GreenlyWhen to plant watermelons in Pretoria: from 24 August
In Pretoria, watermelon: sow for seedlings from 6 July; plant into a greenhouse from 3 August; plant out into open ground from 24 August. There is no autumn frost here, so the frost dates set no end to the window. For plants and seeds, the places nearby include Stodels (garden centre, 7 km) and Garden centre (garden centre, 13 km); addresses and opening hours are below.
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Watermelon in Pretoria: soil, season and weather
In Pretoria the soil, not frost, sets the date: the last frost is over around 23 July, but the top 7 cm of soil reaches 18 °C — the minimum on the watermelon card — only around 24 August, 32 days later. Pretoria has no autumn frost in the median year, so frost does not end the season.
| Last spring frost | 23 July |
|---|---|
| Top 7 cm of soil at 18 °C | 24 August, 32 days after the last frost |
| Into an unheated greenhouse | from 3 August; August outside: 8.1 °C at night, 23 °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 22 October |
| Daylight | 10:50 on 27 July, 11:24 on 24 August |
| Watering outdoors when fruiting (card) | every 5 days; the driest month, August, has 1 rainy day |
The same dates in Pretoria hold for Cucumber, Bell Pepper, Eggplant, Zucchini and Pumpkin.
Watermelon in Pretoria: care after planting
Planted on 24 August: in the first weeks water every 5 days.
Feeding, by the card’s schedule from that day:
- 24 August — 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 Pretoria during the watermelon season
No month of the season averages above the watermelon card's 18–35 °C by day; the warmest, January, averages 27.9 °C. Nights average below 18 °C in every month of the season, from 8.1 °C to 16.4 °C.
| Month | Day, °C | Night, °C | Rain, mm | Rainy days | Daylight on the 15th |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| August | 23 | 8.1 | 3 | 1 | 11:12 |
| September | 27 | 11.5 | 13 | 3 | 11:55 |
| October | 27.8 | 13.3 | 44 | 7 | 12:40 |
| November | 27.6 | 14.8 | 87 | 11 | 13:22 |
| December | 27.5 | 16.2 | 112 | 15 | 13:44 |
| January | 27.9 | 16.4 | 100 | 12 | 13:34 |
ERA5 2016–2025, Open-Meteo
Watermelon in nearby cities
All the nearest cities on our list plant watermelon later than Pretoria; the closest date is in Caxias do Sul, 8 days later.
| City | Distance | Date | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Johannesburg | 52 km | 6 September – 24 February | 13 days later |
| Bloemfontein | 423 km | 14 September – 23 February | 21 days later |
| Curitiba | 7,640 km | from 3 September | 10 days later |
| Lages | 7,652 km | 24 September – 14 March | 31 days later |
| Caxias do Sul | 7,683 km | 1 September – 7 March | 8 days later |
| Ponta Grossa | 7,737 km | 4 September – 15 March | 11 days later |
Where to buy watermelon plants and seeds near Pretoria
Buy plants ready to set out from 24 August (from 3 August for an unheated greenhouse); seed for raising your own is sown from 6 July. Within 15 km of Pretoria OpenStreetMap lists 15 garden centres, 6 plant nurseries and 3 markets (collected 20 October 2026).
- Afralia Flora Nursery — garden centre
Van der Hoff Road · Mon–Fri 07:30–17:00; Sat 08:00–16:00; public holidays closed · 14 km · afraliaflora.co.za - Stodels — garden centre
Mon–Sun, public holidays 08:00–17:00 · 7 km · stodels.com - Garden centre — garden centre
wekker · Mon–Sun, public holidays 09:00–24:00 · 13 km - Strawberry Pot — garden centre
Hendrik Verwoerd Drive, centurion · 14 km
Places: © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.
- How to grow watermelon
- All frost dates and weather of Pretoria
- Shops and markets: Pretoria
- Selling a surplus in South Africa
- Moon planting calendar for November 2026
- How we calculate the dates
Questions
When to plant watermelons in Pretoria?
In Pretoria, watermelon: sow for seedlings from 6 July; plant into a greenhouse from 3 August; plant out into open ground from 24 August. There is no autumn frost here, so the frost dates set no end to the window.
When to sow watermelons for seedlings in Pretoria?
Sow for seedlings from 6 July.
