When to plant watermelons in Río Gallegos: 12 December – 26 December

In Río Gallegos, watermelon: sow for seedlings from 24 October to 28 November; plant into a greenhouse from 21 November to 26 December; plant out into open ground from 12 December to 26 December.

Watermelon in Río Gallegos: soil, season and weather

In Río Gallegos the soil, not frost, sets the date: the last frost is over around 16 October, but the top 7 cm of soil reaches 18 °C — the minimum on the watermelon card — only around 12 December, 57 days later. 115 days separate planting out (12 December) from the first autumn frost (5 April); the card's 59 days to the first harvest leave 56 for picking, so a start 8 weeks late would still fit.

Last spring frost	16 October
Top 7 cm of soil at 18 °C	12 December, 57 days after the last frost
Into an unheated greenhouse	21 November – 26 December; November outside: 5.8 °C at night, 17 °C by day; card 18–35 °C
First autumn frost	5 April, 115 days after the start
Days in the bed to the first harvest (card)	59
First harvest, if planted in this window	9 February – 23 February
Days left for picking	56
Daylight	15:28 on 14 November, 16:34 on 12 December
Watering outdoors when fruiting (card)	every 5 days; the driest month, April, has 8 rainy days

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

Watermelon in Río Gallegos: care after planting

Planted on 12 December: in the first weeks water every 5 days.

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

12 December — 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 Río Gallegos during the watermelon season

No month of the season averages above the watermelon card's 18–35 °C by day; the warmest, January, averages 19 °C. Months that stay below 18 °C even by day on average: March (15.6 °C) and April (11.9 °C). Nights average below 18 °C in every month of the season, from 3.4 °C to 8.2 °C.

Month	Day, °C	Night, °C	Rain, mm	Rainy days	Daylight on the 15th
December	18.3	7.5	39	10	16:37
January	19	8.2	45	11	16:08
February	18.8	8.2	36	8	14:25
March	15.6	6.2	34	9	12:33
April	11.9	3.4	31	8	10:32

ERA5 2016–2025, Open-Meteo

Watermelon in nearby cities

Around Río Gallegos, Trelew is 51 days earlier and Puerto Montt 17 days later.

City	Distance	Date	Difference
Punta Arenas	206 km	4 November – 27 December	38 days earlier
Ushuaia	360 km	from 19 December	7 days later
Comodoro Rivadavia	653 km	1 November – 12 February	41 days earlier
Coyhaique	704 km	from 10 December	2 days earlier
Trelew	976 km	22 October – 17 February	51 days earlier
Puerto Montt	1,164 km	29 December – 25 February	17 days later

Where to buy watermelon plants and seeds near Río Gallegos

Buy plants ready to set out from 12 December to 26 December (from 21 November to 26 December for an unheated greenhouse); seed for raising your own is sown from 24 October to 28 November. Within 15 km of Río Gallegos OpenStreetMap lists 1 plant nursery (collected 28 October 2026).

Vivero Los Fresnos — plant nursery
0 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