Cantaloupe planting calendar
When to plant cantaloupe — pick your state
Cantaloupe timing swings hard by climate — choose your state for sow, transplant, and harvest dates calibrated to its USDA zone and frost window.
Northeast
Southeast
Midwest
Southwest
West
Pacific
Common questions
When should I plant cantaloupe?
Cantaloupe (muskmelon) is one of the most heat-demanding cucurbits — soil temperature must reach 21 °C (70 °F) and night air temperatures should stay consistently above 15 °C before transplanting. Short-season zones 3-5 should start indoors 2-3 weeks early and use black plastic mulch to boost soil heat. Fruits ripen only in warm, dry conditions; humid climates favor powdery mildew and fruit rot, so zones 8-10 with hot summers are ideal. Withhold irrigation in the final 1-2 weeks before harvest to concentrate sugars. Because the right window depends on your local frost dates, pick your US state above for a calendar with exact sow, transplant, and harvest dates.
Does the best time to plant cantaloupe vary by state?
Yes — planting dates swing by several weeks across the US because each state sits in a different USDA zone with its own frost window. Every state page here gives cantaloupe dates calibrated to that state's climate.
How are these cantaloupe planting dates calculated?
Each state's dates come from that state's dominant USDA hardiness zone and NOAA average frost dates, then adjusted for cantaloupe's cold tolerance and days to maturity.