When to Plant Watermelon in Zone 12b

The USDA Zone info is a great tool for gardeners to help us determine your gardening schedule. The most important data that the zone info tells us is average last frost and the lowest expected temperature for your area.

In Zone 12b you can determine when it's the best time to plant watermelon by checking out the USDA zone info.


Planting Calendar for Watermelon

Frost tolerance for watermelon: Not tolerant of frost.
When to plant: After the last frost.

It's probably not a good idea to plant watermelon until after the last frost has passed because they do not do well in cold weather.

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Legend 
A good time to plant watermelon
Possibly ok, but a risky time to plant watermelon
Probably not a good time to plant watermelon

The earliest that you can plant watermelon in Zone 12b is January. However, you really should wait until February if you don't want to take any chances.

The last month that you can plant watermelon and expect a good harvest is probably November. If you wait any later than that and your watermelon may not have a chance to grow to maturity. Starting your watermelon indoors is a great way to get them started a couple of weeks earlier.

Last Frost Date

In Zone 12b it never frosts. In the coldest months of winter you can expect an average low temperature of 55°F.

Keep in mind that USDA zone info for Zone 12b is just an average and the actual date of last frost will vary from year to year. Since it never frosts in Zone 12b you do not have to be ready to protect your watermelon if you have a late frost.

USDA Zone Info for Zone 12b

Here is the info for USDA Zone 12b.

Average Date of Last Frost (spring)Never
Average Date of First Frost (fall)Never
Lowest Expected Low55°F
Highest Expected Low60°F

This means that on a really cold year, the coldest it will get is 55°F. On most years you should be prepared to experience lows near 60°F.

Plants to Grow in Zone 12b

You may be interested in your other planting guides for Zone 12b.