GreenlyWhen to plant watermelons in Napier: from 3 November
In Napier, watermelon: sow for seedlings from 15 September; plant into a greenhouse from 13 October; plant out into open ground from 3 November. There is no autumn frost here, so the frost dates set no end to the window.
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Watermelon in Napier: soil, season and weather
In Napier the soil, not frost, sets the date: the last frost is over around 31 July, but the top 7 cm of soil reaches 18 °C — the minimum on the watermelon card — only around 3 November, 95 days later. Napier has no autumn frost in the median year, so frost does not end the season.
| Last spring frost | 31 July |
|---|---|
| Top 7 cm of soil at 18 °C | 3 November, 95 days after the last frost |
| Into an unheated greenhouse | from 13 October; October outside: 10.6 °C at night, 19.3 °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 1 January |
| Daylight | 12:42 on 6 October, 13:51 on 3 November |
| Watering outdoors when fruiting (card) | every 5 days; the driest month, April, has 8 rainy days |
The same dates in Napier hold for Cucumber, Bell Pepper, Eggplant, Zucchini and Pumpkin.
Watermelon in Napier: care after planting
Planted on 3 November: in the first weeks water every 5 days.
Feeding, by the card’s schedule from that day:
- 3 November — 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 Napier during the watermelon season
No month of the season averages above the watermelon card's 18–35 °C by day; the warmest, January, averages 24.3 °C. Nights average below 18 °C in every month of the season, from 12.1 °C to 16.2 °C.
| Month | Day, °C | Night, °C | Rain, mm | Rainy days | Daylight on the 15th |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| November | 21.5 | 13.1 | 88 | 11 | 14:17 |
| December | 23.6 | 15.2 | 89 | 12 | 14:56 |
| January | 24.3 | 16.1 | 84 | 10 | 14:39 |
| February | 24.1 | 16.2 | 92 | 8 | 13:35 |
| March | 22 | 14.2 | 90 | 10 | 12:23 |
| April | 19.9 | 12.1 | 66 | 8 | 11:04 |
ERA5 2016–2025, Open-Meteo
Watermelon in nearby cities
All the nearest cities on our list plant watermelon later than Napier; the closest date is in Gisborne, 4 days later.
| City | Distance | Date | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gisborne | 133 km | from 7 November | 4 days later |
| Palmerston North | 147 km | 4 December – 11 March | 31 days later |
| Rotorua | 161 km | 10 December – 14 February | 37 days later |
| Tauranga | 210 km | from 4 December | 31 days later |
| Hamilton (New Zealand) | 237 km | 3 December – 5 March | 30 days later |
| Wellington | 269 km | from 17 December | 44 days later |
Where to buy watermelon plants and seeds near Napier
Buy plants ready to set out from 3 November (from 13 October for an unheated greenhouse); seed for raising your own is sown from 15 September. Within 15 km of Napier OpenStreetMap lists 3 garden centres, 2 markets and 2 farm shops (collected 20 October 2026).
- Oderings — garden centre
9 km · oderings.co.nz - Meeanee Garden Crafts — garden centre
6 km - Green Garden — market
8 km - Taste of summer — farm shop
9 km
Places: © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.
- How to grow watermelon
- All frost dates and weather of Napier
- Shops and markets: Napier
- Selling a surplus in New Zealand
- Moon planting calendar for November 2026
- How we calculate the dates
Questions
When to plant watermelons in Napier?
In Napier, watermelon: sow for seedlings from 15 September; plant into a greenhouse from 13 October; plant out into open ground from 3 November. There is no autumn frost here, so the frost dates set no end to the window.
When to sow watermelons for seedlings in Napier?
Sow for seedlings from 15 September.
