First and Last Frost Dates in Rhode Island
Rhode Island’s last spring frost typically falls between April 7 and April 17, and the first fall frost arrives between October 24 and November 3, based…
Gardening in Rhode Island
Everything we have worked out for Rhode Island: what to plant and when, which varieties finish in time, the pests that actually turn up here, and the jobs that pay off month by month. We also cover the rest of the property, from lawns and soil to home care and energy, because a garden rarely stops at the vegetable bed.
The numbers first, because everything else follows from them. Measured at the weather station in Providence, the last spring freeze runs April 7 to April 17 and the first fall freeze runs October 24 to November 3, USDA zones 6a-7b, 3,229 growing degree days in the year.
Garlic does well: 26.1 weeks below 40 °F, comfortably past the six it needs to form a proper head.
Elsewhere on the property in Rhode Island: the pests that turn up here.
Figures from NOAA's 1991-2020 climate normals. A state is not one climate: elevation, a large lake or the coast can move these dates by two weeks either way, so check your own county with the extension service before you spend money.
When to Pick Tomatoes in Rhode Island, and Ripening the Rest
Rhode Island’s growing season closes fast in fall, and the tomato harvest calendar follows the first frost, not the calendar date.
When to Harvest Garlic in Rhode Island, and How to Cure It
In Rhode Island, garlic planted the previous autumn is usually ready to lift when the lower third to half of the leaves have turned brown while the upper…
When to Pick Apples in Rhode Island, and How Long They Keep
Rhode Island’s growing season runs from the last frost near April 7-17 to the first fall frost near October 24-November 3, and that window is what…
Does Insulation Keep a Home in Rhode Island Cool?
Yes, insulation helps a Rhode Island home stay cooler in summer, but the honest picture is that summer is the smaller half of the equation here.
Does a Wall in Rhode Island Need a Vapor Barrier?
Rhode Island sits entirely in IECC climate zone 5A, with no county carved out into a different zone.
Heating With Pellets in Rhode Island: What a Winter Takes
A pellet stove in Rhode Island works through a genuinely long heating season, but the state’s degree-day numbers put it closer to a moderate New England…
Rose sawfly in Rhode Island: When It Shows Up and What Stops It
Rose sawfly larvae, often called rose slugs, show up in Rhode Island as new rose foliage expands in late spring, generally sometime between early May and…
When to Sow Parsnips in Rhode Island
Sow parsnip seed directly in the ground in Rhode Island from mid-to-late March into early April, roughly two to three weeks before the state’s last…
Cicada killer wasp in Rhode Island: When It Shows Up and What Stops It
Cicada killer wasps show up in Rhode Island from mid-July through early September, digging burrows in sandy, well-drained soil during the hottest stretch…