Garden Center at Oviedo #287

It's time to start thinking of spring. We're here to help you prepare for fragrant breezes, warmer temperatures, and sprouts poking up out of the ground. Planting seeds indoors with grow lights means you'll be ready to transplant spring annuals and young veggie plants when the frosts are through and the ground thaws. You might even want to directly sow seeds into the earth.

Plant Hardiness Zones Explained
The first thing to know when planting spring flowers, veggies, and other seeds is your planting zone. Every location in the U.S. and its territories is sorted into blocks by climate. Find your zone on the USDA zone map and learn when to plant seeds.

For example, you could transplant bell peppers outdoors in mid-March in Zone 10, but not until the end of May in Zone 4. For best results, choose plants in your zone number or less. In other words, a Zone 5 garden can support plants listed as Zones 1–5. You can plant seeds indoors roughly a month before you can plant them outside, or direct sow. Be sure to read your seed packet for details. If you start seeds later than recommended, it's not ideal, but it should even out as time passes.

Gardening in Your Growing Zone
In the areas of Zones 9 and 10 stretching across the Southeast, you can plant indoors early in the year. Your odds of frost are low in this part of the country, but not zero. Watch out for cold snaps and cover any sprouts or early-riser bulb plants during cold times.

Growing season begins early and ends late in this part of the country. The climate and weather make it easy to get and keep a beautiful garden going. A wide variety of vegetables, plants, and flowers thrive in Florida and southern Georgia. You can even grow citrus trees for fresh fruit when you plant somewhere with good soil drainage. You'll have excellent results with peppers of all heat levels and colors, including jalapeños, bell peppers, and more. Zucchini, cucumbers, squash, and pumpkins, which are direct sow only, will flourish. Tomato plants will yield thriving fruit and leaves, as they're tropical in origin and are happiest in the heat.

Plant Seeds Outside With Direct Sow
Planting seeds into your garden soil, or using the direct sow method, is an alternative option. There's less tending and planning than growing indoors. If you like to go with the flow, follow the instructions on your seed package and try it out.

Prepare to deal with whatever hand nature deals you: Be ready for all your seeds to sprout, none of them to come up, and anything in between. Your seedlings will need to survive rain, wind, critters and insects that want a crunchy green snack, and sudden cold snaps. But if you're lucky, you'll get strong sprouts that are ready to grow all spring.

Start Seeds Indoors
If you're eager to get growing or would like more control in the care and feeding of seedlings, start your seeds indoors instead. In general, you can plant seeds indoors about a month before you can do it outside. Like direct sow, you push the seeds into the soil as directed on the seed packet, but that's where the similarities end.

You're responsible for giving them quality substitutes for rain and sun. Keep your seeds cozy with warming mats and grow lights, water them carefully with a spray bottle or watering can, then thin them as they germinate in groups of three. Give them a boost with a gently blowing fan as they lengthen into sprouts if you'd like. Harden them off to get them used to outdoor conditions, then transplant them into your garden when they're big enough.

Transplant Young Plants Into Their New Homes
When your plants have three or four true leaves — different from miniature seedling leaves – it's time to transplant them. In quality soil, dig a hole the same size as the dirt plug where your transplant has been growing. If your ground soil isn't great, dig a slightly bigger hole and fill the extra room with nutrient-rich topsoil. Apply fertilizer as directed. Don't apply more than recommended, as you could burn the plant and kill it instead of helping it.

Protect Your Garden With Mulch
Finish it all off with compost and mulch. Mulch controls weeds and keeps your soil from drying out. Compost enriches the soil so your garden can grow even better. It may help foster stronger plants that bear more fruit and flowers. Compost and mulch can be DIY creations, but you can also purchase them in-store. The next time you're looking for "mulch near me," stop by the Garden Center to get the right amount.

Greet the Spring
Early spring is an exciting time in the world of gardening. Don't miss a minute of growing season. Prepare to fertilize your lawn, plan your garden and landscaping, and browse our garden center pages to find inspiration on what to plant when the weather warms. Shop for the seeds, soil, and fertilizer you need in the aisles of your Oviedo Garden Center, online, or on our mobile app. Let's get growing together.