# Watermelon (Citrullus lanatus)

Canonical: https://plantguide.ae/plants/watermelon · Updated: 2026-10-29
Source: Plant Guide (https://plantguide.ae/plants/watermelon)

Watermelon · بطيخ أحمر  
vegetable · exotic · family Cucurbitaceae · grows 0.2–0.4 m tall, 1.5–3 m wide · fast growth  
full sun · moderate water need  
Ratings for Dubai (1–5, 5 is best): heat 4 · salt 2 · drought 2 · shade 1 · ease of care 3  
Sow or plant: Feb–Apr  
Uses: edible, container

## Also known as

- **Botanical synonyms:** *Citrullus vulgaris*
- **Arabic (العربية):** بطيخ أحمر, حبحب (Habhab), دلاع (Dallah), رقي (Raqqi)
- **Hindi (हिन्दी):** तरबूज़ (Tarbooz)
- **Urdu (اردو):** تربوز (Tarbooz)
- **Malayalam (മലയാളം):** തണ്ണിമത്തൻ (Thannimathan)
- **Tamil (தமிழ்):** தர்ப்பூசணி (Tharpoosani)
- **Tagalog:** Pakwan
- **Bengali (বাংলা):** তরমুজ (Tormuj)
- **Persian (فارسی):** هندوانه (Hendevaneh)

A spring-sown vine for Dubai's hot months: sow trays in February to March, plant out March to April, and cut ripe fruit from about May to July, with space, shade cloth and steady water.

## About

Meet watermelon, the crop that likes it hot. While the winter vegetables retire in April, watermelon vines are just setting off, running across a sunny bed with lobed leaves and pale yellow flowers.

Its character is sprawling and thirsty. Each plant claims a couple of square metres and wants steady water, a drip line and mulch to keep its roots cool. Shade cloth over the bed takes the edge off the afternoon sun.

What it brings is a summer fruit that you can honestly say you grew. Watermelon is thought to have been domesticated in Sudan and cultivated in Egypt by 2000 BCE (Wikipedia), so it is an old crop of this part of the world, and one ripe fruit from your own bed, chilled and cut, is a big reward for a hot season.

Watermelon runs the opposite way to the winter vegetables. The UAE Ministry of Climate Change and Environment's calendar lists nursery sowing in February to March and field planting in March to April, with harvest 80 to 90 days later, which puts ripe fruit in the hottest weeks. BBC Good Food Middle East lists melons, watermelon included, for May to June in the hot season, with shade cloth and careful watering; the Ministry's earlier dates give the vines a longer start. A Dubai gardener told Gulf News that melons and watermelons are among the crops she grows in summer, under green shade from May to October.

UF/IFAS gives the working numbers. Watermelon grows best with daytime temperatures of 70 to 85°F (21 to 29°C) and can handle up to 90°F (32°C), and Dubai's average high passes that in April (34°C) and reaches 38°C in May, so plan for shade cloth and mulch from the start. Each plant needs 18 to 24 square feet (1.7 to 2.2 m²). The Grow Your Food guide that The National published with Dubai Municipality says melons, marrows and pumpkins really need their own patch of ground, while a Gulf News feature on balcony gardens says melons can grow in 20-gallon containers. Transplants have sensitive roots and do best from peat pots; grow in full sun and well-drained soil, and expect 80 to 100 days to ripe fruit.

NC State says to keep the soil moist but not soggy, and warns that stress from heat, too much water or poor pollination gives poor fruit set. FAO rates watermelon as moderately sensitive to salt, an estimate rather than a measured threshold, so use mains water on a drip line and fill the bed with sweet soil. To judge ripeness UF/IFAS says to look for a cream-coloured or bright yellow spot where the fruit rests on the ground, and to check the curled tendril nearest the melon: when it turns brown and shrivels, the fruit should be ripe.

