What to Plant in Rhode Island in December
December in Rhode Island sits deep inside the dormant season, well past the first fall frost window of October 24 to November 3 and months from the last…
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.
What to Plant in Rhode Island in August
In Rhode Island, August sits squarely between the two frost dates that bookend the growing season: well past the April 7-17 last spring frost, and…
What to Plant in Rhode Island in April
Early April in Rhode Island still sits inside the frost window, so the safe planting list is short but real: peas, spinach, lettuce, radishes, and onion…
Growing Peppers in Rhode Island: Fruit Set, Heat and Timing
Rhode Island’s coastal climate keeps most summers on the mild side, which actually works in a pepper’s favor.
Growing Potatoes in Rhode Island: Dates, Varieties and Summer Heat
Rhode Island potato growers get a rare break: the state barely brushes 90 F heat, so tuber sizing rarely shuts down mid-summer.
Pepper Varieties That Ripen in a Rhode Island Season
In Rhode Island, most gardeners can expect roughly nine days a year hot enough to stall pepper fruit set, and cool nights that same site can’t measure…
Watering Through a Dry Spell in Rhode Island
Rhode Island’s summers hand a garden more help than most people assume, but the driest month still leaves a gap the sky won’t close.
Watering Pots and Containers in Rhode Island
Rhode Island gardens face a paradox: the state gets plenty of rain over the year, but July, the peak of the growing season, is also its driest month.
When to Plant Onions in Rhode Island
Rhode Island sits far enough north that onions need to go in the ground before spring even feels like spring.
The Best Onion Varieties for Rhode Island
Rhode Island sits far enough north that its onions need long summer daylight to bulb, not warm soil.