When to plant watermelons in Memphis: 28 April – 14 August

In Memphis, watermelon: sow for seedlings from 10 March to 17 July; plant into a greenhouse from 7 April to 14 August; plant out into open ground from 28 April to 14 August.

Watermelon in Memphis: soil, season and weather

In Memphis the soil, not frost, sets the date: the last frost is over around 10 March, but the top 7 cm of soil reaches 18 °C — the minimum on the watermelon card — only around 28 April, 49 days later.

Last spring frost	10 March
Top 7 cm of soil at 18 °C	28 April, 49 days after the last frost
Into an unheated greenhouse	7 April – 14 August; April outside: 11.6 °C at night, 21.9 °C by day; card 18–35 °C
First autumn frost	23 November, 209 days after the start
Days in the bed to the first harvest (card)	59
First harvest, if planted in this window	26 June – 12 October
Days left for picking	150
Daylight	12:31 on 31 March, 13:30 on 28 April
Watering outdoors when fruiting (card)	every 5 days; the driest month, September, has 8 rainy days

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

Watermelon in Memphis: care after planting

Planted on 28 April: in the first weeks water every 5 days.

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

28 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 Memphis during the watermelon season

No month of the season averages above the watermelon card's 18–35 °C by day; the warmest, July, averages 32.6 °C. Months that stay below 18 °C even by day on average: November (16.7 °C). Nights average below 18 °C in April, May and October, November (7.4–17 °C).

Month	Day, °C	Night, °C	Rain, mm	Rainy days	Daylight on the 15th
April	21.9	11.6	149	11	13:03
May	26.7	17	116	13	14:00
June	30.9	21.2	103	11	14:31
July	32.6	23.6	104	13	14:19
August	31.3	22.5	101	11	13:30
September	29.4	19.8	77	8	12:26
October	23.8	13.9	89	7	11:21
November	16.7	7.4	95	9	10:20

ERA5 2016–2025, Open-Meteo

Watermelon in nearby cities

Around Memphis, Jackson is 43 days earlier and Huntsville 6 days later.

City	Distance	Date	Difference
Little Rock	209 km	22 April – 11 August	6 days earlier
Nashville	316 km	3 May – 5 August	5 days later
Jackson	317 km	16 March – 19 August	43 days earlier
Huntsville	322 km	4 May – 5 August	6 days later
Birmingham (United States)	349 km	9 April – 17 August	19 days earlier
Bowling Green	383 km	4 May – 1 August	6 days later

Where to buy watermelon plants and seeds near Memphis

Buy plants ready to set out from 28 April to 14 August (from 7 April to 14 August for an unheated greenhouse); seed for raising your own is sown from 10 March to 17 July. Within 15 km of Memphis OpenStreetMap lists 1 garden centre and 4 markets (collected 20 October 2026).

Memphis International Fleamarket — market
11 km
Roxie's Grocery — market
North 3rd Street 520, 38105 Memphis · 1 km
Memphis Farmers Market — market
South Front Street · 2 km · memphisfarmersmarket.org
Raleigh Farmers Market — market
Frayser Raleigh Road 3785 · Sat[3] 09:00–12:00 · 13 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