What to plant this week in Providence, RI
With average last frost in Providence hitting April 3rd, your garden is officially out of the winter freeze and ready for aggressive summer production this week. While you can sow heat-loving crops like okra and bush beans immediately, focus your energy on harvesting abundant mid-season yields including bell peppers, cucumbers, and cantaloupes before the July heat peaks.
The next 7 days
Providence, RIGrowing in Providence right now
- Providence clay-heavy soils benefit from a quick top-dressing of compost or aged manure this week to improve drainage for newly sown zinnias and summer squash.
- Take advantage of the city's microclimates by placing your most vulnerable transplants, if you have any left, against south-facing brick walls where the stone radiates stored winter warmth.
- Monitor moisture levels carefully; while Providence often receives timely spring rains this time of year, hot afternoons can dry out the soil quickly in small urban yards and container gardens.
- Plan to rotate your brassicas like Brussels sprouts away from last year's planting sites to prevent clubroot buildup in our local river valley soils.
Sow this week
18 crops- Basil
- Borage
- Bush Bean
- Cleome (Spider Flower)
- Cucumber
- French Marigold
- Malabar Spinach
- Nasturtium
- Okra
- Pole Bean
- Scarlet Runner Bean
- Shiso (Japanese Basil)
- Summer Savory
- Thai Basil
- Vinca (Madagascar Periwinkle)
- Yellow Summer Squash
- Zinnia
- Zucchini
Transplant this week
Nothing is due to go out this week.
Harvest soon
49 crops- Basil
- Beefsteak Tomato
- Bell Pepper
- Borage
- Brussels Sprouts
- Bush Bean
- Cantaloupe
- Celery
- Cleome (Spider Flower)
- Cosmos
- Cowpea (Black-Eyed Pea)
- Cucumber
- Dahlia
- Edamame
- Fennel
- Flour Corn
- French Marigold
- Garden Verbena
- Garlic
- Ghost Pepper (Bhut Jolokia)
- Gourd (Ornamental/Bottle)
- Habanero Pepper
- Honeydew Melon
- Leek
- Lima Bean
- Lisianthus (Prairie Gentian)
- Loofah (Luffa)
- Malabar Spinach
- Nasturtium
- Okra
- Ornamental Sweet Potato Vine
- Parsnip
- Pole Bean
- Potato
- Pumpkin
- Scarlet Runner Bean
- Shiso (Japanese Basil)
- Summer Savory
- Sunflower
- Sweet Corn
- Sweet Potato
- Thai Basil
- Tomatillo
- Vinca (Madagascar Periwinkle)
- Watermelon
- Winter Squash
- Yellow Summer Squash
- Zinnia
- Zucchini
Seasonal tips
- Start succession planting bush beans and pole beans every two weeks for a continuous harvest throughout summer.
- Apply a light layer of compost around heavy feeders like okra and squash to boost nutrient availability.
- Pinch back the tips of young zinnias and marigolds to encourage branching and fuller blooms.
Pest & disease watch
- Watch for aphid colonies forming on the undersides of new basil and nasturtium leaves as temperatures climb past 65°F.
- Check your cucumber and melon vines for powdery mildew, which thrives in Providence's humid summer mornings if foliage stays wet too long.
- Be vigilant for early corn earworm activity on sweet corn and tomatillo plants before the monsoon season rains wash them away.
Watering this week
Provide deep watering every 2-3 days to keep soil consistently moist but not soggy during this active growth phase.
Harvest your basil frequently by snipping off flower buds now to prevent seeding, which ensures continued leaf production and stronger flavor.
Providence gardening questions
3Can I still start tomatoes from seed this week or must I wait?
It is generally too late to expect a viable harvest from starting tomato seeds indoors this week in Zone 7a, as they need a long growing window. Focus instead on harvesting your existing beefsteak and bell pepper plants which are already producing fruit.
Are these seeds heat-tolerant enough for a Rhode Island summer?
Stop heavy watering about two weeks before harvest for potatoes to allow skins to harden, but continue regular moisture for winter squash until the vines begin to die back naturally in late September or early October.
Will my garlic bulbs be ready to dig up now?
Yes, if planted in the fall, your garlic should be fully mature and ready to harvest soon, but wait until the foliage begins to yellow and collapse naturally rather than pulling them early while still green.
Other cities in zone 7a
12See the full zone 7a guide → · Plan your Providence garden in SproutGuide →