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Garden Center

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Pro Service Desk(307)362-3716
Store Hours
Mon-Sat: 6:00am - 10:00pm
Sun: 7:00am - 8:00pm
Curbside: 09:00am - 6:00pm
Location
1925 Foothill Blvd
Rock Springs, WY 82901
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Frequently Asked Questions About Gardening

How do I check my planting zone?

Check the USDA plant hardiness zone map, as planting zones have shifted over the years. Planting zones with higher numbers can plant earlier in the year. Increase your odds of successful gardening by choosing plants that are meant for your zone.

What does direct sow mean?

If the ground isn't frozen solid and the soil isn't cold, consider planting your flower, veggie, or fruit seeds directly into your garden. This is called the "direct sow" method. The time to plant will be after the threat of frost is gone for the season, as seedlings and sprouts can't weather those conditions. You can also start your seeds indoors if you'd like. Consult your seed package for how and when to sow seeds.

How do I plant vegetable seeds?

Read your seed envelope for info on proper depth, spacing, and how many seeds to sow per hole when planting fruits, veggies, and spring flowers — indoors or outdoors. Requirements vary from one type of plant to the next. Some seeds should only be planted indoors, and your seed packet will tell you that, too. For more details, check out how to plant flower seeds.

Do I have to harden off my seedlings before planting them outside?

Yes, if you raised plants indoors from seeds, harden them before you transplant them. Hardening is the process of getting them used to outdoor life and the fluctuating spring weather. It slows their growth until they're strong and ready to take off during a spring warm front. Hardening also makes your plants more resilient to a sudden cold snap.

How do I plant a transplant or baby plant?

Squeeze the plastic around the plant to loosen the soil. Gently coax your transplant and the surrounding clod of dirt out into the palm of your hand, then place it into the hole you dug for it. Make sure the top of your transplant's soil is even with the garden soil, and carefully press the earth into place. Avoid leaving the plant as an island with a moat around it, and don't tamp down the ground too tightly. Your plant baby needs to breathe.

Should I use peat moss starters or coir starters?

Seed starters, full of nutrients in pots or pellets, work for new and experienced gardeners. You don't have to use these starters if you're planting in soil, but you may want to. Starting seeds in peat pots works best for delicately rooted plants like carrots and beets, as well as flowers that require an acidic pH. Some people prefer coir starters instead, as they have a neutral pH. Check what type of soil your plants need to help narrow it down, and chat with a garden center associate if you need more info.

The Home Depot Garden Center at Rock Springs

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 flowers and young veggie plants when the frosts are through and the ground thaws. You might even want to directly plant organic seeds into the earth.

Plant Hardiness Zones Explained
The first thing to know when planting vegetables, spring flowers, 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. The plants that'll thrive in your area are in your zone, and all the zones numbered less than that. In other words, a Zone 6 garden can support plants listed as Zones 1–6. The timeframe to direct sow outdoors in your garden is often around a month later than the indoor start date. Read your seed packet for details. If you start seeds later than recommended, it's not ideal, but it will even out as time passes.

Gardening in Your Growing Zone
This region ranges from 7–9, with higher elevations in Zones 5 and 6. You’ll find fertile land in some places, desert and mountains with harsher conditions elsewhere. What you can grow and when will vary considerably depending on where you live. In Zones 5 and 6, the outdoor growing season doesn’t begin here until mid-March or even April, although you can start some veggies by seed halfway through February. Warmer Zones 7–9 can plant earlier, but if you’re in the desert, you’ll likely want to investigate indoor gardening in a sunroom or porch.

Utilize greenhouses to grow herbs and vegetables. Native plants like cacti, succulents, and other hardy desert shrubs will easily grow outside. Other beloved garden vegetables love the heat, like tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, and squash. If you start them indoors and carefully introduce them outdoors in the shade, you can enjoy raising vegetables even in a dry climate. However, many flowers, both annuals and perennials, are sensitive to that much heat and sun, so research to find which varieties can handle the weather before planting outdoors.

Plant Seeds Outside With Direct Sow
Planting seeds into your garden soil, or using the direct sow method, is an alternative option. It doesn't give you as much organized planning in terms of reliability and spacing compared to indoor starts. However, if you like to go with the flow, follow the instructions on your seed packet and try it.

Prepare to deal with whatever hand nature deals you: You may have no germinating seeds. A critter may munch the tender seedlings for a snack. All the seeds you plant in each hole may sprout, so you'll need to thin them out by only leaving the most robust sprouts. Heavy rain might wash away the seeds. But if you're lucky, you'll get strong sprouts that are ready to grow all spring.

Start Seeds Indoors
If you'd like more control over your seedlings' journey or you're eager to get growing, 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 sunlight and rain. Keep your seeds warm 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 that's the same size as the dirt plug where your transplant has been growing. If your ground soil isn't fantastic, dig a slightly bigger hole and fill the extra space with nutrient-rich topsoil. Apply fertilizer as directed, either on top of the soil after it's planted or in the hole. Only apply as much as recommended, as you could burn the plant and kill it instead of helping it.

Protect Your Garden With Mulch
Finish it off with compost and mulch. Compost enriches the soil so your garden can grow even better. It may help foster stronger and larger plants that bear more flowers and fruit. Mulch controls weeds and keeps the soil moist. Compost and mulch can be purchased in-store or created at home. The next time you're looking for "mulch near me," stop by the Garden Center to get the right amount.

Greet the Spring
Late winter into 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 which spring flowers to plant when the weather warms. Shop for the soil, seeds, and fertilizer you need in the aisles of your Rock Springs Garden Center, online, or on our mobile app. Let's get growing together.

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