When to plant watermelons in Reno: 29 April – 19 July

In Reno, watermelon: sow for seedlings from 11 March to 21 June; plant into a greenhouse from 8 April to 19 July; plant out into open ground from 29 April to 19 July. For plants and seeds, the places nearby include Micano Home & Garden Decor (garden centre, 2 km) and Walmart Garden Center (garden centre, 5 km); addresses and opening hours are below.

Watermelon in Reno: soil, season and weather

In Reno the soil, not frost, sets the date: the last frost is over around 16 April, but the top 7 cm of soil reaches 18 °C — the minimum on the watermelon card — only around 29 April, 13 days later.

Last spring frost	16 April
Top 7 cm of soil at 18 °C	29 April, 13 days after the last frost
Into an unheated greenhouse	8 April – 19 July; April outside: 4.2 °C at night, 17.8 °C by day; card 18–35 °C
First autumn frost	28 October, 182 days after the start
Days in the bed to the first harvest (card)	59
First harvest, if planted in this window	27 June – 16 September
Days left for picking	123
Daylight	12:38 on 1 April, 13:47 on 29 April
Watering outdoors when fruiting (card)	every 5 days; the driest month, July, has 1 rainy day

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

Watermelon in Reno: care after planting

Planted on 29 April: in the first weeks water every 5 days.

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

29 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 Reno during the watermelon season

No month of the season averages above the watermelon card's 18–35 °C by day; the warmest, July, averages 34.2 °C. Months that stay below 18 °C even by day on average: April (17.8 °C). Nights average below 18 °C in every month of the season, from 4.2 °C to 17.1 °C.

Month	Day, °C	Night, °C	Rain, mm	Rainy days	Daylight on the 15th
April	17.8	4.2	26	5	13:13
May	22.6	8.4	23	5	14:20
June	29.5	13.7	6	2	14:57
July	34.2	17.1	3	1	14:42
August	32.7	16.6	7	2	13:45
September	27.7	13	13	2	12:29
October	20.3	7.1	37	4	11:13

ERA5 2016–2025, Open-Meteo

Watermelon in nearby cities

Around Reno, Fresno is 19 days earlier and Carson City 14 days later.

City	Distance	Date	Difference
Carson City	41 km	13 May – 13 July	14 days later
Sacramento	179 km	24 April – 1 September	5 days earlier
Stockton	217 km	24 April – 24 August	5 days earlier
Redding	249 km	28 April – 1 September	1 day earlier
San Jose	303 km	from 25 April	4 days earlier
Fresno	309 km	10 April – 26 August	19 days earlier

Where to buy watermelon plants and seeds near Reno

Buy plants ready to set out from 29 April to 19 July (from 8 April to 19 July for an unheated greenhouse); seed for raising your own is sown from 11 March to 21 June. Within 15 km of Reno OpenStreetMap lists 8 garden centres, 1 farm-supply shop and 3 markets (collected 20 October 2026).

Walmart Garden Center — garden centre
West 7th Street 5260, 89523 Reno · Mon–Sun 06:00–24:00 · 5 km · walmart.com
Walmart Garden Center — garden centre
Pyramid Way 5065, 89436 Sparks · 24/7 · 8 km · walmart.com
Moana Nursery — garden centre
South Virginia Street 11301, Reno · 12 km · moananursery.com
Micano Home & Garden Decor — garden centre
South Virginia Street 1350, 89502 Reno · 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