When to plant watermelons in Bakersfield: 2 April – 4 September

In Bakersfield, watermelon: sow for seedlings from 12 February to 7 August; plant into a greenhouse from 12 March to 4 September; plant out into open ground from 2 April to 4 September.

Watermelon in Bakersfield: soil, season and weather

In Bakersfield the soil, not frost, sets the date: the last frost is over around 16 February, but the top 7 cm of soil reaches 18 °C — the minimum on the watermelon card — only around 2 April, 45 days later.

Last spring frost	16 February
Top 7 cm of soil at 18 °C	2 April, 45 days after the last frost
Into an unheated greenhouse	12 March – 4 September; March outside: 7.7 °C at night, 21.5 °C by day; card 18–35 °C
First autumn frost	14 December, 256 days after the start
Days in the bed to the first harvest (card)	59
First harvest, if planted in this window	31 May – 2 November
Days left for picking	197
Daylight	11:33 on 5 March, 12:36 on 2 April
Watering outdoors when fruiting (card)	every 5 days; the driest month, July, has 0 rainy days

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

Watermelon in Bakersfield: care after planting

Planted on 2 April: in the first weeks water every 5 days.

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

2 April — 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 Bakersfield during the watermelon season

Days average above the watermelon card's 18–35 °C in June–September (35.7–40.7 °C). Months that stay below 18 °C even by day on average: December (16.3 °C). Nights average below 18 °C in April, May and October–December (4.3–15.7 °C).

Month	Day, °C	Night, °C	Rain, mm	Rainy days	Daylight on the 15th
April	27.2	11.5	24	4	13:04
May	31.6	15.7	11	2	14:01
June	37.3	20.3	1	0	14:32
July	40.7	23.7	0	0	14:20
August	39.5	22.7	6	0	13:31
September	35.7	19	4	1	12:26
October	29	12.7	7	1	11:20
November	21.2	6.9	33	4	10:19
December	16.3	4.3	50	6	9:47

ERA5 2016–2025, Open-Meteo

Watermelon in nearby cities

Around Bakersfield, Las Vegas is 1 day earlier and Santa Barbara 42 days later.

City	Distance	Date	Difference
Santa Barbara	122 km	14 May – 5 September	42 days later
Fresno	168 km	10 April – 26 August	8 days later
Riverside	217 km	2 April – 9 September	same day
San Jose	338 km	from 25 April	23 days later
Stockton	352 km	24 April – 24 August	22 days later
Las Vegas	361 km	1 April – 2 September	1 day earlier

Where to buy watermelon plants and seeds near Bakersfield

Buy plants ready to set out from 2 April to 4 September (from 12 March to 4 September for an unheated greenhouse); seed for raising your own is sown from 12 February to 7 August. Within 15 km of Bakersfield OpenStreetMap lists 1 market (collected 28 October 2026).

Haggin Oaks Farmers Market — market
Ming Avenue 8800, 93311 Bakersfield · 8 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.

Questions