## Through the year

Watermelon starts in February to March, with seeds sown in peat pots. The vines go into the bed from March to April, in full sun on a drip line with mulch. From May the heat builds, so shade cloth goes up and watering is deep and early. Aphids, mites and mildew are most active from April to July. Ripe fruit arrives from about May to July, 80 to 90 days after the Ministry's planting dates; the ground spot turns cream and the tendril beside the fruit browns. By August the vines are finished and the bed rests.

| When | What | Note |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Feb–Mar | Sow: Nursery sowing | Ministry calendar: nursery February–March. Use peat pots, because watermelon roots are sensitive to transplanting (UF/IFAS). |
| Mar–Apr | Plant: Plant out | Ministry calendar: field planting March–April, in full sun. BBC Good Food Middle East gives May–June for melons including watermelon, with shade cloth. |
| Apr–Jul | Pest watch: Mites, aphids and mildew | NC State lists mites, aphids, cucumber beetles and powdery and downy mildew; UF/IFAS adds gummy stem blight. Dubai Garden Centre names aphids, whitefly and leaf miners as common in the UAE. |
| May–Jul | Harvest: Cut ripe fruit | Ministry calendar: 80–90 days. UF/IFAS: a cream or bright yellow ground spot and a brown, shrivelled tendril beside the fruit. |
| May–Jul | Heat stress: Above the comfortable range | UF/IFAS gives 21–29°C as best, with 32°C the upper limit. Dubai's average high is 38°C in May and 40°C in June; shade cloth and mulch help (NC State: heat stress gives poor fruit set). |

## Care in Dubai

- **Watering in summer:** Keep the soil moist but not soggy (NC State), with deep early-morning watering from a drip line and a mulch to hold moisture. Avoid too much or too little water, which UF/IFAS says stresses the plant and spoils flavour.
- **Watering in winter:** Not grown in winter in Dubai; the vines are sown in February and finished by about August.
- **While establishing:** Keep the transplants evenly moist and shade them lightly for the first week or two; UF/IFAS says watermelon has sensitive roots.
- **Soil:** Well-drained, loamy soil with a neutral pH in full sun (NC State, UF/IFAS). In Dubai use sweet soil and compost in a large raised bed, since the native sand carries too much salt.
- **Feeding:** Compost at planting and a balanced liquid feed every two weeks once the vines run; a Gulf News feature says most vegetable plants are heavy feeders that need regular feeding to fruit.
- **Pruning:** None needed. Let the vines trail, and keep leaves on the fruit to shade it.
- **Planting:** Sow in peat pots from February to March, plant out from March to April about 90 cm (36 inches) apart with rows 2.1–2.4 m apart (UF/IFAS), or one plant to a 20-gallon container. Mulch and fit shade cloth from May.
- **Pests and problems:** Spider mites; Aphids; Cucumber beetles; Powdery and downy mildew; Gummy stem blight
- **Toxicity:** Not known to be toxic; the fruit is a normal food for people. No ASPCA listing was found for watermelon, so do not treat the plant as pet-safe without checking.

## Good and bad

**Pros**
- Ministry calendar: sow Feb–Mar, plant out Mar–Apr, 80–90 days to fruit
- A heat-lover: a Dubai gardener names watermelon among her summer crops (Gulf News)
- Icebox types such as 'Mini Love' (3–5 lb fruit) suit small plots (NC State)
- Ripeness is easy to read: cream-yellow ground spot, brown tendril (UF/IFAS)

**Cons**
- Needs 1.7–2.2 m² per plant (UF/IFAS), or a 20-gallon container (Gulf News)
- Heat stress, excess water or poor pollination gives poor fruit set (NC State)
- Moderately salt-sensitive (FAO estimate); needs clean water
- Transplant roots are sensitive, so use peat pots and move gently (UF/IFAS)

## Common mistakes

- Planting out too late. BBC Good Food Middle East says May to June, but the Ministry's March to April dates give the vines a head start before the hottest weeks.
- Giving it too little room. UF/IFAS says each plant needs 18 to 24 square feet, so a small bed fits one vine, or choose an icebox variety.
- Handling transplants roughly. UF/IFAS says watermelon has sensitive roots; use peat pots and plant them whole.
- Letting the soil swing between dry and soggy. NC State says too much water or heat stress gives poor fruit set, and UF/IFAS says stress spoils flavour.
- Picking too soon. UF/IFAS says a white or pale green ground spot means the melon is not ripe; wait for cream or yellow and a brown tendril.

