When to plant watermelons in Cuenca: from 16 December

In Cuenca, watermelon: sow for seedlings from 28 October; plant into a greenhouse from 25 November; plant out into open ground from 16 December. There is no autumn frost here, so the frost dates set no end to the window.

Watermelon in Cuenca: soil, season and weather

In the median year the top 7 cm of soil in Cuenca does not reach 18 °C, the minimum on the watermelon card, before August; the date follows the last frost (9 December), and the bed stays cooler than the card asks. Cuenca has no autumn frost in the median year, so frost does not end the season.

Last spring frost	9 December
Into an unheated greenhouse	from 25 November; November outside: 7.6 °C at night, 18.4 °C by day; card 18–35 °C
Days in the bed to the first harvest (card)	59
First harvest, if planted in this window	from 13 February
Daylight	12:15 on 18 November, 12:17 on 16 December
Watering outdoors when fruiting (card)	every 5 days; the driest month, May, has 28 rainy days

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

Watermelon in Cuenca: care after planting

Planted on 16 December: in the first weeks water every 5 days.

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

16 December — 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 Cuenca during the watermelon season

No month of the season averages above the watermelon card's 18–35 °C by day; the warmest, December, averages 18 °C. Months that stay below 18 °C even by day on average: January–May (17–17.8 °C). Nights average below 18 °C in every month of the season, from 8.2 °C to 8.8 °C.

Month	Day, °C	Night, °C	Rain, mm	Rainy days	Daylight on the 15th
December	18	8.2	174	26	12:17
January	17.6	8.3	160	26	12:16
February	17.8	8.8	188	25	12:12
March	17.6	8.6	186	27	12:08
April	17.3	8.5	180	28	12:03
May	17	8.3	158	28	11:59

ERA5 2016–2025, Open-Meteo

Watermelon in nearby cities

All the nearest cities on our list plant watermelon earlier than Cuenca; the closest date is in Cusco, 22 days earlier.

City	Distance	Date	Difference
Ayacucho	1,256 km	7 November – 19 February	39 days earlier
Cusco	1,412 km	24 November – 5 March	22 days earlier
Puno	1,743 km	13 October – 14 January	64 days earlier
La Paz	1,922 km	1 November – 9 January	45 days earlier
Oruro	2,120 km	19 October – 19 January	58 days earlier
Cochabamba	2,135 km	2 September – 12 March	105 days earlier

Where to buy watermelon plants and seeds near Cuenca

Buy plants ready to set out from 16 December (from 25 November for an unheated greenhouse); seed for raising your own is sown from 28 October. Within 15 km of Cuenca OpenStreetMap lists 5 garden centres, 6 farm-supply shops, 21 markets and 5 farm shops (collected 20 October 2026).

Mercado Ricaurte — market
6 km
Plásticos y Descartables — market
1 km
Frutas Doña Rosita — farm shop
7 km
Frutas y Verduras — farm shop
7 km

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