Cantaloupe in Zone 11a & 11b

Cucumis melo

When to plant cantaloupe in zone 11b

Zones 11a and 11b share the same average frost dates in our data, so this page covers both.

Method: Either: Start indoors for an earlier harvest, or direct-sow outside for less fuss. Cantaloupe tolerates either.

Spacing: about 4 square feet per plant (square-foot-gardening spacing). Mature height: 0.5-1 ft.

Cantaloupe takes up far more room than most vegetables for the yield it gives back, at a quarter plant per square foot, it needs serious space to sprawl, and a single vine won't produce nearly as much fruit as a tomato or pepper plant in the same footprint. What it does deliver, ripened on the vine, is a flavor that store-bought melons (picked underripe for shipping) rarely match.

How cantaloupe fits zone 11's season

Zone 11b is frost-free in this dataset, so frost is not what limits the calendar here. What you can plant, and when, comes down to summer heat and daylength instead.

Good companions

• Sweet Corn: Corn provides light afternoon shade without heavy competition for space. (usually zones 3-10, so not a pairing for zone 11b)

Where to buy cantaloupe seeds

• Botanical Interests
• True Leaf Market
• Burpee
• High Mowing Organic Seeds

See why we recommend these suppliers →

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See it growing

Search YouTube for "growing cantaloupe" videos → (a live search, not a hand-picked video; results vary and aren't vetted by us)

← Back to the full zone 11b calendar · Full companion planting guide · Full plant profile · Plan your beds in the Garden Designer →

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Growing Cantaloupe in USDA zone 11b: when to start seeds indoors, when to direct-sow, and when to expect a harvest.

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