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How to grow melons

Frost-tender · Squash family

When to sow and plant

  • Sow outdoors 6–20 May
  • Plant out around 20 May

Frost-tender: everything 17 days later, so it only goes outside once there is no frost in 9 out of 10 years.

Based on: average for Germany, last frost 19 April, safe from 6 May

Planting calendar for your area
Where the dates come from

The weeks come from our sources; the dates use the average frost in Germany. Enter a German postcode to get dates for your area.

  • Sow outdoors: 0–2 weeks after the last frost (University of Maryland Extension: Growing Melons in a Home Garden)
  • Plant out: 2 weeks after the last frost (University of Saskatchewan, Gardening at USask: Melons)

Good and bad neighbours

We don’t know any sourced neighbours for this plant yet.

Crop rotation

After the squash family, leave the bed free of it for at least 4 years (sources: 4–5 years).

  • The same species should go back to the same spot after a break of 3 years at the earliest.
  • Example: grown here in 2026, again from 2031.

At a glance

Family
Squash family (Cucurbitaceae)
Frost
Tender to frost
Spacing (row × plant)
122–183 × 61 cm (48–72 × 24 in)
Plants per m²
1.3
Per square foot (30 × 30 cm)
1 plant per 2 squares
Life cycle
Annual
Harvest
After 80–100 days from planting

Spacing according to USU Extension: How to Grow Cantaloupe (Muskmelon) in Your Garden. Other sources: – × 90 cm (– × 35 in) (RHS: How to grow melons).

Questions and answers

When can I plant out melons?

Plant out, average for Germany: around 20 May. That is the date after which there is no frost in 9 out of 10 years. Enter a German postcode above for your area, or your own frost date in the planting calendar.

How far apart should I plant melons?

122–183 × 61 cm (48–72 × 24 in) (row × plant), according to USU Extension: How to Grow Cantaloupe (Muskmelon) in Your Garden.

How long a break do melons need in the same bed?

After the squash family, leave the bed free of it for at least 4 years (sources: 4–5 years). The same species should go back to the same spot after a break of 3 years at the earliest.

More from the squash family

Sources

Show 9 sources
  1. Colorado State University Extension, GardenNotes #720: Vegetable Planting Guide
  2. University of Maryland Extension: Growing Melons in a Home Garden
  3. USU Extension: How to Grow Cantaloupe (Muskmelon) in Your Garden
  4. RHS: How to grow melons
  5. Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens: Square Foot Gardening Guide (2020)
  6. University of Saskatchewan, Gardening at USask: Melons
  7. Südtiroler Bauernbund: Merkblatt Fruchtfolgen im Gemüsebau (Oktober 2022)
  8. Landwirtschaftskammer Schleswig-Holstein: Fruchtfolge im Garten (Gartenmerkblatt, 2020)
  9. GBIF Backbone Taxonomy (über die GBIF-API, species/match)

Retrieved on 23 October 2026. Facts in our own words, one source per value.