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When to plant melons

Squash family, Cucumis melo

Spacing
36″ apart
Per sq ft
1 per 4
To harvest
70–90 days
Frost
Tender

Companion plants for melons

What to grow next to melons, what to keep away, and what is only tradition. Every pairing says how strong the evidence is.

Grow together 1

Helps, or shares the bed well.

  • Sweet corn Practical Vines run happily under corn and use the space between rows.

    Sweet corn guide

Keep apart 1

Shared pests, disease or competition.

  • Cucumber Practical They don’t cross-pollinate into strange fruit (a common myth), but they share cucumber beetles, mildew and bacterial wilt. Spread them out if you can.

    Cucumber guide

Studied Field or lab research shows an effect, at least under some conditions.
Mixed Some studies find an effect, others don’t, or it only works in a narrow way.
Practical Explained by light, space, timing, support or a shared pest or disease.
Tradition Widely repeated, but with little or no evidence behind it.

See every pairing side by side in the companion planting chart, or try them in a bed with the garden planner.

When to plant melons by city

Start melons indoors 3–4 weeks before your last frost, plant them out 2–4 weeks after your last frost, or sow seed outdoors 2–4 weeks after your last frost, once the soil is at least 70°F. Here is what that means for 2027 in cities across the US, using each city’s average frost dates and the date its normal daily temperature reaches 65°F, so cool-spring places like Seattle wait for real warmth (NOAA 1991–2020). Pick the city with the climate most like yours, or enter your ZIP code above.

City Last frost Start indoors Plant out Sow outdoors
Seattle, WA (9a) Mar 13 May 19–26 Jun 30 – Jul 14 Jun 30 – Jul 14
Portland, OR (8b) Feb 25 May 14–21 Jun 25 – Jul 9 Jun 25 – Jul 9
Sacramento, CA (9b) Jan 12 Mar 21–28 May 2–16 May 2–16
Phoenix, AZ (10a) Jan 5 Jan 26 – Feb 2 Mar 9–23 Mar 9–23
Salt Lake City, UT (7b) Mar 31 Apr 12–19 May 24 – Jun 7 May 24 – Jun 7
Denver, CO (6a) Apr 30 Apr 18–25 May 30 – Jun 13 May 30 – Jun 13
Dallas, TX (8b) Mar 2 Feb 23 – Mar 2 Apr 6–20 Apr 6–20
Minneapolis, MN (5a) Apr 23 Apr 22–29 Jun 3–17 Jun 3–17
Kansas City, MO (6b) Apr 4 Mar 29 – Apr 5 May 10–24 May 10–24
Chicago, IL (6b) Apr 10 Apr 25 – May 2 Jun 6–20 Jun 6–20
Columbus, OH (6b) Apr 20 Apr 11–18 May 23 – Jun 6 May 23 – Jun 6
Nashville, TN (7b) Apr 1 Mar 24–31 May 5–19 May 5–19
Atlanta, GA (8a) Mar 24 Mar 16–23 Apr 27 – May 11 Apr 27 – May 11
Raleigh, NC (8a) Mar 28 Mar 20–27 May 1–15 May 1–15
Philadelphia, PA (7b) Mar 30 Mar 31 – Apr 7 May 12–26 May 12–26
Boston, MA (7a) Apr 4 Apr 24 – May 1 Jun 5–19 Jun 5–19

In frost-free parts of Florida, southern California and the Gulf Coast, timing is about heat instead: plant melons in late winter or early spring and again in late summer.

Don’t go by the calendar alone. Melons planted into cold soil sit still for weeks; wait until the soil 4 inches down is at least 70°F and nights stay above 50°F.

Cantaloupe spacing

In a square-foot bed, plant one plant per 4 square feet (a 2 × 2 ft block), growing them up a trellis or cage. In traditional rows, space plants about 36 inches apart with 60 inches between rows.

Ripe when the stem slips off with a gentle push.

One square foot planted with melons, as drawn in the planner.

How to grow melons

A cantaloupe (muskmelon) picked ripe from the vine is far sweeter and more fragrant than most store melons. Melons need heat, sun and steady water, so they are easiest in warm-summer regions and a reasonable gamble farther north with black plastic and early varieties.

Sun and soil

Full sun and light, well-drained soil such as sandy loam, pH about 6.0–7.0. Water 1–2 inches a week while vines grow and fruit sizes.

Planting

  1. Sow 1 inch deep once soil is 70°F, usually 2–4 weeks after the last frost, or transplant 3–4-week-old seedlings then.
  2. Space 36 inches apart in rows 60 inches apart.
  3. Black plastic speeds growth. Small-fruited kinds can climb a trellis if each melon gets a fabric sling.

Care

  • Keep leaves dry with drip or soaker hoses.
  • Row-cover young plants against cucumber beetles, and uncover at bloom.
  • Cut back watering in the last week before ripening; too much water then makes bland melons.

Harvest

Cantaloupe ripens 35–45 days after flowering. The netting turns coarse, the rind shifts from green to tan, the fruit smells sweet, and it slips off the stem with a gentle push ("full slip"). Honeydews do not slip; pick when the rind turns creamy.

Common problems

  • Cucumber beetles and bacterial wilt: Melons are very susceptible. Row cover until bloom, hand-pick beetles, and pull wilting vines.
  • Powdery mildew: Grow resistant varieties and space for airflow; lost leaves mean less sweet fruit.
  • Poor fruit set: Too few bees, extreme heat or drought. Avoid insecticides during bloom and water steadily.

Varieties to try

  • 'Ambrosia' — very sweet, aromatic hybrid
  • 'Hales Best Jumbo' — heirloom, drought tolerant
  • 'Athena' — firm Eastern type, popular in the Southeast
  • 'Minnesota Midget' — small fruit, short vines, for the North

Crop rotation

Melons belong to the squash family (Cucurbitaceae). Heavy feeders. Cucumber beetles and powdery mildew carry over between years. Relatives that count as the same family for rotation: cucumber, zucchini, yellow squash, winter squash, pumpkin, watermelon.

Frequently asked questions

When should I plant melons?
Start melons indoors 3–4 weeks before your last frost, plant them out 2–4 weeks after your last frost, or sow seed outdoors 2–4 weeks after your last frost, once the soil is at least 70°F. Type your ZIP code above for exact dates, or see the city table.
What grows well with melons?
Good neighbors for melons include sweet corn. Each one is listed above with the reason and how strong the evidence is.
What should not be planted with melons?
Keep melons apart from cucumber. They don’t cross-pollinate into strange fruit (a common myth), but they share cucumber beetles, mildew and bacterial wilt. Spread them out if you can.
How far apart should I plant melons?
In rows, space melons about 36 inches apart with rows 60 inches apart. In a square-foot bed, plant one plant per 4 square feet (a 2 × 2 ft block). That density assumes they grow up a trellis or cage.
How long do melons take to grow?
About 70–90 days from sowing to first harvest, depending on the variety and the weather.
Can melons handle frost?
No. Melons are killed by frost and sulk in cold soil, so wait until after your last frost and until the soil reaches about 70°F.

Sources

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