What to plant this week in Providence, RI
Providence gardeners in zone 7a face a chilly week with overnight temps dipping to 0°F, but this is the critical window to sow garlic for next summer's harvest. With an average last frost not until April 3, patience remains key before planting warm-season crops, though your daikon radishes are ready to pull from the ground soon.
The next 7 days
Providence, RIGrowing in Providence right now
- Soil in Providence can be heavy clay; if you sowed garlic earlier this fall, now is the time to mulch heavily with straw to protect bulbs from our frequent hard freezes.
- With rainfall often concentrated in winter storms, check your drainage before planting next week, as waterlogged spots around the East Side neighborhoods may delay spring transplanting until mid-April.
- Our urban heat islands near downtown can create microclimates where frost pockets linger longer; use row covers on low-lying beds to buffer the 0°F lows.
Sow this week
1 crops- Garlic
Transplant this week
Nothing is due to go out this week.
Harvest soon
2 crops- Daikon Radish
- Garlic
Seasonal tips
- Plant garlic cloves now to ensure a strong spring harvest next year.
- Apply winter mulch around perennials once the soil has frozen solid to protect roots from heaving.
- Divide biennial plants like sweet Williams if they have finished flowering this season.
Pest & disease watch
- Watch for overwintering cabbage loopers and flea beetles as temperatures rise above freezing this coming week, ready to spray organic insecticides before they chew your new transplants.
- Gray mold (Botrytis) can still threaten late-season radishes if heavy snows melt into standing water; ensure good air circulation in covered rows.
Watering this week
Water deeply but infrequently, allowing the top inch of soil to dry out between sessions to prevent root rot in cool, damp conditions.
Mark your sown garlic spots clearly now so you won't forget where they are when digging for spring onions later!
Providence gardening questions
3When exactly should I stop worrying about frost damage to my garlic crops?
In Providence, aim for mid-April when the threat of temps dropping to 0°F has passed completely. While your daikon radish is harvest-ready now, wait until after April 3 before planting any tender lettuce or spinach outdoors.
Can I transplant tomatoes this week in Rhode Island?
No, waiting another few weeks is essential since our average last frost date isn't until April 3. Planting early will likely result in stunted growth or death from the hard freezes common here before spring fully arrives.
What should I do with my harvestable daikon radishes if I can't eat them all?
Since they are ready now, consider sharing excess roots with neighbors or freezing the sliced bulbs for later use in stir-fries. Leaving them in the ground too long after this week's frost might cause them to become woody and tough.
Other cities in zone 7a
12See the full zone 7a guide → · Plan your Providence garden in SproutGuide →