Garden Center at East Kennewick #4739

Spring Black Friday Is Back
Our Spring Black Friday sale is your chance to save on outdoor power equipment, lawn and garden, and patio furniture. You can also get a head start on DIY repairs and spring cleaning by snapping up low-priced tools. This Spring Black Friday sale runs from April 3rd through April 16th, so remember to shop before it ends.


Celebrate Springtime Gardening
It's time to start thinking of spring. Sweep the gazebo and clean out the shed to prepare for warmer temperatures, sprouts poking up, and fragrant breezes. Planting seeds indoors near a sunny window 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 sow seeds directly into the earth. What better way to start than by exploring your favorite local plant nursery, The Home Depot E Kennewick Garden Center?

Plant Hardiness Zones Explained
The first thing to learn 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 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. You'll have good results with plants that have your zone number or less. In other words, a Zone 9 garden can support plants listed as Zones 1–9. 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 seeds later than recommended, it's not ideal, but it should even out as time passes.

Gardening in Your Growing Zone
In the Pacific Northwest, Montana, and Idaho, there’s a wide range of climates and growing zones. Most of Washington, Oregon, and Idaho are Zones 6–9, with the higher peaks coming in as Zones 4–5. Montana is in Zone 5 on the western end, but the mountainous regions are mostly Zone 4, with the tallest mountains as Zone 3.

The differences in planting zones means your seed sowing times will vary. The coastal regions in Zones 8 and 9 can start many seeds indoors in mid-January. Colder regions in 6–8 should wait a little longer to plant, and all these zones need to wait an additional month before planting seeds outdoors rather than indoors. Mountainous regions in Zones 3 to 5 will have the shortest growing season, with seed starters going in later in the spring. Although the weather may vary, waiting until the frost has passed will give your seeds the best chance at a healthy and hearty life.

Popular veggies of all kinds, including cucumbers and tomatoes, are fine with an early spring or late winter start indoors under the grow lights. Your spring flower seed choices, whether they're annuals or perennials, can also often get an indoor beginning.

Start Seeds Indoors
Save money when you grow your garden from seeds by starting them indoors in your own plant nursery. We've got all the seed starter supplies you'll need. Veteran planters and new gardeners alike should disinfect seed trays with a watered-down bleach solution before reusing them each year. When your pots or trays are prepared, plant your seeds. As for the soil, check to see if yours needs nutrient balancing. Choose fertilizers that match what you're growing. It'll help give your plants everything they need to grow big and strong.

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. 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 micro-seedlings are fragile — only an inch or so high, with the tiniest seedling leaf or two — but they're 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
Remember to harden your seedlings for strong plants. On days above 45 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 an extra hour or two 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 above 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
You've raised your baby plants from seeds, watched them sprout, and carefully hardened them off to brave Mother Nature. By now, your plants have three or four real leaves — they'll look different from the miniature seedling leaves. When you're not expecting soaking rain, and the ground is warm, look into transplanting your big sprouts 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 directly planted into the ground, 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 garden bed with compost and mulch. Compost enriches the soil so your garden can grow even better. It may help foster larger and stronger plants that bear more fruit and flowers. Mulch controls weeds and keeps your soil from drying out. 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
Late winter into early spring is an exciting time in the world of gardening. Plan your garden and landscaping, prepare to fertilize your lawn, and browse The Home Depot nursery to find inspiration on which spring flowers to plant when the weather warms. For those without lawns, consider adding an outdoor rug, artificial grass, or a pellet grill to your balcony or patio. Shop for the fertilizer, soil, and seeds you need in the aisles of your E Kennewick Garden Center, online, or on our mobile app. Let's get growing together.