Kent County, in Rhode Island, sits in USDA hardiness zone 6b — enough range to grow cool-season vegetables, hardy fruit, and warm-season crops that mature before the first hard frost.
Well-matched crops include tomato, blueberry, red maple, and garlic, and the gap between "grows in the area" and "grows in your yard" is closed by soil, sun, and drainage.
Grounded in USDA PHZM 2023 · Growable Ground suitability scoring · NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals
Kent County holds more than one microclimate.
Soils and elevations shift across Kent County, so your frost dates and drainage aren't the county average. Enter your address and we'll score 1,112 plants against your land's actual soil, sun, and frost.
We read public map data for this spot — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.
No card required · your full report in seconds
Quick Facts
USDA Zones
6b
Last Hard Freeze (28°F)
Mar 31
County normal — light frosts run a few weeks later
First Hard Freeze (28°F)
Nov 24
County normal — light frosts arrive a few weeks earlier
County Area
108K acres
Hardiness Zone Range
Zone maps are averages across Kent County. Your yard's slope, trees, and frost pockets shift what actually grows — see your land's exact reading.
Soil in Kent County
Across Kent County, the ground is predominantly Inceptisols, where Canton, Charlton, and Hinckley are the most extensive named soil series. The soil is generally well drained with a fine sandy loam surface. Topsoil pH runs about 4.6–5.3, very strongly acidic. Rainfall drains through hydrologic group B soils.
Soil order
Inceptisols
Drainage
Well drained
Prime farmland
10%
Hydric soils
17%
Soil still varies lot by lot — soil types explained.
What Grows in Kent County
Plants matched to Kent County's USDA zones 6b — each links to its full growing profile.
Is it too late to plant in Kent County?
Too late for some crops, right on time for others — a growing season is a sequence, not a deadline. Cool-season crops can go in from around Mar 3; tender transplants wait until two to three weeks after the last 28°F hard freeze, which lands near Mar 31 (NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals); and from midsummer, planting counts back from the first fall freeze around Nov 24 — long-season crops need about 90 days of runway, quick greens only 30. With a season this long, “too late” mostly means “switch crops” — second sowings and a full fall garden are the norm, with garlic closing the year.
Growing Challenges in Rhode Island
What an experienced grower plans around here — each one has a move.
Small lot sizes limit garden space in much of the state
Small ground grows big in containers and vertical beds — a well-planned patio out-yields a neglected quarter acre.
Salt spray affects coastal plantings
Put salt-tolerant species on the front line and a windbreak behind them to take the coastal spray.
Rocky glacial soils need clearing
Skip the rock harvest — a raised bed over cleared ground starts clean and productive the same weekend.
For cultivar selection, pest pressure, and planting-time guidance specific to Rhode Island, the URI Cooperative Extension is the authoritative local source.
Safe to Grow Here?
What the federal record shows across Kent County — and how to grow with it.
We checked the federal record across Kent County — 1,046 documented sites across 6 of the 9 source types we track.
The most significant on record: 14 Superfund sites. Sites tracked in EPA's Superfund program — from assessment-stage CERCLIS entries to confirmed National Priorities List cleanup sites.
Kent County carries one of the heavier federal records we track — and that's not a verdict on your yard. Proximity to a documented site is information, not a diagnosis: nothing here says any particular parcel is affected. It does earn one concrete step — before food beds go in the ground, a professional soil test tells you exactly what you're working with, and raised beds with clean imported soil grow well almost anywhere in the meantime.
Sources: EPA, USGS — 1.8M documented sites tracked nationwide across 9 federal source types.
Environmental Intelligence
Understanding what's nearby helps you make informed decisions about where and how to grow.
Sources Checked
across Kent County
Severity Distribution
across Kent County
Highest-Severity Sites
A note from Gnorman
What an experienced grower watches for around here
In and around Kent County, Superfund runs higher than the national average — 14 sites nearby. Knowing it is half the work — and it's nothing a thoughtful grower can't plan for.
Superfund: Superfund sites represent the most severe contamination in the federal system.
Commission professional soil testing before any food production (test for heavy metals, VOCs, and SVOCs).
Check your specific parcel in Kent County
Get exact proximity distances to contamination sources for your specific parcel — plus soil, sun, drainage, and 1,112 plant recommendations.
Three things about your exact spot that zone averages miss:
We read public map data for this spot — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.