## Good to know

- Watermelon is thought to have been domesticated in Sudan and cultivated in Egypt by 2000 BCE (Wikipedia).
- Arabic Wikipedia lists many names for it, among them batteekh ahmar, habhab, dalla, raqqi and kharbiz.
- NC State says vines can reach 10 feet (3 m) across and fruits can weigh 6 to 60 pounds, depending on the cultivar.
- UF/IFAS says seedless types are triploid and sterile, and may show small white seed coats.

## Using it in a garden

Roles: Sprawling summer ground crop, Large-container melon, Seasonal edible for a sunny bed, Fruit for a family garden

Give watermelon its own sunny corner of a raised bed, with 1.7 to 2.2 m² per plant (UF/IFAS), and let the vines trail along a path edge. A Gulf News feature says melons can grow in 20-gallon containers, which suits a patio. Keep it on a drip line with mulch, fit shade cloth from May and keep it out of the salty native sand.

- [Okra](https://plantguide.ae/plants/okra.md): The other big spring-sown summer crop: the Ministry gives okra February to March sowing too, so the two share a hot-season calendar.
- [Pumpkin](https://plantguide.ae/plants/pumpkin.md): Another cucurbit with the same Ministry sowing and planting dates, grown on the same drip line and sharing the same pests.
- [Cucumber](https://plantguide.ae/plants/cucumber.md): A cucurbit with a spring window of its own, trained up a trellis so it does not crowd the melon vines.
- [Molokhia](https://plantguide.ae/plants/molokhia.md): A summer leaf crop that grows in the same heat, with its own February to March Ministry window.

## FAQ

**When should I plant watermelon in Dubai?**  
The Ministry's calendar gives nursery sowing in February to March and field planting in March to April. BBC Good Food Middle East lists May to June for melons including watermelon.

**How long does watermelon take to ripen?**  
The Ministry's calendar gives 80 to 90 days. UF/IFAS says 80 to 100 days depending on the variety.

**How do I know when a watermelon is ripe?**  
UF/IFAS says to look at the ground spot, which should be cream-coloured or bright yellow, and at the curled tendril nearest the melon, which should be brown and shrivelled.

**How much space does a watermelon need?**  
UF/IFAS says 18 to 24 square feet (1.7 to 2.2 m²) per plant. A Gulf News feature says melons can grow in 20-gallon containers.

**Can watermelon cope with Dubai's summer?**  
It loves heat, but UF/IFAS gives 21–29°C as best and 32°C as the upper limit. Dubai passes that in May, so use shade cloth, mulch and steady water.

**Is watermelon salt-tolerant?**  
FAO rates it moderately sensitive, an estimate rather than a measured value. Use mains water on a drip line and fill the bed with sweet soil.

## Related plants

[Pumpkin](https://plantguide.ae/plants/pumpkin.md) · [Cucumber](https://plantguide.ae/plants/cucumber.md) · [Okra](https://plantguide.ae/plants/okra.md) · [Molokhia](https://plantguide.ae/plants/molokhia.md) · [Zucchini](https://plantguide.ae/plants/zucchini.md)

## Photos

![Ripe watermelons among lobed vine leaves on red sandy soil](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0e/Watermelons_at_the_farm.jpg)  
Photo: Deborah Tjituka / CC BY-SA 4.0 / Wikimedia Commons ([source](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Watermelons_at_the_farm.jpg))

![Two striped watermelons growing among vine leaves](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/35/2023-09-17_16_16_25_Watermelons_growing_on_a_vine_growing_out_of_the_crack_in_a_concrete_patio_along_Mercer_County_Route_526_%28Robbinsville-Edinburg_Road%29_in_Robbinsville_Township%2C_Mercer_County%2C_New_Jersey.jpg)  
Photo: Famartin / CC BY-SA 4.0 / Wikimedia Commons ([source](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:2023-09-17_16_16_25_Watermelons_growing_on_a_vine_growing_out_of_the_crack_in_a_concrete_patio_along_Mercer_County_Route_526_(Robbinsville-Edinburg_Road)_in_Robbinsville_Township,_Mercer_County,_New_Jersey.jpg))

