8 Melons for Cold Climates and Short Growing Seasons

Originally native to tropical regions, melons are a warm-weather crop that need plenty of sunshine. They need over 8 hours of sunlight a day, so they’re definitely not a shade-tolerant crop.

Because of their need for warmth, sunlight, and a long growing season, they’re often avoided by gardeners in cooler climates. However, there are some fantastic cold hardy melon varieties that can be grown in temperate areas.

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Can you grow melons in zone 5?

It’s definitely possible to grow melons in USDA hardiness zone 5. The cold hardy melons listed below have a short growing season which means they can grow and ripen in cooler areas. This means it’s possible to grow these summer delights in your own garden space, even in USDA hardiness zone 3!

If you’re in zone 4 or below, another tasty fruit to try would be the pawpaw tree. Pawpaws have a tropical flavor profile of banana, mango, and vanilla. Native to the US, there are even some great cold hardy pawpaws that can handle cold Canadian winters.

Cold Hardy Melons for Cold Climates

Usually, melons need temperatures between 75-90ºF and plenty of sunlight to really thrive. To produce large, sweet melons they need a long growing season. Many reach maturity in 80-100 days, but there are varieties that can mature in less than 80 days.

Melon plants will be killed by frost. So in USDA hardiness zone 3 and 4 where the growing season is shortened by late spring frost and early autumn frost, you need a melon variety that will mature quickly.

Melon varieties that mature in less than 80 days, are considered best for cooler climates. This is because they can reach maturity in the shorter growing season.

The best cold hardy, short season melons

Here are 8 tasty melon varieties that you can grow in a cool climate!

1. Early Silver Line

A mini melon variety, Early Silver Line is a Korean variety that produces mini yellow fruits with white stripes, each about 1-2 lbs in weight. Because of their smaller size, they mature and ripen quickly making them an ideal melon variety for areas with a shorter growing season.

Days to maturity: 76

2. Blacktail Mountain Watermelon

A smooth, dark green watermelon with deliciously sweet pink flesh. Many people have success growing Blacktail Mountain melons even in USDA hardiness zones 3 and 4! It’s definitely one of the best cold hardy watermelon varieties for areas with short growing seasons.

If you decide to grow these melons vertically on a trellis, you’ll definitely need to support these 14 lb fruits with a melon sling or hammock. These reusable melon slings from Amazon are a great option.

Days to maturity: 80

3. Jenny Lind Cantaloupe

Another mini melon variety, the Jenny Lind melon was named after a famous Swedish singer. It’s an heirloom variety with deliciously sweet pale green flesh and a unique turban shape.

Like the Early Silver Line, because of their small size, Jenny Lind melons can reach maturity in as little as 70 days. It’s also noted for growing well in cool summers that other melons would struggle in.

Days to maturity: 70+

4. Sugar Baby

A deliciously sweet watermelon variety with dark green skin and bright red flesh. You could be harvesting Sugar Baby melons in as little as 75 days.

This shorter maturity period means you should be guaranteed a good crop of melons, even in USDA hardiness zone 3 which has a growing season of approximately 123 days (days between the spring and autumn first frost dates).

Days to maturity: 75+

5. Minnesota Midget

An heirloom and mini melon variety, the Minnesota Midget was bred by the University of Minnesota in the 1940s. Their mini 4-inch size makes them great as a personal melon, or one to share.

Although mini, when growing these melons vertically make sure you create a melon sling or hammock as they drop from the vine when ripe!

Days to maturity: 65

6. Yellow Crimson Watermelon

The Yellow Crimson melon has deep green skin, but a sweet yellow flesh inside. They usually reach about 10-15 pounds and can be harvested in 75-80 days.

Not as common as the Early Silver Line or Sugar Baby melon, you can buy Yellow Crimson watermelon seeds in specialist stores or from seed savers online.

Days to maturity: 75-80

7. Fordhook Gem Melon

The Fordhook Gem melon has a lightly netted grey/green skin that sometimes develops an elongated shape (that is often compared to a nutmeg). It’s a relatively less-known heirloom variety, so you’ll find it on seed-saver websites. Although not well known, it’s a fantastic melon with sweet green flesh.

Days to maturity: 65-75

8. Sweet Granite Cantaloupe

The Sweet Granite cantaloupe is ideal for cool weather climates — from coastal regions to towns in USDA hardiness zone 3-4. It ripens earlier than most other cantaloupes, and will usually be ready to harvest in about 70 days.

These orange/yellow melons have an elongated shape and netted skin with deliciously sweet orange flesh. They will usually reach 2-3 pounds. It’s another melon that you’ll likely find on seed-saver websites.

Days to maturity: 65-75

Growing cold hardy melons vertically

Growing melons on a trellis or vertical support is a great way to maximize the sunlight your plant receives. When the leaves are positioned up high they will receive more sun which will keep the plant healthy and help it to produce as many flowers as possible — leading to more fruits!

In a garden, you could use an a-frame support like this foldable a-frame trellis from Amazon. However, if you’re growing your cold hardy melons on a balcony, a standalone container like this planter with an attached trellis also from Amazon would be ideal.

Tips for growing melons in cool climates

Growing melons in a cooler climate is all about maximizing sunlight and making the most of the growing season. Follow these tips for an excellent crop of cold hardy melons.

• Choose a variety that matures quickly (under 80 days)
• Start the seeds off indoors, roughly 3-4 weeks before the last usual frost date in spring. If you add your zip code to the ‘shipping to’ box on the Burpee website each seed page will display your average frost dates.
• Make sure the seeds are kept moist and placed in a warm spot. They need 70-90ºF to germinate successfully.
• Place your melon plant in the sunniest position possible, growing melon plants vertically can keep them in the sun for longer.
• Place the plant near a wall as the residual heat of the day keeps the plant warmer through the night.

Other cold-tolerant tender crops

Cucumbers are another tender crop that needs guaranteed warm weather — ideally, they shouldn’t be in temperatures below 50ºF. Check out our list of cucumber varieties for cooler climates for ideas on what may work if your area experiences variable temperatures in summer!

Like melons, grapes are another fruit associated with warmer areas. However, there are now some amazing cold tolerant grape cultivars that will thrive in USDA zone 3.

Featured Image: Photo by Jeremy Horvatin on Unsplash