Garden Center at Elyria #3827

Set Up For Springtime
It's time to start thinking of spring. Sweep the gazebo and clean out the shed to prepare for fragrant breezes, warmer temperatures, and sprouts poking up out of the ground. Planting seeds indoors means you'll be ready to transplant spring annuals and young veggie plants 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, The Home Depot Elyria Garden Center?

Plant Hardiness Zones Explained
The first thing to learn 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 plant bell pepper seedlings 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 9 garden can support plants listed as Zones 1–9. The timeframe to direct sow outdoors in your garden is often around a month later than the indoor start date. Always read your seed packet for details. If you start plants later than recommended, it's not ideal, but it will likely even out as time passes.

Gardening in Your Growing Zone
The Midwest is mostly Zones 6 and 7 throughout Indiana, Michigan, and Kentucky. You’ll find pockets of Zone 5 and stretches of Zone 4 in the Upper Peninsula. In Zones 5 and 6, the outdoor growing season doesn’t begin here until mid-March or even April, although you can plant some veggie seeds halfway through February. Warmer Zone 7 can start planting earlier, and Zone 4 much later on. Tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, squash, and other classic garden crops will thrive in this region, and most of them can get an early jump on growing indoors before spring really moves in.

Also, check out cruciferous veggies and certain herbs if you're ready to get planting. This includes cabbage, broccoli, and kale. Greens like spinach, artichokes, and fragrant herbs, including basil, parsley, and oregano, also don't mind an early start. The main concern is waiting until the frost has passed for the season, so planting seeds outdoors as direct sow is later here compared to farther south.

Plant Seeds Outside With Direct Sow
Planting seeds with the direct sow method, right into the soil, is another option. It doesn't give you as much organized planning in terms of space and reliability as starting indoors. However, if you like to go with the flow, follow the instructions on your seed package and give it a try.

Prepare to deal with whatever hand nature deals you: You might have no germinating seeds. A critter could 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. Flooding rains might disturb the ground and 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 in your own plant nursery. 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 warm with heat 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
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 3 or 4 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 it off 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 and larger plants that bear more flowers and fruit. 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. 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 or artificial grass to your outdoor space. Shop for the fertilizer, seeds, and soil you need in the aisles of your Elyria Garden Center, online, or on our mobile app. Let's get growing together.