When to Sow Carrots in Rhode Island: Counting Back From the Last Frost
Rhode Island’s carrots don’t fail because gardeners plant on the wrong day. They fail because of what’s under the surface.
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.
Will Carrots Fork in Rhode Island Soil?
The soil that represents Rhode Island, the Narragansett series, is well drained, low in clay and closer to loam than to heavy ground.
When to Sow Beets in Rhode Island
In Rhode Island, the safest window to sow beets outdoors runs from about mid-March through the first days of April, roughly two to three weeks ahead of…
Beet Soil in Rhode Island: What the Root Will Meet
Rhode Island’s representative soil, the Narragansett series, is a silty loam that drains well but runs strongly acid, close to pH 5.3.
Growing Carrots in Rhode Island: Soil, Sowing and Forked Roots
Rhode Island’s representative topsoil, the Narragansett series, is a well-drained silt loam: 34 percent sand, 60 percent silt, only 6 percent clay, with…
Growing Beets in Rhode Island: Soil, Sowing and Bolting
Rhode Island’s beets do best in loose, acidic ground that drains fast enough to avoid rot but holds moisture long enough to carry a seedling through its…
When to Start Pepper Seed in Rhode Island
Rhode Island’s short answer: start pepper seed indoors around late February to mid-March, roughly 8 to 10 weeks before you plan to move transplants…
Why Peppers Fail to Set Fruit in Rhode Island
Peppers drop their flowers or never set fruit in Rhode Island mostly because of temperature swings, not soil or watering mistakes.
When to Plant Potatoes in Rhode Island: Counting Back From Your Last Frost
Rhode Island gardeners generally aim for the back half of March, roughly two to three weeks before the last spring frost, because potatoes go into the…
Harvesting and Storing Potatoes in Rhode Island
In Rhode Island, potatoes need to come out of the ground before the first fall frost window hits between October 24 and November 3, then cure for two to…