Arizona · Field & vine
Typically mid-May to mid-August, and again mid-September to late October, with peak early June through mid-July.
Hatched chalk = early and late shoulders; solid = peak.
Desert melons come in two rounds — early summer around Yuma and a smaller fall crop.
From mid-May, and again mid-September — first pickings, lighter supply, best prices come later.
early June through mid-July; again early October through mid-October — full stalls, full flavor. This is the stretch to plan around.
Through late October — quantity for preserving, and the stalls start dealing.
about 19 weeks end to end, shoulders included.
Watermelon peak moves across the map. After this window, it lands next in:
In Arizona, the watermelon season typically runs mid-May to mid-August, and again mid-September to late October, with peak availability early June through mid-July. Exact weeks shift a little with each year's weather.
Rarely offered u-pick — buy them at the farm stand, where the grower has already thumped and field-tested the load. The best market weeks are early June through mid-July.
about 19 weeks end to end — mid-May to mid-August, and again mid-September to late October. The early and late shoulders are real but lighter; the solid stretch of chalk on the band is the sure bet.