When to plant Watermelon and cantaloupe in Florida
In spring, from Feb 15 – Mar 15 in Altamonte Springs to Apr 1 – May 1 in Crestview.
For a fall crop, July 15 – 30 in Crestview.
Cantaloupe (muskmelon) dates are the same as watermelon except where the table notes them.
USDA's earliest safe spring and latest safe fall planting dates, matched to each place's average frost dates.
| Place | Spring | Fall |
|---|---|---|
| Alachua | Mar 1 – Apr 15 | Not listed |
| Altamonte Springs | Feb 15 – Mar 15 | — |
| Apopka | Mar 1 – Apr 15 | Not listed |
| Atlantic Beach | Feb 15 – Mar 15 | — |
| Auburndale | Feb 15 – Mar 15 | — |
| Avon Park | Feb 15 – Mar 15 | — |
| Bartow | Feb 15 – Mar 15 | — |
| Belle Glade | Feb 15 – Mar 15 | — |
| Boca Raton | Feb 15 – Mar 15 | — |
| Bonita Springs | Feb 15 – Mar 15 | — |
| Boynton Beach | Feb 15 – Mar 15 | — |
| Bradenton | Feb 15 – Mar 15 | — |
| Callaway | Feb 15 – Apr 1 | Not listed |
| Cape Canaveral | Feb 15 – Mar 15 | — |
| Cape Coral | Feb 15 – Mar 15 | — |
| Casselberry | Feb 15 – Mar 15 | — |
| Clearwater | Feb 15 – Mar 15 | — |
| Clermont | Feb 15 – Mar 15 | — |
| Cocoa | Feb 15 – Mar 15 | — |
| Cocoa Beach | Feb 15 – Mar 15 | — |
| Crestview | Apr 1 – May 1 | July 15 – 30 |
| Cutler Bay | Feb 15 – Mar 15 | — |
| Davenport | Feb 15 – Mar 15 | — |
| Daytona Beach | Feb 15 – Mar 15 | — |
| DeBary | Feb 15 – Mar 15 | — |
| DeLand | Feb 15 – Apr 15 | Not listed |
| Delray Beach | Feb 15 – Mar 15 | — |
| Deltona | Feb 15 – Mar 15 | — |
| Destin | Feb 15 – Apr 1 | Not listed |
| Dunedin | Feb 15 – Mar 15 | — |
| Edgewater | Feb 15 – Mar 15 | — |
| Estero | Feb 15 – Mar 15 | — |
| Eustis | Feb 15 – Mar 15 | Not listed |
| Fernandina Beach | Feb 15 – Mar 15 | Not listed |
| Florida City | Feb 15 – Mar 15 | — |
| Fort Myers | Feb 15 – Mar 15 | — |
| Fort Pierce | Feb 15 – Mar 15 | — |
| Fort Walton Beach | Feb 15 – Apr 1 | Not listed |
| Gainesville | Mar 1 – Apr 15 | Not listed |
| Green Cove Springs | Feb 15 – Mar 15 | — |
| Greenacres | Feb 15 – Mar 15 | — |
| Groveland | Feb 15 – Mar 15 | — |
| Gulfport | Feb 15 – Mar 15 | — |
| Haines City | Feb 15 – Mar 15 | — |
| Holly Hill | Feb 15 – Mar 15 | — |
| Homestead | Feb 15 – Mar 15 | — |
| Jacksonville | Feb 15 – Mar 15 | — |
| Jacksonville Beach | Feb 15 – Mar 15 | — |
| Jupiter | Feb 15 – Mar 15 | — |
| Kissimmee | Feb 15 – Mar 15 | — |
| Lady Lake | Feb 15 – Mar 15 | Not listed |
| Lake City | Mar 1 – Apr 15 | Not listed |
| Lake Mary | Feb 15 – Mar 15 | — |
| Lake Wales | Feb 15 – Apr 1 | Not listed |
| Lake Worth Beach | Feb 15 – Mar 15 | — |
| Lakeland | Feb 15 – Mar 15 | — |
| Lantana | Feb 15 – Mar 15 | — |
| Largo | Feb 15 – Mar 15 | — |
| Leesburg | Feb 15 – Mar 15 | — |
| Longwood | Feb 15 – Mar 15 | — |
| Lynn Haven | Feb 15 – Apr 15 | Not listed |
| Maitland | Feb 15 – Mar 15 | — |
