Garden Center at Houma #371

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

Plant Hardiness Zones Explained
The first thing to 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 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. You'll have good results with plants that have your zone number or less. In other words, a Zone 5 garden can support plants listed as Zones 1–5. The timeframe to direct sow outdoors in your garden is often around a month later than the indoor start date. Read your seed packet for details. If you start them a little later than recommended, it's not ideal, but it will even out as time passes.

Gardening in Your Growing Zone
The Mid-South is in Zones 7–9, with coastal regions being warmest and the zone number decreasing to an 8, then a 7 as you go up in elevation to the foothills of the Georgia mountains. Just check your planting zone, then consult the seed packet for the most accurate instructions for each plant. If you know you're in a micro-climate near a valley, lake, or wetland, zoom in on the USDA planting map for exact details down to street level.

In balmy Zone 9 on the coast, you can begin planning and planting indoors in January if you'd like. Zones 8 and 7 generally have a slightly later recommendation for indoor starts. Cruciferous veggies and garden favorites, like cucumbers, peppers, and tomatoes, all 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 flower seeds and watch them mature under the grow lights, too. Whatever you choose to grow, tend them carefully and transplant them when the threat of frost is gone for the season.

Plant Seeds Outside With Direct Sow
Planting seeds into your garden soil, or using the direct sow method, is an alternative option. There's less planning and tending than growing indoors. If you like to go with the flow, follow the instructions on your seed pack and try it.

Prepare to deal with whatever hand nature deals you: You may have no seeds that germinate. A critter may eat the tender seedlings. 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. Bugs or garden pests might make a meal out of your seedlings before they take off. 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 seedling garden. 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 sunlight. Keep your seeds cozy with warming 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
When your plants have three or four real leaves — different from mini seedling leaves — it's time to transplant them. In quality soil, dig a hole that's the same size as the dirt plug where your transplant has been growing. If your ground soil isn't fantastic, dig a slightly bigger hole and fill the extra room with nutrient-rich topsoil. Apply fertilizer as directed. Don't apply more than recommended, as you could burn the plant and kill it instead of helping it.

Protect Your Garden With Mulch
Finish your planting by following it 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 controls weeds and keeps the soil moist. 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
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 seeds, fertilizer, and soil you need in the aisles of your Houma Garden Center, online, or on our mobile app. Let's get growing together.