When to plant Watermelon and cantaloupe in Washington
In spring, from Mar 1 – Apr 15 in Burien to June 1 – 15 in Pullman.
For a fall crop, from May 15 – June 1 in Ellensburg to July 15 – 30 in Vancouver.
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Aberdeen | Apr 10 – May 15 | July 15 – 30 |
| Airway Heights | May 15 – June 15 | June 1 – 15 |
| Anacortes | Mar 15 – Apr 15 | Not listed |
| Arlington | May 1 – June 15 | June 15 – July 20 |
| Auburn | Apr 1 – May 1 | July 15 – 30 |
| Bainbridge Island | Apr 10 – May 15 | July 15 – 30 |
| Battle Ground | May 15 – June 15 | June 15 – July 20 |
| Bellevue | Mar 15 – Apr 15 | Not listed |
| Bellingham | Apr 10 – May 15 | July 1 – 15 |
| Bonney Lake | Apr 20 – June 1 | July 1 – 15 |
| Bothell | Mar 15 – Apr 15 | Not listed |
| Bremerton | Apr 10 – May 15 | July 15 – 30 |
| Burien | Mar 1 – Apr 15 | Not listed |
| Burlington | Apr 1 – May 1 | July 1 – 15 |
| Camas | Apr 1 – May 1 | Not listed |
| Centralia | May 1 – June 15 | July 1 – 15 |
| Cheney | Not listed | Not listed |
| Covington | May 1 – June 15 | June 15 – July 20 |
| Des Moines | Mar 1 – Apr 15 | Not listed |
| East Wenatchee | Apr 10 – May 15 | July 1 – 15 |
| Edgewood | Mar 15 – Apr 15 | July 15 – 30 |
| Edmonds | Mar 15 – Apr 15 | Not listed |
| Ellensburg | June 1 – 15 | May 15 – June 1 |
| Enumclaw | Apr 20 – June 1 | July 1 – 15 |
| Everett | Apr 1 – May 1 | July 1 – 15 |
| Federal Way | Mar 15 – Apr 15 | July 15 – 30 |
| Ferndale | Apr 10 – May 15 | July 1 – 15 |
| Fife | Mar 15 – Apr 15 | July 15 – 30 |
| Gig Harbor | Mar 15 – Apr 15 | Not listed |
| Grandview | May 15 – June 15 | June 1 – 15 |
| Issaquah | Mar 15 – Apr 15 | Not listed |
| Kelso | Apr 20 – June 1 | July 15 – 30 |
| Kenmore | Mar 15 – Apr 15 | Not listed |
| Kennewick | Apr 10 – May 15 | July 1 – 15 |
| Kent | Apr 1 – May 1 | July 15 – 30 |
| Kirkland | Mar 15 – Apr 15 | Not listed |
| Lacey | May 15 – June 15 | June 1 – 15 |
| Lake Forest Park | Mar 15 – Apr 15 | Not listed |
| Lake Stevens | Apr 1 – May 1 | July 1 – 15 |
| Lakewood | Mar 15 – Apr 15 | Not listed |
| Liberty Lake | May 15 – June 15 | June 1 – 15 |
| Longview | Apr 20 – June 1 | July 15 – 30 |
| Lynden | May 1 – June 15 | June 15 – July 20 |
| Lynnwood | Mar 15 – Apr 15 | Not listed |
| Maple Valley | May 1 – June 15 | June 15 – July 20 |
| Marysville | Apr 1 – May 1 | July 1 – 15 |
| Mercer Island | Mar 15 – Apr 15 | Not listed |
| Mill Creek | Mar 15 – Apr 15 | Not listed |
| Monroe | May 1 – June 15 | June 15 – July 20 |
| Moses Lake | May 15 – June 15 | June 1 – 15 |
| Mount Vernon | Apr 1 – May 1 | July 1 – 15 |
| Mountlake Terrace | Mar 15 – Apr 15 | Not listed |
| Mukilteo | Mar 15 – Apr 15 | Not listed |
| Newcastle | Mar 15 – Apr 15 | Not listed |
| Oak Harbor | Mar 15 – Apr 15 | July 15 – 30 |
| Olympia | May 15 – June 15 | June 1 – 15 |
| Pasco | May 15 – June 15 | June 1 – 15 |
| Port Angeles | Mar 15 – Apr 15 | Not listed |
| Port Orchard | Apr 10 – May 15 | July 15 – 30 |
| Port Townsend | Mar 1 – Apr 15 | Not listed |
| Poulsbo | Apr 10 – May 15 | July 15 – 30 |
| Pullman | June 1 – 15 | May 15 – June 1 |
| Puyallup | Apr 20 – June 1 | July 1 – 15 |
| Redmond | Mar 15 – Apr 15 | Not listed |
| Renton | Mar 15 – Apr 15 | Not listed |
| Richland | Apr 20 – June 1 | June 15 – July 20 |
| Ridgefield | May 15 – June 15 | June 15 – July 20 |
| Sammamish | Apr 10 – May 15 | July 15 – 30 |
| SeaTac | Mar 1 – Apr 15 | Not listed |
| Seattle | Mar 15 – Apr 15 | Not listed |
| Sedro-Woolley | Apr 10 – May 15 | July 15 – 30 |
| Shelton | May 15 – June 15 | June 15 – July 20 |
| Shoreline | Mar 15 – Apr 15 | Not listed |
| Snohomish | Apr 1 – May 1 | July 1 – 15 |
| Snoqualmie | Apr 10 – May 15 | July 15 – 30 |
| Spokane | May 15 – June 15 | June 1 – 15 |
| Spokane Valley | May 15 – June 15 | June 1 – 15 |
| Sumner | Apr 20 – June 1 | July 1 – 15 |
| Sunnyside | May 15 – June 15 | June 1 – 15 |
| Tacoma | Mar 15 – Apr 15 | July 15 – 30 |
| Tukwila | Mar 1 – Apr 15 | Not listed |
| Tumwater | May 15 – June 15 | June 1 – 15 |
| University Place | Mar 15 – Apr 15 | Not listed |
| Vancouver | Apr 10 – May 15 | July 15 – 30 |
| Walla Walla | Apr 10 – May 15 | July 1 – 15 |
| Washougal | Apr 10 – May 15 | Not listed |
| Wenatchee | Apr 10 – May 15 | July 1 – 15 |
| West Richland | Apr 20 – June 1 | June 15 – July 20 |
| Woodinville | Mar 15 – Apr 15 | Not listed |
| Yakima | Apr 20 – June 1 | June 15 – July 20 |
| Yelm | May 15 – June 15 | June 1 – 15 |
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