Garden Center at North Las Vegas #3307

Set Up For Springtime
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 near a sunny window 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 plant seeds directly into the earth. What better way to start than by exploring your favorite local plant nursery, The Home Depot N Las Vegas Garden Center?

Plant Hardiness Zones Explained
The first thing you should know when planting veggies, 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 transplant bell peppers 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 6 garden can support plants listed as Zones 1–6. The timeframe to direct sow outdoors in your garden is often around a month later than the indoor start date. Be sure to read your seed packet for details. If you start seeds a little later than recommended, it's not ideal, but it will likely even out as time passes.

Gardening in Your Growing Zone
This area is in growing Zones 8 or 9, but it's desert, so utilize greenhouses to grow herbs and vegetables. Native plants like cacti, succulents, and other hardy desert shrubs will grow outside with ease. Other beloved garden vegetables love the heat, like cucumbers, squash, tomatoes, and peppers. 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 heat and sun, so research to find which varieties can handle the weather before planting outdoors.

An indoor garden of greenery is also lovely. Look into house plants and create an oasis inside your home. A covered porch or sunroom is a great place to encourage plant growth, especially with pots and plant stands of all sizes. Your spring flower seed choices, whether they're perennials or annuals, can also often get an indoor start.

Start Seeds Indoors
You can save money and gain the satisfaction of growing your garden from seeds by starting them indoors in your own plant nursery. We've got all the seed starter supplies you'll need. Make sure you have a warm and sunny spot that gets at least 12 hours of light and a spray bottle of water, good soil, and patience. Then you have everything you need to try growing seeds. Early spring light isn't usually strong enough, so we recommend extra lighting to keep those seeds warm enough to germinate.

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. 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 when they volunteer and grow wherever, 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 best results when they're grown. On days above 45 degrees, take your pots or trays of seedlings outside to slowly warm in the shade for two 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 at 50 degrees or above at night. Cover your plants if they're in the ground when a late-season frost sneaks back in.

Transplant Young Plants Into Their New Homes
When your plants have three or four true leaves — different from mini seedling leaves — it's time to transplant them. In quality soil, dig a hole 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 space with nutrient-rich topsoil. Apply any fertilizer as directed on the package, either in the hole or on top of the soil after it's planted. Only apply as much as recommended, as you could burn and kill the plant instead of helping it.

Protect Your Garden With Mulch
Finish it all off 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 larger and stronger plants that bear more flowers and fruit. Compost and mulch 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 perfect amount.

Greet the Spring
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 which spring flowers to plant when the weather warms. For those without lawns, consider adding artificial grass, a pellet grill, or an outdoor rug to your patio or balcony. Shop for the seeds, soil, and fertilizer you need in the aisles of your N Las Vegas Garden Center, online, or on our mobile app. Let's get growing together.