When to plant Watermelon and cantaloupe in Mississippi
In spring, from Feb 15 – Apr 15 in Bay St. Louis to Apr 10 – May 15 in Oxford.
For a fall crop, from July 1 – 15 in Corinth to July 15 – 30 in Tupelo.
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Bay St. Louis | Feb 15 – Apr 15 | Not listed |
| Biloxi | Feb 15 – Apr 1 | Not listed |
| Brandon | Mar 15 – Apr 15 | July 15 – 30 |
| Brookhaven | Apr 1 – May 1 | July 15 – 30 |
| Byram | Mar 15 – Apr 15 | Not listed |
| Canton | Apr 1 – May 1 | July 15 – 30 |
| Clarksdale | Apr 1 – May 1 | July 15 – 30 |
| Cleveland | Mar 15 – Apr 15 | July 15 – 30 |
| Clinton | Mar 15 – Apr 15 | Not listed |
| Columbus | Mar 15 – Apr 15 | July 15 – 30 |
| Corinth | Apr 10 – May 15 | July 1 – 15 |
| D'Iberville | Feb 15 – Apr 1 | Not listed |
| Flowood | Mar 15 – Apr 15 | July 15 – 30 |
| Gautier | Mar 1 – Apr 15 | Not listed |
| Greenville | Mar 15 – Apr 15 | July 15 – 30 |
| Greenwood | Apr 1 – May 1 | July 15 – 30 |
| Grenada | Apr 10 – May 15 | July 1 – 15 |
| Gulfport | Feb 15 – Apr 15 | Not listed |
| Hattiesburg | Mar 15 – Apr 15 | Not listed |
| Hernando | Apr 10 – May 15 | July 15 – 30 |
| Horn Lake | Apr 1 – May 1 | Not listed |
| Jackson | Mar 15 – Apr 15 | Not listed |
| Laurel | Mar 15 – Apr 15 | July 15 – 30 |
| Long Beach | Feb 15 – Apr 15 | Not listed |
| Madison | Mar 15 – Apr 15 | Not listed |
| McComb | Mar 15 – Apr 15 | Not listed |
| Meridian | Apr 1 – May 1 | July 15 – 30 |
| Moss Point | Mar 1 – Apr 15 | Not listed |
| Natchez | Apr 1 – May 1 | July 15 – 30 |
| Ocean Springs | Feb 15 – Apr 1 | Not listed |
| Olive Branch | Apr 10 – May 15 | July 15 – 30 |
| Oxford | Apr 10 – May 15 | July 1 – 15 |
| Pascagoula | Mar 15 – Apr 15 | Not listed |
| Pearl | Mar 15 – Apr 15 | July 15 – 30 |
| Petal | Mar 15 – Apr 15 | July 15 – 30 |
| Picayune | Mar 15 – Apr 15 | Not listed |
| Ridgeland | Mar 15 – Apr 15 | Not listed |
| Southaven | Apr 1 – May 1 | Not listed |
| Starkville | Apr 1 – May 1 | July 15 – 30 |
| Tupelo | Apr 1 – May 1 | July 15 – 30 |
| Vicksburg | Mar 1 – Apr 15 | Not listed |
Planting dates: USDA Home and Garden Bulletin No. 9 (1967), tables 4 and 5. Frost dates: NOAA U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020. The full USDA table for watermelon.
Updated