Plan your watermelon planting around local frost risk and soil temperature, then work backward from the harvest week your buyers need. The calendar below is a starting point, not a field-level weather forecast.
Chicago, Des Moines suburbs, central IL, upstate NY. Average last spring frost May 1, first fall frost October 6 — a 158-day frost-free season.
Windows are calculated from your zone's average frost dates. Adjust ±1 week for microclimates, elevation, and your own frost records.
Ripeness cue: tendril nearest the fruit turns brown and the ground spot yellows. Do not go by thumping alone.
Plant near: corn, radish
Keep away from: potatoes
BAU Farm Intelligence turns these windows into per-field tasks — indoor seed-start reminders, transplant dates, harvest projections — using your farm's actual frost history.