25+ data sources analyzed in seconds
Your Specific Parcel Matters
Kent County Average
- ●USDA Zones 6b
- ●Generic soil type for the area
- ●State-average frost dates
YOUR Parcel
- ✓Your exact hardiness zone
- ✓Your SSURGO soil type & pH
- ✓Your sun exposure, cast in 3D
See MY Growing Report
Read your parcel in Kent County
Pull a site-specific report for your exact address in Kent County, Rhode Island — soil, sun, drainage, frost risk, and scored plant recommendations.
Three things about your exact spot that zone averages miss:
We read public map data for this spot — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.
25+ data sources analyzed in seconds
Key Growing Facts for Kent County, Rhode Island
- USDA Hardiness Zones: 6b (USDA PHZM 2023)
- Last Hard Freeze (28°F): Mar 31 (county normal, NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals — light frosts can follow for a few weeks)
- First Hard Freeze (28°F): Nov 24 (county normal, NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals — light frosts can arrive a few weeks earlier)
- Days Between Hard Freezes: ~238 (county normal, NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals)
- County Land Area: 108K acres (US Census TIGER 2025)
Zone data: USDA ARS Plant Hardiness Zone Map 2023. Climate data: NOAA NCEI. County boundaries: US Census TIGER/Line 2025.
Frost dates here are the Kent County average. Low spots and tree cover move them by days on any one yard — see your exact frost windows.
Frequently Asked Questions
What hardiness zone is Kent County, Rhode Island?
Kent County sits in USDA hardiness zone 6b, per the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map 2023. Zones reflect average annual extreme minimum temperatures from 1991–2020 weather data.
Is it too late to plant in Kent County?
Too late for some crops, right on time for others — a growing season is a sequence, not a deadline. Cool-season crops can go in from around Mar 3; tender transplants wait until two to three weeks after the last 28°F hard freeze, which lands near Mar 31 (NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals); and from midsummer, planting counts back from the first fall freeze around Nov 24 — long-season crops need about 90 days of runway, quick greens only 30. With a season this long, “too late” mostly means “switch crops” — second sowings and a full fall garden are the norm, with garlic closing the year.
When does frost risk typically end in Kent County?
The last hard freeze (28°F) in Kent County typically lands around Mar 31, per NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals — an earlier marker than the light-frost dates many planting charts quote. That marks the hard freeze, not the last light frost — light frosts can still bite for a few more weeks, so tender transplants usually wait another 2–3 weeks.
How long is the growing season in Kent County?
Measured between 28°F hard freezes, Kent County sees about 238 frost-free days — roughly Mar 31 through Nov 24, per NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals. Tender crops get a somewhat shorter practical window, since lighter frosts reach a few weeks past the hard-freeze dates on both ends.
What vegetables grow in Kent County?
Kent County's zone 6b supports a wide range — strong performers include Tomato, Blueberry, Red Maple, Garlic, and Violet. What actually takes on any one site comes down to its soil, sun, and drainage, and we score each plant against the real conditions at your address.
Which hardiness zone is Kent County, really?
Officially, Kent County sits in USDA zone 6b (USDA PHZM 2023) — but a zone is a 30-year average of winter's coldest night across an area, and it can't see any one yard. A south-facing slope, a tree line, or a low frost pocket can shift a single site by half a zone either way, which is why neighboring gardeners often quote different numbers. We read the conditions at your exact address — soil, sun, slope, and frost — and score 1,112 plants against what's actually there.
Is the soil safe to grow vegetables in Kent County?
The federal record around Kent County runs heavier than most — 1,046 documented sites — so test the soil before planting food in the ground, and raised beds with clean imported soil grow well in the meantime. Even here, proximity to a documented site is information, not a diagnosis of any one yard; the contamination map shows exactly what's recorded and where.
Just moved to Kent County — what should I know before planting?
Start with three facts. Kent County sits in USDA zone 6b, which sets what survives winter; the last 28°F hard freeze typically clears around Mar 31, with about 238 frost-free days to work with (NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals); and 1,046 documented sites sit on the federal record here, so a soil test before food beds is the smart first step. From there, matching plants to your actual soil and sun is the fun part.
Everything on this page is a Kent County average. Your yard writes its own version — we read soil, sun, drainage, and frost at your exact address. Try it for 14 days — no card required.
Will It Grow Here?
Zone fit is the first question — each answer below reads Rhode Island's frost window, season length, and soil profile against the plant's real requirements.