Are Watermelons in Season in December?

Watermelon is in season in Australia in summer but is generally available year-round. There is a second crop in winter but the lowest availability is in spring as most growers in suitable climates will plant for the summer growing season. Watermelon in autumn is likely to be from Queensland and New South Wales while winter watermelons will be from NT or WA.

Availability of Watermelons in Spring

When is Watermelon Season in Australia?

Watermelon season in Australia is in summer. The peak supply is usually in January after the summer crops are harvested in Queensland and NSW. There is usually a second smaller crop in winter that peaks in June and July with supply from NT and northern WA. Watermelon is a summer fruit as it grows best in longer days and hotter weather.

For commercial growers the watermelon growing season starts with the planting of seedlings from a nursery rather than growing from seed. They are an annual crop and usually fruit between 10 and 16 weeks after planting in Australia. Watermelon flowers are only viable for one day so growers must have sufficient pollinators available. The more popular seedless varieties need to be grown alongside seeded varieties. Some seeded varieties are used purely for pollination and not for market sale.

Availability of Watermelons by Month

Yellow Watermelon Season

Yellow watermelon is in season in summer around the same time as red varieties. Although commercial growing of yellow watermelon is limited, some varieties like Summer Gold and Lemon Krush are known to perform well in Australia. According to National Geographic yellow watermelons were cultivated before red watermelon. Due to overlapping colour and sweetness genes, as watermelons were bred to become sweeter the flesh became more red.

Seedless Watermelon Season

Seedless watermelons are in season in summer around the same time as seeded varieties. According to the Watermelon Board in the USA seedless watermelon season makes up for 92% of all watermelon sales. In Australia seedless watermelon varieties are now extremely common according to Melons Australia.

Where does Watermelon Come From in Australia?

Most watermelon varieties we consume in Australia is probably descended from yellow varieties that were cultivated in Africa up to 5000 years ago. As such they prefer long hot days and sandy well-drained soil. Most varieties grown in Australia have been bred to tolerate our unique conditions.

Around one third of watermelons are grown in Queensland with a year round supply that peaks in summer. 25% of all watermelons are produced in NSW in just 3 to 4 months over summer, while most other watermelons are grown and harvested over the winter in NT and northern WA.