When to plant watermelons in Izmir: 13 May – 28 August

In Izmir, watermelon: sow for seedlings from 25 March to 31 July; plant into a greenhouse from 22 April to 28 August; plant out into open ground from 13 May to 28 August.

Watermelon in Izmir: soil, season and weather

In Izmir the soil, not frost, sets the date: the last frost is over around 19 March, but the top 7 cm of soil reaches 18 °C — the minimum on the watermelon card — only around 13 May, 55 days later.

Last spring frost	19 March
Top 7 cm of soil at 18 °C	13 May, 55 days after the last frost
Into an unheated greenhouse	22 April – 28 August; April outside: 8.3 °C at night, 18.6 °C by day; card 18–35 °C
First autumn frost	7 December, 208 days after the start
Days in the bed to the first harvest (card)	59
First harvest, if planted in this window	11 July – 26 October
Days left for picking	149
Daylight	13:11 on 15 April, 14:11 on 13 May
Watering outdoors when fruiting (card)	every 5 days; the driest month, July, has 1 rainy day

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

Watermelon in Izmir: care after planting

Planted on 13 May: in the first weeks water every 5 days.

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

13 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 Izmir during the watermelon season

No month of the season averages above the watermelon card's 18–35 °C by day; the warmest, July, averages 33.1 °C. Months that stay below 18 °C even by day on average: November (16.2 °C) and December (10.9 °C). Nights average below 18 °C in May, June and September–December (4–17.5 °C).

Month	Day, °C	Night, °C	Rain, mm	Rainy days	Daylight on the 15th
May	23.4	12.6	53	8	14:15
June	28.9	17.5	36	6	14:50
July	33.1	20.4	3	1	14:36
August	32.6	20.5	6	2	13:41
September	27.9	16.6	19	3	12:29
October	21.7	11.9	34	4	11:15
November	16.2	7.9	94	9	10:07
December	10.9	4	103	10	9:30

ERA5 2016–2025, Open-Meteo

Watermelon in nearby cities

Around Izmir, Athens is 29 days earlier and Bursa 4 days later.

City	Distance	Date	Difference
Bursa	258 km	17 May – 27 August	4 days later
Athens	301 km	from 14 April	29 days earlier
Istanbul	329 km	11 May – 16 September	2 days earlier
Eskişehir	329 km	10 May – 26 July	3 days earlier
Antalya	357 km	27 April – 19 September	16 days earlier
Konya	473 km	28 April – 31 July	15 days earlier

Where to buy watermelon plants and seeds near Izmir

Buy plants ready to set out from 13 May to 28 August (from 22 April to 28 August for an unheated greenhouse); seed for raising your own is sown from 25 March to 31 July. Within 15 km of Izmir OpenStreetMap lists 47 markets and 3 farm shops (collected 28 October 2026).

Balatçık Mahallesi Pazar Yeri — market
Sun sunrise–sunset · 13 km
Harmandalı Kapalı Pazar Alanı — market
8986. Sokak, 35650 İzmir · 13 km
Yenişehir Pazar Yeri — market
1137. Sokak · 2 km
Kahramanlar Pazar Yeri — market
Fri 09:00–17:00 · 2 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