Yes, You Can Do It! Growing Tasty Watermelon in Greater Seattle Area

Written By Yu Liu

Think watermelon can't grow in the cloudy, cool Pacific Northwest? Think again! With the right variety, timing, and a bit of local know-how, you can enjoy sweet, sun-kissed melons straight from your Seattle garden.

🌱 Choose the Right Variety

Success starts with selecting a watermelon variety that matures quickly—ideally within 85–95 days. These shorter-season varieties have been bred for cooler climates and northern growers.

Here are a few reliable ones for Seattle:

  • Sugar Baby – small, round, very sweet, matures in ~80 days

  • Blacktail Mountain – cold-tolerant, crisp, ripens in ~75–85 days

  • New Orchid or Sweet Dakota Rose – regional varieties with great reviews

🕒 Timing Is Everything

The key to growing watermelons in Seattle isn't just warmth—it's timing your planting around our unique weather patterns:

  • Start Indoors:
    Begin seeds indoors just after Mother’s Day (mid-May). Use seed trays in a warm, sunny window or under grow lights.

  • Transplant Timing:
    Move the seedlings outside around mid-June, when nighttime temperatures stay consistently above 60°F. Raised beds, dark mulch, or low tunnels can help warm the soil.

☀️ What to Expect

Seattle summers are short—but that’s okay! With the right head start:

  • Melons typically ripen by mid-September

  • The cooler nights and warm days during late summer actually help develop flavor intensity and sweetness

🍉 Sweet Harvesting Secrets

You’ve babied your vines for months. How do you make sure that watermelon is at peak sweetness? Here’s the magic trick:

  1. Wait for two hot days with cool nights

  2. Water your plants early in the morning

  3. Then stop watering for 24 hours

  4. The next morning, before resuming watering, pick your ripe melon

This drying + cooling cycle causes the fruit to concentrate sugars through evaporation during the day and stabilize flavors overnight. The result? A denser, juicier, and much sweeter watermelon.

🧑‍🌾 Final Tips for Seattle Growers

  • Plant in the sunniest part of your garden (south-facing if possible)

  • Prune extra vines to focus energy on fewer fruits

  • Protect from slugs and cool winds with row covers early in the season

🌟 Yes, You Can Grow Watermelon in Seattle!

With a bit of planning, growing your own watermelon in the Pacific Northwest is not just possible—it’s rewarding and delicious. Give it a try this year, and enjoy the taste of summer grown by your own hands.

Yu Liu