow outdoors
- 1 to 2 weeks after last frost
- Plants per person
- 3 to 4 fresh
How many fit a raised bed
| Bed | At 42 in spacing | Square foot method |
|---|---|---|
| 4 x 4 ft | 1 | 8 |
| 4 x 8 ft | 2 | 16 |
| 3 x 6 ft | 0 | 9 |
Square grid with half the spacing kept clear at the bed edges.
Watermelon is sown 1 to 2 weeks after the last frost once the soil is above 65 to 70°F; vine crop roots resent disturbance, so direct seeding or small, young transplants work best.
A melon is ripe when the curly tendril opposite it is brown and withered, the ground spot has turned from white to yellow and the skin has gone dull.
Watermelon calculators
Sources
- Virginia's Home Garden Vegetable Planting Guide: Recommended Planting Dates and Amounts to Plant (426-331), Virginia Cooperative Extension, Virginia Tech
- CMG GardenNotes #720: Vegetable Planting Guide, Colorado State University Extension
- How To: Square Foot Garden, UC Cooperative Extension Master Gardeners of Tulare-Kings Counties
- Watermelons: Key Growing Information, Johnny's Selected Seeds
- Soil temperature conditions for vegetable seed germination, Oregon State University Extension Service
- How to Grow Watermelon in Your Garden, Utah State University Extension