When to Plant Vegetables in Rhode Island

Last updated September 6, 2026

Last spring frost (median)

Apr 11

First fall frost (median)

Oct 30

Growing season

~202 days

Across Rhode Island, the median last frost falls around Apr 11 and the median first fall frost around Oct 30, from NOAA's 1991-2020 climate normals for the weather station nearest each of the state's ZIP codes. Half of years have a later last frost; 1 year in 10 is later than about Apr 24. Every date in the table below is calculated directly from those two dates using standard, extension-verified planting-offset rules, and the ZIP box recalculates it for your own station.

Rhode Island Planting Calendar

Crop	Method	Spring window	Fall window
Tomatoes (Frost-sensitive)	Start Indoors	Start indoors: Feb 14 - Feb 28 Transplant outdoors: Apr 18 - Apr 25 Transplant once nighttime lows are reliably above 50°F, not just after the calendar frost date.	None
Peppers (Frost-sensitive)	Start Indoors	Start indoors: Jan 31 - Feb 14 Transplant outdoors: Apr 25 and later Peppers want warmer soil than tomatoes -- when in doubt, wait the extra week.	None
Cucumbers (Frost-sensitive)	Direct SowTransplant	Apr 18 - Apr 25 The real trigger is soil temperature (70°F+ at 1 inch deep), not the calendar -- this window is a practical estimate of when that soil temperature typically arrives after the last frost.	None
Beans (Frost-sensitive)	Direct Sow	Apr 11 - Apr 18 Bean seed rots in cold, wet soil -- wait until the soil has warmed to at least 60°F.	None
Lettuce (Frost-tolerant)	Direct Sow	Mar 14 - Mar 28 Cold-tolerant -- a good candidate for succession sowing every 2-3 weeks through spring.	Sow by Aug 27 - Sep 6
Carrots (Frost-tolerant)	Direct Sow	Mar 7 - Mar 28	None
Squash / zucchini (Frost-sensitive)	Direct SowTransplant	Apr 11 - Apr 18 Squash doesn’t tolerate cold -- wait for soil to reach about 70°F.	None
Broccoli (Frost-tolerant)	Start Indoors	Feb 14 - Feb 28	Sow by Jul 28 - Aug 7
Spinach (Frost-tolerant)	Direct Sow	Feb 28 - Mar 14 Sow as soon as the soil can be worked -- extension sources cite anywhere from 2-8 weeks before last frost depending on region; this is a middle estimate.	Sow by Aug 17 - Aug 27
Peas (Frost-tolerant)	Direct Sow	Feb 28 - Mar 14 Cold-tolerant -- sow as soon as the soil can be worked.	None
Onions (sets or transplants) (Frost-tolerant)	Transplant	Mar 14 - Mar 28 This window is for long-day onion varieties, the standard choice across most of the US. Gardeners in the Deep South growing short-day varieties follow a different fall/winter planting schedule.	None
Radishes (Frost-tolerant)	Direct Sow	Feb 28 - Mar 14 Fast-maturing -- a reliable succession crop every 1-2 weeks through spring.	None
Corn (Frost-sensitive)	Direct Sow	Apr 11 - Apr 18 Needs soil temperature of at least 50°F to germinate, with 65-75°F optimal for even germination.	None
Pumpkins (Frost-sensitive)	Direct Sow	Apr 11 - Apr 18 Soil should reach about 65-70°F. If timing for a fall harvest target, count backward from your target date using the variety’s days-to-maturity instead of using this spring window.	None
Beets (Frost-tolerant)	Direct Sow	Mar 14 - Mar 28	None
Cabbage (Frost-tolerant)	Start Indoors	Feb 14 - Feb 28	None
Cauliflower (Frost-tolerant)	Start Indoors	Feb 14 - Feb 28 Extension sources vary more on this crop than most (some cite as few as 4 weeks, others up to 10) -- this range is a defensible middle estimate, usually grown on the same schedule as cabbage.	None
Kale (Frost-tolerant)	Direct Sow	Feb 28 - Mar 14	Sow by Aug 27 - Sep 6
Basil (Frost-sensitive)	Start Indoors	Start indoors: Feb 14 - Feb 28 Transplant outdoors: Apr 25 and later Frost-sensitive, unlike the cold-tolerant crops above -- transplant only after ALL frost risk has passed and soil has warmed to 60°F or more.	None

Summer vegetable beds full of tomatoes, beans, lettuce and squash in a backyard garden in coastal Rhode Island, with a shingled cottage, a stone wall and sea light — The same kind of garden in summer: tomatoes, beans, lettuce and squash. AI-generated image.

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The Spacing & Planting Cheat Sheet

When to start, when to plant, how far apart.

Understanding Your Planting Windows

These windows come from a simple, real calculation: take Rhode Island's median last-frost and first-frost dates, then apply fixed, extension-verified offset rules for each crop (for example, "start tomato seeds indoors 6-8 weeks before your last frost"). Because the offset rules are the same nationwide but Rhode Island's actual frost dates are specific to Rhode Island, the resulting dates are genuinely Rhode Island's own, not a generic template.

These are statewide medians, though, and your own yard may run warmer or colder depending on elevation, urban heat, or microclimate. Enter your ZIP code in the box at the top of the page for your nearest station's dates. For Rhode Island's full zone range from coldest to warmest areas, see the Rhode Island Growing Zone page.

Want exact seed-starting dates for your specific ZIP code, not just the state average? Use the Seed Starting Calculator.

Sources & further reading

Frost dates come from NOAA NCEI's U.S. Climate Normals, 1991-2020: for each of Rhode Island's ZIP codes, the median last and first 32°F dates at the nearest weather station (an airport station within 15 miles where there is one), with ZIP code points from the U.S. Census Bureau's 2023 ZCTA Gazetteer. The same station data drives our Frost Date Calculator. Planting-offset rules are drawn from US Cooperative Extension sources including UGA, UMN, NC State, Utah State, Iowa State, Penn State, and UConn Extension, cited crop-by-crop in the table above. For more on how we build and verify reference data across this site, see our methodology page.

Planting calendars for nearby states

Frost dates shift gradually across state lines, not sharply:

Or browse all 51 state planting calendars.