Providence, RI · zone 7a · ~194 frost-free days
When to plant in Providence: frost dates and zone 7a.
In Providence, the typical last spring frost lands around Apr 15 and the first fall frost around Oct 26, giving you about 194 frost-free days. Cool-season crops go out before the last frost; warm-season crops wait until after it.
The 2026 windows
Sow dates for Providence, keyed to your frost.
| Crop | Start indoors | Spring sow / set out | Fall sow |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tomato, slicing | Mar 11 to May 11 | Apr 22 to Jun 22 | — |
| Lettuce, leaf | — | Mar 8 to Apr 22 | Aug 12 to Oct 11 |
| Carrot | — | Mar 8 to Apr 10 | Jul 31 to Aug 26 |
| Bush Bean | — | Apr 15 to Jun 5 | Jul 12 to Aug 14 |
| Cucumber, slicing | — | Apr 22 to Jul 22 | — |
| Pepper, bell | Mar 20 to May 11 | May 1 to Jun 22 | — |
| Kale | Jan 25 to Feb 22 | Mar 8 to Apr 5 | Jul 26 to Sep 10 |
| Spinach | — | Feb 22 to Apr 5 | Aug 12 to Sep 30 |
Providence sits in Zone 7a, but two gardens in the same city can be a week or two apart. The planner works from your ZIP code's frost dates, not the zone, so the dates land right for your block, not the metro average.
Build your Providence garden plan.
Tell the free planner what you want to eat and who you're feeding. It returns plant counts, spacing, and frost-safe sow dates for ZIP 02903 in about 60 seconds.
Providence planting questions
What planting zone is Providence, RI?+
Providence is in USDA hardiness zone 7a. Growing zone, gardening zone, and planting zone all mean the same thing: the USDA number, 7a here. It tells you what survives winter, not when to plant. Frost dates set your planting time, and the free planner uses your exact ZIP code's frost dates, which can differ by weeks across one metro.
When is the last frost date in Providence?+
The typical last spring frost in Providence, RI is around Apr 15. That is an average from local history, not a guarantee, so tender crops like tomatoes and peppers are safer with a week of buffer after it.
When is the first frost date in Providence?+
The typical first fall frost in Providence, RI arrives around Oct 26, closing a growing season of roughly 194 frost-free days. Count backward from it to find the last date a fall crop can still finish.
What can I plant now in Providence?+
It depends on the date. Cool-season crops like lettuce, kale, and spinach go out weeks before the last frost; warm-season crops like tomatoes and peppers wait until after Apr 15. The table above shows each crop's window; the free planner turns your ZIP into an exact, dated calendar.