Garden Center at Florin Rd #651

Celebrate Springtime Gardening
It's time to start thinking of spring. Clean out the shed to prepare for sprouts poking up out of the ground, fragrant breezes, and warmer temperatures. Planting seeds indoors with grow lights means you're ready to transplant spring annuals and young veggie plants when the frosts are through and the ground thaws. 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 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 plant hardiness zone map and learn when to plant flower bulbs and 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 — plus all the zones numbered less than that. 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 them later than recommended, it's not ideal, but it will likely even out as time passes.

Gardening in Your Growing Zone: Utah, Nevada, and California
This region ranges from Zones 7–9, with higher elevations in Zones 5–6. You'll find fertile land in some places, but deserts 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 to 9 can plant earlier, but if you're in the desert, you'll likely want to investigate indoor gardening in an enclosed porch or sunroom.

Utilize greenhouses to grow herbs and vegetables. Native plants like succulents, cacti, and hardy desert shrubs will grow outside with ease. Other beloved garden vegetables love the heat, like peppers, cucumbers, squash, and tomatoes. 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 are sensitive to that much sun and heat, so research to find which varieties can handle the weather before planting outdoors.

Plant Seeds Outside With Direct Sow
Direct sow, or planting seeds directly into outdoor garden soil, is another way of gardening. If you like to go with the flow, follow the instructions on your seed pouch. Direct sow timeframes are later than indoor planting because the soil needs to be warm enough.

There's more variation with seed survival with direct sow. Your seedlings need to survive storms and hungry rodents, weather too much rain or too little sun, and obtain proper nutrition. Prepare to deal with whatever nature gives you. If you're lucky, you'll get strong sprouts that 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 envelope, but that's where the similarities end. Seed trays make it easier to transplant later.

You're responsible for giving them quality substitutes for rain and sun. Keep your seeds warm with grow lights and heating mats, 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
In quality soil, dig a hole that's bigger than or the same size as your plant's dirt plug. Place your transplant in the ground, and fill any extra space with nutrient-rich topsoil. Apply fertilizer if desired inside the plant hole before planting or on top of the dirt, then be sure to water it. Only apply as much fertilizer as is recommended, as too much could harm the plant. Consider putting up wire fencing or other protective measures if deer, squirrels, or chipmunks visit your yard regularly, as your sprouts may otherwise get eaten.

Enrich Your Garden With Mulch and Compost
Nourish your garden bed with mulch and compost. Mulch controls weeds and keeps your soil from drying out. 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 you can learn how to compost DIY-style. The next time you need "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 browse your nearest plant nursery to find inspiration on which spring flowers to plant when the weather warms. For those without lawns, consider adding a pellet grill, artificial grass, or an outdoor rug to your balcony. Shop for the soil, seeds, and fertilizer you need in the aisles of your Florin Rd Garden Center, online, or on our mobile app. Let's get growing together.