Classic summer fruit requiring heat, space, and patience. Smaller icebox varieties work for limited spaces. Nothing beats the taste of a sun-warmed homegrown melon.
Planting calendar
Start seeds indoors
3 weeks before your last spring frost.
Direct sow / transplant
2 weeks after your last spring frost.
Needs very warm soil (70°F+) and a long warm season; use black plastic mulch to warm soil
Spacing & harvest
Plant spacing: 36-60 inches
Row spacing: 72-96 inches
Days to harvest: 70-90 days
Ready when: Tendril nearest the fruit turns brown and dry; ground spot changes from white to yellow; thumping produces a deep hollow sound
Companion planting
Plant near
Corn — Provides windbreak and does not compete for ground space
Lawn Guardian turns this guidance into a schedule timed to your USDA zone and this week's actual weather — and adapts every time you log what you've done.