Garden Center at Dripping Springs #8995

Celebrate Springtime Gardening
It's time to start thinking of spring. Clean the shed and sweep out the gazebo to prepare for sprouts poking up, fragrant breezes, and warmer temperatures. Planting seeds indoors means you'll be ready to transplant young veggie plants and spring annuals when the ground thaws and the frosts are through. You might even want to plant seeds directly into the earth. What better way to start than by exploring your favorite local plant nursery?

Plant Hardiness Zones Explained
The first thing you should know when planting vegetables, spring flowers, 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 growing zone map and learn when to plant seeds.

For example, you could plant bell pepper seedlings 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 — plus all the zones numbered less than that. 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. Always read your seed packet for details. If you start plants a little later than recommended, it's not ideal, but it will likely 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 veggies, plants, and flowers 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 are happiest in 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 when the threat of frost is gone for the season.

Start Seeds Indoors
Save money and gain the satisfaction of growing 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 warming lights or a warming mat to go with your seed tray or plant pots. If you're planting a larger garden, use seed trays — like the ones you see sprouts in at your Dripping Springs 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 toothpick or plant tag. That way, you'll know where your seeds should pop up. Otherwise, it'll be a surprise when the sprouts push out of the soil.

Sprouts
When your seeds have sprouted but aren't ready to go outside yet, you can still prepare them for outdoor life. These inch-tall micro-seedlings are fragile but resilient. Seedlings certainly don't get all this pampering in nature, 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 fan on low to mimic the wind and strengthen their stems.

Harden Your Seedlings
Make sure to harden your seedlings for best results when they're grown. On days above 45 degrees, take your trays or pots of seedlings outside to slowly warm in the shade for a couple of hours, but bring them inside at night. Cloudy days are fine, but no harsh nighttime chills or direct sunlight yet. After a week or more of this, you can leave them out overnight if the temps stay warmer than 50 degrees. Cover your plants if they're in the ground when a late-season frost sneaks back in.

Transplant Young Plants Into Their New Homes
By now, your plants have three or four real leaves — they'll look different from the miniature seedling leaves. When the ground is warm, and you're not expecting soaking rain, look into transplanting your small plants into their new outdoor home. "Transplant" means that you put these small plants straight into the garden soil or into pots. In cases where you direct sowed, you may still want to shuffle plants around for the best spacing and sun. That's also a transplant situation, as is repotting plants into larger pots.

Protect Your Garden With Mulch
Finish your planting by following it with mulch and compost. Mulch keeps your soil from drying out and controls weeds. Compost enriches the soil so your garden can grow even better. It may help foster stronger plants that bear more fruit and flowers. Mulch and compost 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
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 an outdoor rug, artificial grass, or a pellet grill to your patio or balcony. Shop for the fertilizer, seeds, and soil you need in the aisles of your Dripping Springs Garden Center, online, or on our mobile app. Let's get growing together.