| Marco Island | Feb 15 – Mar 15 | — |
| Melbourne | Feb 15 – Mar 15 | — |
| Milton | Mar 1 – Apr 15 | Not listed |
| Minneola | Feb 15 – Mar 15 | — |
| Mount Dora | Mar 1 – Apr 15 | Not listed |
| Naples | Feb 15 – Mar 15 | — |
| New Port Richey | Feb 15 – Mar 15 | — |
| New Smyrna Beach | Feb 15 – Mar 15 | — |
| Niceville | Mar 15 – Apr 15 | Not listed |
| North Palm Beach | Feb 15 – Mar 15 | — |
| North Port | Feb 15 – Mar 15 | — |
| Ocala | Mar 1 – Apr 15 | Not listed |
| Ocoee | Feb 15 – Mar 15 | — |
| Oldsmar | Feb 15 – Mar 15 | — |
| Orange City | Feb 15 – Apr 15 | Not listed |
| Orlando | Feb 15 – Mar 15 | — |
| Ormond Beach | Feb 15 – Mar 15 | — |
| Oviedo | Feb 15 – Mar 15 | — |
| Palatka | Feb 15 – Mar 15 | Not listed |
| Palm Bay | Feb 15 – Mar 15 | — |
| Palm Beach Gardens | Feb 15 – Mar 15 | — |
| Palm Coast | Feb 15 – Mar 15 | — |
| Palm Springs | Feb 15 – Mar 15 | — |
| Palmetto | Feb 15 – Mar 15 | — |
| Panama City | Feb 15 – Apr 1 | Not listed |
| Panama City Beach | Mar 1 – Apr 15 | Not listed |
| Parkland | Feb 15 – Mar 15 | — |
| Pensacola | Feb 15 – Apr 15 | Not listed |
| Pinellas Park | Feb 15 – Mar 15 | — |
| Plant City | Feb 15 – Mar 15 | — |
| Port Orange | Feb 15 – Mar 15 | — |
| Port St. Lucie | Feb 15 – Mar 15 | — |
| Punta Gorda | Feb 15 – Mar 15 | — |
| Riviera Beach | Feb 15 – Mar 15 | — |
| Rockledge | Feb 15 – Mar 15 | — |
| Royal Palm Beach | Feb 15 – Mar 15 | — |
| Safety Harbor | Feb 15 – Mar 15 | — |
| Sanford | Feb 15 – Mar 15 | — |
| Sarasota | Feb 15 – Mar 15 | — |
| Satellite Beach | Feb 15 – Mar 15 | — |
| Sebastian | Feb 15 – Mar 15 | — |
| Sebring | Feb 15 – Mar 15 | — |
| Seminole | Feb 15 – Mar 15 | — |
| South Daytona | Feb 15 – Mar 15 | — |
| St. Augustine | Feb 15 – Mar 15 | — |
| St. Cloud | Feb 15 – Mar 15 | — |
| St. Petersburg | Feb 15 – Mar 15 | — |
| Stuart | Feb 15 – Mar 15 | — |
| Tallahassee | Mar 15 – Apr 15 | Not listed |
| Tampa | Feb 15 – Mar 15 | — |
| Tarpon Springs | Feb 15 – Mar 15 | — |
| Tavares | Feb 15 – Mar 15 | — |
| Temple Terrace | Feb 15 – Mar 15 | — |
| Titusville | Feb 15 – Mar 15 | — |
| Venice | Feb 15 – Mar 15 | — |
| Vero Beach | Feb 15 – Mar 15 | — |
| Wellington | Feb 15 – Mar 15 | — |
| West Melbourne | Feb 15 – Mar 15 | — |
| West Palm Beach | Feb 15 – Mar 15 | — |
| Wildwood | Mar 1 – Apr 15 | Not listed |
| Winter Garden | Feb 15 – Mar 15 | — |
| Winter Haven | Feb 15 – Mar 15 | — |
| Winter Park | Feb 15 – Mar 15 | — |
| Winter Springs | Feb 15 – Mar 15 | — |
| Zephyrhills | Feb 15 – Mar 15 | — |
Planting dates: USDA Home and Garden Bulletin No. 9 (1967), tables 4 and 5. Frost dates: NOAA U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020. “—” means outside the table. 46 other places in Florida have frost dates outside the table. The full USDA table for watermelon.
Updated