When to plant watermelons in Wilmington: 2 April – 22 August

In Wilmington, watermelon: sow for seedlings from 12 February to 25 July; plant into a greenhouse from 12 March to 22 August; plant out into open ground from 2 April to 22 August. For plants and seeds, the places nearby include Walmart Garden Center (garden centre, 4 km) and The Transplanted Garden (garden centre, 4 km); addresses and opening hours are below.

Watermelon in Wilmington: soil, season and weather

In Wilmington the soil, not frost, sets the date: the last frost is over around 8 March, but the top 7 cm of soil reaches 18 °C — the minimum on the watermelon card — only around 2 April, 25 days later.

Last spring frost	8 March
Top 7 cm of soil at 18 °C	2 April, 25 days after the last frost
Into an unheated greenhouse	12 March – 22 August; March outside: 9.2 °C at night, 19.6 °C by day; card 18–35 °C
First autumn frost	1 December, 243 days after the start
Days in the bed to the first harvest (card)	59
First harvest, if planted in this window	31 May – 20 October
Days left for picking	184
Daylight	11:34 on 5 March, 12:34 on 2 April
Watering outdoors when fruiting (card)	every 5 days; the driest month, October, has 7 rainy days

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

Watermelon in Wilmington: care after planting

Planted on 2 April: in the first weeks water every 5 days.

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

2 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 Wilmington during the watermelon season

No month of the season averages above the watermelon card's 18–35 °C by day; the warmest, July, averages 31.2 °C. Months that stay below 18 °C even by day on average: December (15.4 °C). Nights average below 18 °C in April, May and October–December (6–17.5 °C).

Month	Day, °C	Night, °C	Rain, mm	Rainy days	Daylight on the 15th
April	23.3	12.9	93	9	13:01
May	26.9	17.5	129	13	13:56
June	29.7	21.1	138	16	14:25
July	31.2	23.5	168	21	14:14
August	30.3	22.7	207	18	13:27
September	28.3	20.2	227	12	12:25
October	24.1	15.2	70	7	11:22
November	19.1	9.3	78	7	10:24
December	15.4	6	118	9	9:53

ERA5 2016–2025, Open-Meteo

Watermelon in nearby cities

Around Wilmington, Charleston is 21 days earlier and Richmond 28 days later.

City	Distance	Date	Difference
Raleigh	186 km	18 April – 10 August	16 days later
Charleston	247 km	12 March – 10 September	21 days earlier
Greensboro	269 km	28 April – 4 August	26 days later
Columbia	290 km	28 March – 20 August	5 days earlier
Charlotte	292 km	13 April – 4 August	11 days later
Richmond	373 km	30 April – 7 August	28 days later

Where to buy watermelon plants and seeds near Wilmington

Buy plants ready to set out from 2 April to 22 August (from 12 March to 22 August for an unheated greenhouse); seed for raising your own is sown from 12 February to 25 July. Within 15 km of Wilmington OpenStreetMap lists 2 garden centres (collected 29 October 2026).

The Transplanted Garden — garden centre
South 16th Street 502, 28401 Wilmington · Feb 02–Oct 31: Mon–Fri 09:00–18:00; Sat 09:00–17:00; Sun 11:00–16:00; Nov 01–Feb 01: Mon–Fri 09:00–17:00; Sat 09:00–17:00; Sun 11:00–16:00 · 4 km · transplantedgarden.com
Walmart Garden Center — garden centre
Sigmon Road 5226, 28403 Wilmington · 24/7 · 4 km · walmart.com

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.

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