![Watermelon vines growing on dry ground in Iraqi Kurdistan during a drought](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a4/Citrullus_lanatus_in_Iraq%2C_Kurdistan.jpg)  
Photo: Porbóllett / CC BY-SA 4.0 / Wikimedia Commons ([source](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Citrullus_lanatus_in_Iraq,_Kurdistan.jpg))

![A watermelon field grown under low plastic tunnels beside a lagoon in Turkey](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7f/Karpuz_tarlas%C4%B1_-_Watermelon_field_01.jpg)  
Photo: Zeynel Cebeci / CC BY-SA 4.0 / Wikimedia Commons ([source](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Karpuz_tarlas%C4%B1_-_Watermelon_field_01.jpg))

## Sources

- [UAE Ministry of Climate Change and Environment: Dates for Planting Vegetables and Fruits in the UAE](https://moccae.gov.ae/assets/download/56f7a89b/agriculture_calender_page_en.pdf.aspx)
- [BBC Good Food Middle East: A guide to growing fruits and vegetables in the UAE](https://bbcgoodfoodme.com/how-to/a-guide-to-growing-fruits-and-vegetables-in-the-uae)
- [Gulf News: Gardening tales from the UAE, how to grow a kitchen garden on your balcony this summer](https://gulfnews.com/friday/home/gardening-tales-from-the-uae-how-to-grow-a-kitchen-garden-in-your-balcony-this-summer-1.1679993345418)
- [The National with Grow Your Food (supported by Dubai Municipality): From seed to harvest, advice for gardeners in the UAE (reprint)](https://thearabianpost.com/from-seed-to-harvest-some-essential-advice-for-gardeners-in-the-uae/)
- [The National: Garden frenzy (Dubai Garden Centre advice on soil and sowing dates)](https://www.thenationalnews.com/lifestyle/garden-frenzy-1.553767)
- [FAO: Crop salt tolerance data (Annex 1)](https://www.fao.org/4/y4263e/y4263e0e.htm)
- [Wikipedia: Climate of Dubai (1991 to 2020 normals)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Climate_of_Dubai)
- [ASPCA: Toxic and Non-Toxic Plants list (no entry found for this plant)](https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/animal-poison-control/toxic-and-non-toxic-plants)
- [UF/IFAS Gardening Solutions: Watermelon](https://gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu/plants/edibles/vegetables/watermelon/)
- [NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox: Citrullus lanatus](https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/citrullus-lanatus/)
- [Wikipedia: Watermelon](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Watermelon)
- [Arabic Wikipedia: بطيخ أحمر](https://ar.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D8%A8%D8%B7%D9%8A%D8%AE_%D8%A3%D8%AD%D9%85%D8%B1)
- [Hindi Wikipedia: तरबूज़](https://hi.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E0%A4%A4%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%AC%E0%A5%82%E0%A4%9C%E0%A4%BC)
- [Urdu Wikipedia: تربوز](https://ur.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D8%AA%D8%B1%D8%A8%D9%88%D8%B2)
- [Malayalam Wikipedia: തണ്ണിമത്തൻ](https://ml.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E0%B4%A4%E0%B4%A3%E0%B5%8D%E0%B4%A3%E0%B4%BF%E0%B4%AE%E0%B4%A4%E0%B5%8D%E0%B4%A4%E0%B5%BB)
- [Tamil Wikipedia: தர்ப்பூசணி](https://ta.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E0%AE%A4%E0%AE%B0%E0%AF%8D%E0%AE%AA%E0%AF%8D%E0%AE%AA%E0%AF%82%E0%AE%9A%E0%AE%A3%E0%AE%BF)
- [Tagalog Wikipedia: Pakwan](https://tl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pakwan)
- [Bengali Wikipedia: তরমুজ](https://bn.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E0%A6%A4%E0%A6%B0%E0%A6%AE%E0%A7%81%E0%A6%9C)
- [Persian Wikipedia: هندوانه](https://fa.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D9%87%D9%86%D8%AF%D9%88%D8%A7%D9%86%D9%87)