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When to Plant Melons in California

California spans USDA hardiness 5b to 11a (zones 5b to 11a on this page). Plant melons by your local frost date, not the calendar — pick your zone below for exact start-indoors, transplant, and harvest dates.

Jump to: Zone 5b · Zone 6a · Zone 6b · Zone 7a · Zone 7b · Zone 8a · Zone 8b · Zone 9a · Zone 9b · Zone 10a · Zone 10b · Zone 11a

Melons planting calendar for California, Zone 5b

Average last spring frost

April 30

Average first fall frost

October 5

🌱

Start seeds indoors

Apr 9

🌿

Transplant outdoors

May 14

🌾

Projected first harvest

Jul 23

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🌱 Start indoors🌿 Growing outside🌾 HarvestTodayZone 5b (approximate)

Most melons mature in about 70 days. Full zone 5 guide (both 5a and 5b) →

Melons planting calendar for California, Zone 6a

Average last spring frost

April 25

Average first fall frost

October 10

🌱

Start seeds indoors

Apr 4

🌿

Transplant outdoors

May 9

🌾

Projected first harvest

Jul 18

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🌱 Start indoors🌿 Growing outside🌾 HarvestTodayZone 6a (approximate)

Most melons mature in about 70 days. Full zone 6 guide (both 6a and 6b) →

Melons planting calendar for California, Zone 6b

Average last spring frost

April 20

Average first fall frost

October 15

🌱

Start seeds indoors

Mar 30

🌿

Transplant outdoors

May 4

🌾

Projected first harvest

Jul 13

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🌱 Start indoors🌿 Growing outside🌾 HarvestTodayZone 6b (approximate)

Most melons mature in about 70 days. Full zone 6 guide (both 6a and 6b) →

Melons planting calendar for California, Zone 7a

Average last spring frost

April 15

Average first fall frost

October 20

🌱

Start seeds indoors

Mar 25

🌿

Transplant outdoors

Apr 29

🌾

Projected first harvest

Jul 8

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🌱 Start indoors🌿 Growing outside🌾 HarvestTodayZone 7a (approximate)

Most melons mature in about 70 days. Full zone 7 guide (both 7a and 7b) →

Melons planting calendar for California, Zone 7b

Average last spring frost

April 10

Average first fall frost

October 30

🌱

Start seeds indoors

Mar 20

🌿

Transplant outdoors

Apr 24

🌾

Projected first harvest

Jul 3

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🌱 Start indoors🌿 Growing outside🌾 HarvestTodayZone 7b (approximate)

Most melons mature in about 70 days. Full zone 7 guide (both 7a and 7b) →

Melons planting calendar for California, Zone 8a

Average last spring frost

April 1

Average first fall frost

November 10

🌱

Start seeds indoors

Mar 11

🌿

Transplant outdoors

Apr 15

🌾

Projected first harvest

Jun 24

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🌱 Start indoors🌿 Growing outside🌾 HarvestTodayZone 8a (approximate)

Most melons mature in about 70 days. Full zone 8 guide (both 8a and 8b) →

Melons planting calendar for California, Zone 8b

Average last spring frost

March 20

Average first fall frost

November 20

🌱

Start seeds indoors

Feb 27

🌿

Transplant outdoors

Apr 3

🌾

Projected first harvest

Jun 12

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🌱 Start indoors🌿 Growing outside🌾 HarvestTodayZone 8b (approximate)

Most melons mature in about 70 days. Full zone 8 guide (both 8a and 8b) →

Melons planting calendar for California, Zone 9a

Average last spring frost

March 1

Average first fall frost

December 1

🌱

Start seeds indoors

Feb 8

🌿

Transplant outdoors

Mar 15

🌾

Projected first harvest

May 24

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🌱 Start indoors🌿 Growing outside🌾 HarvestTodayZone 9a (approximate)

Most melons mature in about 70 days. Full zone 9 guide (both 9a and 9b) →

Melons planting calendar for California, Zone 9b

Average last spring frost

February 15

Average first fall frost

December 15

🌱

Start seeds indoors

Jan 25

🌿

Transplant outdoors

Mar 1

🌾

Projected first harvest

May 10

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🌱 Start indoors🌿 Growing outside🌾 HarvestTodayZone 9b (approximate)

Most melons mature in about 70 days. Full zone 9 guide (both 9a and 9b) →

Melons planting calendar for California, Zone 10a

Average last spring frost

January 30

Average first fall frost

December 30

🌱

Start seeds indoors

Jan 9

🌿

Transplant outdoors

Feb 13

🌾

Projected first harvest

Apr 24

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🌱 Start indoors🌿 Growing outside🌾 HarvestTodayZone 10a (approximate)

Most melons mature in about 70 days. Full zone 10 guide (both 10a and 10b) →

Melons planting calendar for California, Zone 10b

Average last spring frost

January 30

Average first fall frost

December 30

🌱

Start seeds indoors

Jan 9

🌿

Transplant outdoors

Feb 13

🌾

Projected first harvest

Apr 24

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🌱 Start indoors🌿 Growing outside🌾 HarvestTodayZone 10b (approximate)

Most melons mature in about 70 days. Full zone 10 guide (both 10a and 10b) →

Melons planting calendar for California, Zone 11a

Zone 11a doesn't get a seasonal frost — melons plants on a warm/cool-season calendar instead of frost dates.

🗓️

Best planting window

Year-round

🌾

Time to harvest

~70 days

🌴 Your zone never frosts, so planting is timed to the cooler vs. warmer seasons rather than a frost date.

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🌿 Planting windowTodayZone 11a: frost-free; timed to seasons, not frost

Most melons mature in about 70 days.

Not sure which half-zone you're in? Set your ZIP in HomeSown for dates tuned to your exact location.

Varieties to grow

6 varieties of melons in the HomeSown library. Tap any for its full grow guide.

Armenian Cucumber →Cantaloupe →Casaba Melon →Crenshaw Melon →Galia Melon →Honeydew Melon →

Common problems with melons

What to watch for, with identification and treatment for each

PicklewormSquash BugsSquash Vine BorerCucumber BeetlesSeedcorn MaggotRaccoonsGummy Stem BlightPapaya Ringspot VirusAngular Leaf SpotBlossom-End RotFruit CrackingBacterial Wilt

🌱 Grow melons with a calendar built for your exact yard

HomeSown turns your ZIP code into a personalized planting calendar, watering reminders, and pest help. Free to start.

Start your free garden →

melons — full zone guide

All zonesZone 5 →Zone 6 →Zone 7 →Zone 8 →Zone 9 →Zone 10 →