I can’t help but to associate biting into a deliciously sweet, sticky watermelon slice with the hot summer sun and swimming pools. Maybe it’s because I’m a summer baby, or maybe I’m not that special and everyone thinks this.
Either way, watermelon can be one of the most fun, and rewardingly sweet things to grow in your personal garden. They do however take up quite a bit of space which might have you asking if it is really worth it to grow your own, or if you should just hit up the roadside fruit stand.
For the first harvest, watermelon will likely cost you money when compared to startup costs for any sized garden. Consecutive harvests are likely to result in a positive ROI, between $10s-$100s. Optimal spacing is a big factor with this larger fruit. Vigilance is needed to grow larger amounts in a relatively smaller space.
| 1st Harvest 2ft x 2ft | 1st Harvest 4ft x 8ft | Consecutive Harvest 2ft x 2ft | Consecutive Harvest 4ft x 8ft | Lbs per Plant | Cost/lb | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Personal Watermelon | $(21.43) | $(108.35) | $18.57 | $147.76 | 15 | $0.80 |
| Icebox Watermelon | $(24.43)* | $(132.35)* | $15.57* | $123.76* | 30 | $0.35 |
| Seedless Watermelon | $(22.73) | $(118.75) | $17.27 | $137.36 | 45 | $0.50 |
| Picnic Watermelon | – | $(224.05) | – | $32.06 | 105 | $0.35 |
| Giant Watermelon | – | $(234.35)* | – | $21.76* | 180 | $0.35 |
Check out the table in Is a Home Garden Worth It as Produce Costs Rise? To see how beans compare to other crops. Continue reading that article to learn more about the costs of having a home garden and other, non-monetary, benefits.
How Much Does Watermelon Cost?
Watermelon typically costs ~$0.35 per pound. However, there are certainly exceptions.
Seedless watermelon tends to be more desired and as a result more expensive. Typically around ~$0.50 per pound.
Personal watermelon, my personal favorite for its manageable size in a raised bed garden, also tends to cost more per pound at ~$0.80.
Watermelon with various colored fruit, such as yellow, also tends to run more expensive due to its uniqueness.
Prices also vary based on season and location.
How Much Does the Average Watermelon Plant Produce?
Each plant produces ~2-4 watermelons, however the weight of each melon varies significantly based on the variety of the watermelon. For this reason I would urge you to review the table at the beginning of this article.
Typically, unless you get adventurous and try to grow very large watermelons, you will probably grow personal, icebox, or seedless watermelons (perhaps even a seedless personal variety) . These are more common due to their size and manageability.
A personal watermelon plant is likely to result in roughly ~15 lbs of watermelon total (~5 lbs each).
An Icebox variety is likely to result in ~30lbs of watermelon total (~10lbs each). Varieties could range between ~10-60 lbs (5-15 lbs each). To grow these in the space allowed you may want to use a trellis.
Seedless plants are likely to result in ~45 lbs of watermelon total (~15 lbs each). It may be possible to grow these in a tighter space than what is used for the examples, however, it would take more knowledge and vigilance (and a trellis).
Picnic varieties average ~105 lbs per plant (~35 lbs each). Varieties could range between ~30-200 lbs 15-50 lbs each.
Giant varieties average ~180 lbs per plant (~60 lbs each). However, the sizes and pounds of watermelon grown can go off the rails with some varieties getting huge. Here you can see one that grew to 262lbs! This is usually done by a practice of stopping all but one fruit per plant. These would be difficult to grow in a raised bed situation.
How Many Watermelon Plants Should I Grow?
The general suggestion is to plant 2-6 watermelon plants per person, depending on the variety chosen. I personally believe the lower ranges are usually more reasonable overall, with an exception for personal sized melons.
Growing For Two
For two people you would need between 4-12 watermelon plants per person. We will use an example of a 4ftx4ft bed as it allows several varieties to fall within the mid to lower range.
For a personal and icebox varieties (and maybe seedless, but I will not include them here), this would be enough space for ~8 intensively spaced (and probably trellised) plants. This could possibly give you a first harvest at a loss of ~$60-80, but with consecutive harvests ‘saving’ between ~$60-$80. Causing you to ‘break even’ after two harvests.
This same space could house ~4 seedless (again you might could try for more here) plants. This could possibly give you a first harvest at a loss of ~$70, but consecutive harvest would ‘save’ you ~$70. Again causing you to ‘break even’ after two harvests.
If you wanted to go for a larger variety, you might grow one plant in this same space of a picnic variety (maybe more if you want to take the risk or choose a variety or picnic that allows closer spacing). This one plant could result in ~105 lbs of watermelon (although all of this harvest would likely be in 2-4 melons). The result here might be a first harvest at a loss of ~$124 and consecutive harvests ‘saving’ you ~$16. It would take many years to ‘break even’ and you have a better chance at losing one plant or melon etc.
Growing For A Family of Four
For a family of four would require 8-24 watermelon plants per person. We will use an example of a 4ftx4ft bed.
For this example I would urge you to take a look at the 4ftx8ft example given in the table at the top of this article. This sized bed would reach the mid to lower range for the most common types grown by home gardeners – personal, icebox, and seedless. This could result in between 180 lbs to almost 500 lbs of watermelon!
Reaching the upper range listed here would require approximately three 4ftx4ft beds. This is 3x what is listed in the growing for two examples above. Which could possibly result in more than ~700lbs of watermelon!
Disclaimer: Nothing written here is meant to imply a guarantee or to provide financial advice. It is possible your entire crop fails or that your experience results that are different from the estimates provided here. Please do your own additional research before pursuing anything as a financial investment.