Before planting it is a good idea to find your USDA Zone info to figure out your garden schedule. The most important data that the zone info tells us is average last frost and the lowest expected temperature for your area.

By looking at the USDA zone info for Park Ridge it's a good idea to determine when to plant watermelon.

Planting Calendar for Watermelon

Frost tolerance for watermelon:	Not tolerant of frost.
When to plant:	After all chance of frost has passed.

You really shouldn't plant watermelon until after all chance of frost has passed because they require warm weather.

The earliest that you can plant watermelon in Park Ridge is April. However, you really should wait until May if you don't want to take any chances.

The last month that you can plant watermelon and expect a good harvest is probably August. You probably don't want to wait any later than that or else your watermelon may not have a chance to fully mature. Starting your watermelon indoors is a great way to get them started a little bit earlier.

Last Frost Date

The average date of last frost is April 15 in Park Ridge. In the coldest months of winter you can expect an average low temperature of 0°F.

Since the USDA zone info for Park Ridge is just an average the actual date of last frost can change quite a bit from year to year. Half of the time in Park Ridge you get surprised by a frost after April 15 so always be ready to cover your watermelon in the event of a surprise late frost.

USDA Zone Info for Park Ridge

Here is the info for USDA Zone 7a.

Average Date of Last Frost (spring)	April 15
Average Date of First Frost (fall)	October 15
Lowest Expected Low	0°F
Highest Expected Low	5°F

This means that on a really cold year, the coldest it will get is 0°F. On most years you should be prepared to experience lows near 5°F.

Plants to Grow in Park Ridge

You may be interested in your other planting guides for Park Ridge.