Garden Center at Alvin #6539

Set Up For Springtime
On beautiful spring days, tidy the yard before everything blooms in earnest. Lawn care is often a priority as well. Don't forget to sweep the gazebo and clean out the shed in preparation for spring, too. No matter what outdoor projects you choose to tackle and which plants you need, search for your local plant nursery and find that The Home Depot Alvin Garden Center can help you enjoy your spring activities to the fullest.

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 by climate. Find your zone on the USDA planting 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 7 garden can support plants listed as Zones 1–7. You can plant seeds indoors roughly a month before you can plant them outside, known as direct sow. Read your seed packet for details. If you start plants a little later than recommended, it's not ideal, but it will even out as time passes.

Gardening in Your Growing Zone
Growing season starts 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 flowers, vegetables, and plants thrive in the Gulf region. If you've got good soil drainage, you can even grow citrus trees. You'll have excellent results with peppers of all heat levels and colors, including jalapeños, bell peppers, and more. Cucumbers, zucchini, squash, and pumpkins, which are direct sow only, will flourish. Tomato plants will yield thriving leaves and fruit, as they're tropical in origin and love the heat.

In balmy Zones 9 and 10, you can begin planning and planting indoors in January if you’d like. Zone 8 generally has a slightly later recommendation for indoor starts. Cruciferous veggies and garden favorites, like peppers, do well when started inside your home. Greens like spinach, artichokes, and fragrant herbs, including oregano, basil, and parsley, also don't mind an early beginning.

You can sow spring flower seeds and watch them mature under the grow lights, too. In this part of the country, last year's garden might still be growing if there was no reason to put it to bed — especially if it's close to the house or in a greenhouse. In that case, tend it as usual. Whatever you choose to grow, transplant them after the last frost.

Start Seeds Indoors
Save money when you grow your garden from seeds by starting them indoors in your own seedling garden. We've got all the seed starter supplies you'll need. For best results, you'll want grow lights or a warming mat to go with your seed tray or planters. If you're planting a larger garden, use seed trays — like the ones you see sprouts in at your Alvin Garden Center — to stay organized and plant tiny soil plugs when the time comes. You can also use pots with seed starter mix and potting soil.

Measure your finger to use it as a ruler. In general, you'll plant 3–5 seeds, then press them into the soil to the depth you need with your finger. Mark where you planted the seeds with a plant tag or toothpick. That way, you'll know where your seeds should pop up, and you can be sure they're not weeds. Otherwise, it'll be a surprise when the sprouts push out of the soil.

Sprouts
Prepare your seed sprouts for outdoor life while they're still indoors. These inch-tall micro-seedlings are fragile but resilient. Seedlings certainly don't get all this pampering in nature when they volunteer and grow wherever they please, so they can handle more than you think. However, don't go overboard, as your sprouts are still babies. You can even use an oscillating floor fan on low to mimic the wind and strengthen their stems.

Harden Your Seedlings
Be sure to harden your seedlings for strong plants. On days that are warmer than 45–50 degrees, take your pots or trays of seedlings outside to slowly warm in the shade for a couple of hours, but bring them inside at night. They're not ready for direct sunlight yet or harsh nighttime temps. Gradually add more outside time each day, gently introducing your plants to the sun. After a week or more of this, you can leave them out overnight if the temps stay at 50 degrees or above at night. Cover your plants if they're in the ground when a late-season frost sneaks back in.

Transplant Young Plants Into Their New Homes
Carefully take your seedling out of the container. Turn it upside-down or sideways and gently squeeze the plastic to break the seal. If your transplant grew in the garden, dig deeper than you think with your garden trowel and leave plenty of room around the stem. You don't want to damage the root ball. Place it into the hole you dug for it, even with the surrounding soil.

Protect Your Garden With Mulch
Finish off your garden with mulch and compost. Compost enriches the soil so your garden can grow even better. It may help foster stronger and larger plants that bear more fruit and flowers. Mulch keeps your soil from drying out and controls weeds. Mulch and compost 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
Don't miss a minute of growing season. Prepare to fertilize your lawn, plan your garden and landscaping, and browse The Home Depot nursery to find inspiration on what to plant when the weather warms. For those without lawns, consider adding artificial grass, an outdoor rug, or a pellet grill to your balcony or patio. Shop for the fertilizer, soil, and seeds you need in the aisles of your Alvin Garden Center, online, or on our mobile app. Let's get growing together.