When to plant watermelons in Annapolis: 8 May – 10 August

In Annapolis, watermelon: sow for seedlings from 20 March to 13 July; plant into a greenhouse from 17 April to 10 August; plant out into open ground from 8 May to 10 August. For plants and seeds, the places nearby include Homestead Gardens (garden centre, 13 km) and Anne Arundel County Lawn and Garden Center (garden centre, 15 km); addresses and opening hours are below.

Watermelon in Annapolis: soil, season and weather

In Annapolis the soil, not frost, sets the date: the last frost is over around 29 March, but the top 7 cm of soil reaches 18 °C — the minimum on the watermelon card — only around 8 May, 40 days later.

Last spring frost	29 March
Top 7 cm of soil at 18 °C	8 May, 40 days after the last frost
Into an unheated greenhouse	17 April – 10 August; April outside: 8.6 °C at night, 18.3 °C by day; card 18–35 °C
First autumn frost	19 November, 195 days after the start
Days in the bed to the first harvest (card)	59
First harvest, if planted in this window	6 July – 8 October
Days left for picking	136
Daylight	13:00 on 10 April, 14:04 on 8 May
Watering outdoors when fruiting (card)	every 5 days; the driest month, November, has 8 rainy days

The same dates in Annapolis hold for Cucumber, Bell Pepper, Eggplant, Zucchini and Pumpkin.

Watermelon in Annapolis: care after planting

Planted on 8 May: in the first weeks water every 5 days.

Feeding, by the card’s schedule from that day:

8 May — feed: balanced (NPK)

Pests and diseases of watermelon to watch for:

Dates count from the first planting day of the window above; a later planting moves them by as many days.

Weather in Annapolis during the watermelon season

No month of the season averages above the watermelon card's 18–35 °C by day; the warmest, July, averages 30.1 °C. Months that stay below 18 °C even by day on average: November (13.5 °C). Nights average below 18 °C in May (13.7 °C), October (12 °C) and November (5.5 °C).

Month	Day, °C	Night, °C	Rain, mm	Rainy days	Daylight on the 15th
May	22.4	13.7	156	15	14:17
June	27.6	18.6	137	13	14:53
July	30.1	21.9	200	16	14:39
August	28.5	20.8	158	14	13:43
September	25.5	18	145	12	12:29
October	20.1	12	106	9	11:14
November	13.5	5.5	83	8	10:04

ERA5 2016–2025, Open-Meteo

Watermelon in nearby cities

Around Annapolis, Washington, D.C. is 4 days earlier and Harrisburg 17 days later.

City	Distance	Date	Difference
Baltimore	37 km	5 May – 13 August	3 days earlier
Washington, D.C.	47 km	4 May – 7 August	4 days earlier
Dover	87 km	11 May – 17 August	3 days later
Hagerstown	129 km	23 May – 2 August	15 days later
Harrisburg	148 km	25 May – 2 August	17 days later
Philadelphia	158 km	14 May – 2 August	6 days later

Where to buy watermelon plants and seeds near Annapolis

Buy plants ready to set out from 8 May to 10 August (from 17 April to 10 August for an unheated greenhouse); seed for raising your own is sown from 20 March to 13 July. Within 15 km of Annapolis OpenStreetMap lists 6 garden centres and 1 farm shop (collected 28 October 2026).

Anne Arundel County Lawn and Garden Center — garden centre
Jumpers Hole Road 478, 22146 Severna Park · 15 km
Homestead Gardens — garden centre
Mon–Sun 10:00–17:00 · 13 km
Riva Gardens — garden centre
8 km
Anne Arundel County Farmer's Market — farm shop
5 km

Each window starts on the Greenly calendar date and ends on the last day that still leaves the crop’s days to harvest (from its card) before the average first autumn frost, plus six weeks of picking for crops harvested over weeks (tomatoes, peppers, aubergines, cucumbers, courgettes, pumpkins, watermelons, beans) — our rule; earlier in the window is safer.

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