🍈 When to Plant Cantaloupe
Similar to watermelon; needs heat
📅 Planting Calendar by USDA Zone
Cantaloupe is a warm-season crop — plant it after your last spring frost, once the soil has warmed, and start seeds indoors a few weeks ahead for a head start. Find the exact start-indoors, transplant, and direct-sow dates for your USDA zone in the table below.
Select your zone to highlight your dates. All dates are calculated from each zone's average frost dates — see how we calculate them.
| Zone | Last Frost | Start Indoors | Transplant | Direct Sow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zone 2A | May 30 | May 2 | Jun 6 | Jun 13 |
| Zone 3B | May 15 | Apr 17 | May 22 | May 29 |
| Zone 4A | May 8 | Apr 10 | May 15 | May 22 |
| Zone 4B | May 1 | Apr 3 | May 8 | May 15 |
| Zone 5A | Apr 25 | Mar 28 | May 2 | May 9 |
| Zone 5B | Apr 18 | Mar 21 | Apr 25 | May 2 |
| Zone 6A | Apr 21 | Mar 24 | Apr 28 | May 5 |
| Zone 6B | Apr 10 | Mar 13 | Apr 17 | Apr 24 |
| Zone 7A | Apr 5 | Mar 8 | Apr 12 | Apr 19 |
| Zone 7B | Mar 28 | Feb 28 | Apr 4 | Apr 11 |
| Zone 8A | Mar 20 | Feb 20 | Mar 27 | Apr 3 |
| Zone 8B | Mar 12 | Feb 12 | Mar 19 | Mar 26 |
| Zone 9A | Feb 28 | Jan 31 | Mar 7 | Mar 14 |
| Zone 9B | Feb 15 | Jan 18 | Feb 22 | Mar 1 |
| Zone 10A | Feb 1 | Jan 4 | Feb 8 | Feb 15 |
| Zone 10B | Jan 15 | Dec 18 | Jan 22 | Jan 29 |
| Zone 11A | Jan 1 | Dec 4 | Jan 8 | Jan 15 |
Cantaloupes (muskmelons) are heat-loving fruits that reward patience with sweet, aromatic flesh.
Top Growing Tips
- Plant on raised mounds for better drainage and warmth
- Use row covers early to protect from cucumber beetles
- Fruit is ripe when it ‘slips’ from the vine with gentle pressure
- Reduce watering in the last week before harvest for sweeter fruit
- Short-season varieties available for northern gardens
Companion Planting
Good companions: corn, sunflowers, lettuce
Avoid planting near: potatoes
Harvest Timeline
75-90 days from seed
Growing cantaloupe in your region?
These dates come from your zone's frost windows. For the full month-by-month plan — succession sowing, variety picks, and timing tuned to your climate, not just your zone — our regional vegetable-gardening guides cover your area start to finish.
Find your regional growing guide