How to Start Watermelon

Starting Outdoors

• 1

  Press a soil thermometer into the first 2 inches of soil to measure the soil temperature. Watermelon seeds germinate when soil temperatures are between 70 to 95 degrees Fahrenheit.

• 2

  Plant watermelon seeds 1 inch deep in hills spaced at least 6 feet a part. Use fungicide treated watermelon seeds to reduce the risk of fungal diseases harming your crops. Water the planting area after planting until the soil is moist but not saturated.

• 3

  Thin your watermelon plants when seedlings emerge to three seedlings on each hill. Choose the strongest seedlings and pull out the rest.

Starting Indoors

• 4

  Place your peat pellet filled with a soil-less mixture in the sun, so soil temperatures reach 80 to 85 degrees Fahrenheit. Check the soil temperature with a soil thermometer before planting.

• 5

  Plant one to two seeds inside of a peat pellet. Peat pellets allow you to plant the entire pellet when it is time to transfer the seedling outdoors. Water the peat pellet to moisten the soil.

• 6

  Set your peat pellet in an area where temperatures are 80 to 85 degrees, such as near a south-facing window or under a growing light. Keep the soil moist but not saturated.

• 7

  Thin your peat pellet to one plant when seedlings emerge. When the plant is three to five weeks old, transplant to your garden.