When to Plant Watermelon in Ohio

For watermelon in Ohio, spring planting starts between May 1 (Lawrence County) and May 15 (Allen County), according to Ohio State University Extension.

Photo: Young watermelon plant in a garden. Forest and Kim Starr, CC BY 3.0 us, via Wikimedia Commons

GearSeed starting gear Raised bed gear Garden tools

When to plant watermelon in your county

County

Counties in zones 6b and 7a get earlier spring dates, per the calendar.

Green hayfield edged by woods in Bedford Township, Coshocton County

Published dates for watermelon in Ohio

Type	Season	Region	Published dates	Source
Watermelon	spring	Ohio (dates based on Zone 6a)	May: 'After May 15' Watermelon; June: Watermelon	Ohio Gardening Calendar, p. 1, monthly 'Garden Planting' panels

Planting dates for watermelon by Ohio county

County	Spring	Summer and fall
Adams	May 8 to Jun 23	n/a
Allen	May 15 to Jun 30	n/a
Ashland	May 15 to Jun 30	n/a
Ashtabula	May 15 to Jun 30	n/a
Athens	May 8 to Jun 23	n/a
Auglaize	May 15 to Jun 30	n/a
Belmont	May 8 to Jun 23	n/a
Brown	May 8 to Jun 23	n/a
Butler	May 8 to Jun 23	n/a
Carroll	May 8 to Jun 23	n/a
Champaign	May 15 to Jun 30	n/a
Clark	May 15 to Jun 30	n/a
Clermont	May 8 to Jun 23	n/a
Clinton	May 8 to Jun 23	n/a
Columbiana	May 15 to Jun 30	n/a
Coshocton	May 8 to Jun 23	n/a
Crawford	May 15 to Jun 30	n/a
Cuyahoga	May 8 to Jun 23	n/a
Darke	May 15 to Jun 30	n/a
Defiance	May 15 to Jun 30	n/a
Delaware	May 8 to Jun 23	n/a
Erie	May 8 to Jun 23	n/a
Fairfield	May 15 to Jun 30	n/a
Fayette	May 8 to Jun 23	n/a
Franklin	May 8 to Jun 23	n/a
Fulton	May 15 to Jun 30	n/a
Gallia	May 8 to Jun 23	n/a
Geauga	May 15 to Jun 30	n/a
Greene	May 8 to Jun 23	n/a
Guernsey	May 8 to Jun 23	n/a
Hamilton	May 8 to Jun 23	n/a
Hancock	May 15 to Jun 30	n/a
Hardin	May 15 to Jun 30	n/a
Harrison	May 8 to Jun 23	n/a
Henry	May 15 to Jun 30	n/a
Highland	May 8 to Jun 23	n/a
Hocking	May 8 to Jun 23	n/a
Holmes	May 15 to Jun 30	n/a
Huron	May 15 to Jun 30	n/a
Jackson	May 8 to Jun 23	n/a
Jefferson	May 8 to Jun 23	n/a
Knox	May 15 to Jun 30	n/a
Lake	May 8 to Jun 23	n/a
Lawrence	May 1 to Jun 16	n/a
Licking	May 15 to Jun 30	n/a
Logan	May 15 to Jun 30	n/a
Lorain	May 8 to Jun 23	n/a
Lucas	May 8 to Jun 23	n/a
Madison	May 15 to Jun 30	n/a
Mahoning	May 15 to Jun 30	n/a
Marion	May 15 to Jun 30	n/a
Medina	May 15 to Jun 30	n/a
Meigs	May 8 to Jun 23	n/a
Mercer	May 15 to Jun 30	n/a
Miami	May 15 to Jun 30	n/a
Monroe	May 8 to Jun 23	n/a
Montgomery	May 8 to Jun 23	n/a
Morgan	May 8 to Jun 23	n/a
Morrow	May 15 to Jun 30	n/a
Muskingum	May 8 to Jun 23	n/a
Noble	May 8 to Jun 23	n/a
Ottawa	May 8 to Jun 23	n/a
Paulding	May 15 to Jun 30	n/a
Perry	May 15 to Jun 30	n/a
Pickaway	May 8 to Jun 23	n/a
Pike	May 8 to Jun 23	n/a
Portage	May 15 to Jun 30	n/a
Preble	May 15 to Jun 30	n/a
Putnam	May 15 to Jun 30	n/a
Richland	May 15 to Jun 30	n/a
Ross	May 8 to Jun 23	n/a
Sandusky	May 8 to Jun 23	n/a
Scioto	May 8 to Jun 23	n/a
Seneca	May 15 to Jun 30	n/a
Shelby	May 15 to Jun 30	n/a
Stark	May 8 to Jun 23	n/a
Summit	May 8 to Jun 23	n/a
Trumbull	May 15 to Jun 30	n/a
Tuscarawas	May 8 to Jun 23	n/a
Union	May 15 to Jun 30	n/a
Van Wert	May 15 to Jun 30	n/a
Vinton	May 8 to Jun 23	n/a
Warren	May 8 to Jun 23	n/a
Washington	May 8 to Jun 23	n/a
Wayne	May 15 to Jun 30	n/a
Williams	May 15 to Jun 30	n/a
Wood	May 8 to Jun 23	n/a
Wyandot	May 15 to Jun 30	n/a

