When to plant watermelons in Charleston, West Virginia: 15 May – 29 July

In Charleston, West Virginia, watermelon: sow for seedlings from 27 March to 1 July; plant into a greenhouse from 24 April to 29 July; plant out into open ground from 15 May to 29 July. For plants and seeds, the places nearby include Green's Feed & Seed (farm supply, 1 km) and Stinger Produce Market (farm shop, 12 km); addresses and opening hours are below.

Watermelon in Charleston, West Virginia: soil, season and weather

In Charleston, West Virginia the soil, not frost, sets the date: the last frost is over around 10 April, but the top 7 cm of soil reaches 18 °C — the minimum on the watermelon card — only around 15 May, 35 days later.

Last spring frost	10 April
Top 7 cm of soil at 18 °C	15 May, 35 days after the last frost
Into an unheated greenhouse	24 April – 29 July; April outside: 7.7 °C at night, 19.4 °C by day; card 18–35 °C
First autumn frost	7 November, 176 days after the start
Days in the bed to the first harvest (card)	59
First harvest, if planted in this window	13 July – 26 September
Days left for picking	117
Daylight	13:15 on 17 April, 14:14 on 15 May
Watering outdoors when fruiting (card)	every 5 days; the driest month, November, has 10 rainy days

The same dates in Charleston, West Virginia hold for Cucumber, Bell Pepper, Eggplant, Zucchini and Pumpkin.

Watermelon in Charleston, West Virginia: care after planting

Planted on 15 May: in the first weeks water every 5 days.

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

15 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 Charleston, West Virginia 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 °C. Months that stay below 18 °C even by day on average: November (13.9 °C). Nights average below 18 °C in May, June and September–November (3.8–17.2 °C).

Month	Day, °C	Night, °C	Rain, mm	Rainy days	Daylight on the 15th
May	23.2	13.1	141	17	14:14
June	27.8	17.2	118	14	14:49
July	30	19.9	122	15	14:36
August	28.8	18.8	104	14	13:41
September	26.4	16.1	91	9	12:28
October	20.8	10.3	82	9	11:15
November	13.9	3.8	74	10	10:07

ERA5 2016–2025, Open-Meteo

Watermelon in nearby cities

Around Charleston, West Virginia, Cincinnati is 2 days earlier and Pittsburgh 11 days later.

City	Distance	Date	Difference
Columbus	214 km	20 May – 24 July	5 days later
Lexington	252 km	15 May – 29 July	same day
Cincinnati	264 km	13 May – 31 July	2 days earlier
Dayton	271 km	16 May – 31 July	1 day later
Pittsburgh	271 km	26 May – 31 July	11 days later
Frankfort	283 km	13 May – 25 July	2 days earlier

Where to buy watermelon plants and seeds near Charleston, West Virginia

Buy plants ready to set out from 15 May to 29 July (from 24 April to 29 July for an unheated greenhouse); seed for raising your own is sown from 27 March to 1 July. Within 15 km of Charleston, West Virginia OpenStreetMap lists 1 garden centre, 1 farm-supply shop, 3 markets and 1 farm shop (collected 28 October 2026).

Green's Feed & Seed — farm supply
Piedmont Road 314, Charleston · Mon–Fri 08:00–17:00; Sat 08:00–14:00 · 1 km · greensfeed.com
East End Bazaar — market
Washington Street East 1429, 25301 Charleston · Sat 10:00–15:00 · 1 km · charlestonwv.com
Stinger Produce Market — farm shop
Archibald Drive 16, 25112 Institute · 12 km
Valley Gardens — garden centre
1 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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