Rhode Island vegetable planting calendar 2027: frost dates and when to plant
In Rhode Island, the average last spring frost is April 11 in Providence (NOAA 1991-2020 normals). Below are planting dates for Providence for 27 common vegetables and herbs, worked out the way the Rowtime app does it: NOAA's average frost dates for the nearest weather station, with the planting rules of state extension guides. Dates are for the 2027 season.
Rowtime: Garden Planner works these dates out for your own ZIP code in Rhode Island, shows where each one comes from, and recalculates when a planting slips. Get Rowtime on the App Store.
Dates are estimates. Check your local extension office before you plant, and use your own frost records if you have them. Dates shift by a week or more within a state, so pick the city closest to your conditions.
Providence
When to plant tomatoes in Providence?
In Providence, Rhode Island, the average last spring frost is April 11 and the average first fall frost is October 30 (NOAA 1991-2020 normals, PROVIDENCE T F GREEN AP station, 11 km from ZIP 02903). For tomatoes, start seeds indoors March 16 to May 22 and plant out seedlings April 23 to August 1, following University of Maryland Extension (Home & Garden Information Center) and Purdue University Extension. Dates are for the 2027 season; sources last checked October 24, 2026.
Frost dates for Providence (02903)
- Last spring frost: Apr 11 on average, Apr 23 for a 10% risk of a later frost.
- First fall frost: Oct 30 on average, Oct 16 for a 10% risk of an earlier frost.
- USDA hardiness zone 7a (PRISM 2023 listing).
| Crop | When |
|---|---|
| Beet | Sow outdoors: Mar 26 to Apr 9 Sow outdoors for fall: Aug 21 to Sep 18 |
| Broccoli | Start seeds indoors: Feb 23 to Apr 1 Plant out seedlings: Mar 12 to Mar 26 Plant out seedlings for fall: Aug 21 to Sep 18 |
| Cabbage | Start seeds indoors: Feb 16 to Mar 15 Plant out seedlings: Mar 12 to Mar 26 Plant out seedlings for fall: Aug 21 to Sep 18 |
| Carrot | Sow outdoors: Mar 26 to Apr 9 |
| Cauliflower | Start seeds indoors: Mar 2 to Apr 1 Plant out seedlings: Mar 26 to Apr 9 Plant out seedlings for fall: Jun 30 to Jul 30 |
| Cucumber | Sow outdoors: May 7 to Aug 21 |
| Eggplant | Start seeds indoors: Apr 2 to May 1 Plant out seedlings: May 7 to Aug 1 |
| Green onion | Plant onion sets: Mar 12 to Mar 26 Plant out seedlings for fall: Aug 21 to Sep 18 |
| Kale | Sow outdoors: Mar 12 to Mar 26 Sow outdoors for fall: Aug 21 to Sep 18 |
| Lettuce | Sow outdoors: Mar 26 to Apr 9 Sow outdoors for fall: Aug 21 to Sep 18 |
| Melon and watermelon | Sow outdoors: May 7 to Jul 22 |
| Okra | Plant out seedlings: May 7 to Aug 26 |
| Onion | Plant onion sets: Mar 12 to Mar 26 |
| Pea | Sow outdoors: Mar 12 to Mar 26 |
| Pepper | Start seeds indoors: Mar 16 to Apr 15 Plant out seedlings: May 7 to Aug 1 |
| Potato | Plant seed potatoes: Mar 12 to Mar 26 |
| Snap bean | Sow outdoors: Apr 23 to Aug 31 |
| Spinach | Sow outdoors: Mar 12 to Mar 26 Sow outdoors for fall: Aug 21 to Sep 18 |
| Summer squash | Sow outdoors: May 7 to Aug 31 |
| Sweet corn | Sow outdoors: Apr 23 to Aug 1 |
| Sweet potato | Sprout slips indoors: Apr 16 to May 15 Plant out slips: May 7 to Jun 22 |
| Tomato | Start seeds indoors: Mar 16 to May 22 Plant out seedlings: Apr 23 to Aug 1 |
| Winter squash and pumpkin | Sow outdoors: May 7 to Jul 22 |
| Basil | Plant outdoors: May 15 to Aug 14 |
| Cilantro | Sow outdoors: Feb 15 to Apr 14 Sow outdoors for fall: Sep 7 to Sep 21 |
| Dill | Sow outdoors: Mar 30 to Apr 14 Sow outdoors for fall: Jul 23 to Sep 6 |
| Parsley | Sow outdoors: Apr 2 to May 1 Plant outdoors for fall: Jul 23 to Sep 21 |
Sources
Planting rules, in the order Rowtime tries them here:
- Purdue University Extension, Indiana Vegetable Planting Calendar (HO-186-W). Checked October 20, 2026.
- University of Maryland Extension (Home & Garden Information Center), Vegetable Planting Calendar for Central Maryland. Checked October 24, 2026.
- NC State Extension, Central North Carolina Planting Calendar for Annual Vegetables, Fruits, and Herbs (AG-756-01). Checked October 21, 2026.
Frost dates, locations and zones:
- NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 annual/seasonal (freeze probabilities).
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2025 Gazetteer Files: ZIP Code Tabulation Areas.
- PRISM Group, Oregon State University / USDA ARS, 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map ZIP code listings. PRISM Group, Oregon State University, https://prism.oregonstate.edu, accessed 20 Oct 2026.
How the dates are worked out: a guide's rule such as "two weeks after the last frost" is applied to the station's NOAA date. Purdue's dates are 10% dates, so they are counted from the station's 10% date. When a guide gives no last date, the window closes early enough for the crop's longest days to harvest before the first fall frost. When a guide gives no first date for a fall planting, no fall window is shown. "Season too short" means the guide's window would close before it opens at this station's frost dates.
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