More Ohio planting guides

Tomatoes
Peppers
Potatoes
Sweet Potatoes
Sweet Corn
Green Beans
Lima Beans
Peas
Southern Peas
Cucumbers
Squash
Winter Squash
Pumpkins
Cantaloupe
Okra
Eggplant
Lettuce
Spinach
Collard Greens
Mustard Greens
Turnips
Swiss Chard
Cabbage
Broccoli
Cauliflower
Brussels Sprouts
Carrots
Beets
Radishes
Onions
Garlic
Leeks
Asparagus
Rutabagas

More planting dates for Ohio

Planting dates for each crop in Ohio, from the Ohio State University Extension calendar.

Tomatoes

Peppers

Potatoes

Sweet Corn

Green Beans

Cucumbers

Squash

Lettuce

Planting watermelon in Ohio: questions

When do you plant watermelon in Ohio?

For watermelon in Ohio, spring planting starts between May 1 (Lawrence County) and May 15 (Allen County), according to Ohio State University Extension.

Can I plant watermelon in the fall in Ohio?

The Ohio State University Extension calendar used here lists no fall window for watermelon.

How does frost timing change watermelon planting?

Spring windows follow the last frost and fall windows end before the first frost. See the Ohio frost dates page for your county.

Where do these dates for watermelon come from?

Ohio Gardening Calendar.

Why do the dates differ by county?

Spring dates shift by USDA zone as the publication says: 6b one week earlier, 7a two weeks earlier.

Farm pond and tree line at sunrise in eastern Delaware County

Photos: Young watermelon plant in a garden: Forest and Kim Starr, CC BY 3.0 us, via Wikimedia Commons; Farm pond and tree line at sunrise in eastern Delaware County: USDA, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons; Red barns and grain bins beyond a green wheat field, Defiance County: Nyttend, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons; Green hayfield edged by woods in Bedford Township, Coshocton County: Nyttend, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons; Ripe red tomatoes on the vine: Softeis, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Pepper plant in a kitchen garden loaded with green, yellow and red peppers: NPS, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons; Potato plant growing in a garden bed: Kolforn (Kolforn), CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Field of sweet corn in summer: Marathon, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Clusters of long green bean pods hanging from a climbing bean vine: Nirajan_pant, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Cucumber plants growing in a greenhouse bed: HARTLEPOOLMARINA2014, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Squash plant with yellow blossoms and spreading stems in a straw-mulched garden: Mary O'Neill, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons; Young lettuce plant in garden soil: GT1976, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.