When to plant watermelons in Jackson: 16 March – 19 August

In Jackson, watermelon: sow for seedlings from 26 January to 22 July; plant into a greenhouse from 23 February to 19 August; plant out into open ground from 16 March to 19 August.

Watermelon in Jackson: soil, season and weather

In Jackson the soil, not frost, sets the date: the last frost is over around 24 February, but the top 7 cm of soil reaches 18 °C — the minimum on the watermelon card — only around 16 March, 20 days later.

Last spring frost	24 February
Top 7 cm of soil at 18 °C	16 March, 20 days after the last frost
Into an unheated greenhouse	23 February – 19 August; February outside: 7.2 °C at night, 18.2 °C by day; card 18–35 °C
First autumn frost	28 November, 257 days after the start
Days in the bed to the first harvest (card)	59
First harvest, if planted in this window	14 May – 17 October
Days left for picking	198
Daylight	11:04 on 16 February, 11:59 on 16 March
Watering outdoors when fruiting (card)	every 5 days; the driest month, September, has 9 rainy days

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

Watermelon in Jackson: care after planting

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

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

16 March — 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 Jackson during the watermelon season

No month of the season averages above the watermelon card's 18–35 °C by day; the warmest, July, averages 32.9 °C. Nights average below 18 °C in March–May and October, November (9–17.6 °C).

Month	Day, °C	Night, °C	Rain, mm	Rainy days	Daylight on the 15th
March	21.3	10.4	148	12	11:57
April	24.1	12.9	185	10	12:57
May	28.3	17.6	139	12	13:48
June	31.8	21.3	115	13	14:15
July	32.9	23.1	115	17	14:05
August	32.5	22.7	132	15	13:22
September	30.9	20.2	77	9	12:24
October	26.5	14.8	77	7	11:25
November	20.1	9	92	9	10:31

ERA5 2016–2025, Open-Meteo

Watermelon in nearby cities

Around Jackson, New Orleans is 21 days earlier and Memphis 43 days later.

City	Distance	Date	Difference
Baton Rouge	227 km	3 March – 30 August	13 days earlier
Gulfport	236 km	25 February – 15 August	19 days earlier
New Orleans	261 km	23 February – 5 September	21 days earlier
Mobile	268 km	24 February – 5 September	20 days earlier
Lafayette	290 km	1 March – 27 August	15 days earlier
Memphis	317 km	28 April – 14 August	43 days later

Where to buy watermelon plants and seeds near Jackson

Buy plants ready to set out from 16 March to 19 August (from 23 February to 19 August for an unheated greenhouse); seed for raising your own is sown from 26 January to 22 July. Within 15 km of Jackson OpenStreetMap lists 1 garden centre, 5 farm-supply shops and 1 market (collected 28 October 2026).

Carrier Transicold -Southern States Utility — farm supply
7 km
Williams Equipment and Supply — farm supply
7 km
Lyle Machinery — farm supply
7 km
Alsalam Market — market
12 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