Garden Center at Pflugerville #6808

Set Up For Springtime
On beautiful spring days, tidy the yard before everything blooms in earnest. Remember to measure your garden so you can find fresh mulch near you as soon as it's available. Don't forget to sweep the gazebo and clean out the shed in preparation for spring, too. No matter which plants you need and what outdoor projects you choose to tackle, you'll find that The Garden Center in Pflugerville is the local plant nursery to help you enjoy your spring activities to the fullest.

Plant Hardiness Zones Explained
The first thing to know 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. 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 6 garden can support plants listed as Zones 1–6. 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 will even out as time passes.

Gardening in Your Growing Zone
Growing season starts early and ends late in this part of the country. The climate and weather make it easy to get and keep a beautiful garden going. A wide variety of vegetables, flowers, and plants thrive in the Gulf region. You can even grow citrus trees for fresh fruit when you plant somewhere with good soil drainage. You'll have excellent results with peppers of all heat levels and colors, including jalapeños, bell peppers, and more. Zucchini, cucumbers, squash, and pumpkins, which are direct sow only, will flourish. Tomato plants will yield thriving fruit and leaves, as they're tropical in origin and love the heat.

In balmy Zones 9 and 10, you can begin planning and planting indoors in January if you’d like. Zone 8 generally has a slightly later recommendation for indoor starts. Cruciferous veggies and garden favorites, like peppers, do well when started inside your home. Greens like spinach, artichokes, and fragrant herbs, including parsley, basil, and oregano, also don't mind an early beginning.

You can sow spring flower seeds and watch them mature under the grow lights, too. In this part of the country, last year's garden might still be growing if there was no reason to put it to bed — especially if it's close to the house or in a greenhouse. In that case, tend it as usual. Whatever you choose to grow, transplant them when the threat of frost is gone for the season.

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

Your seeds might get washed away or struggle to grow, or animals or insects might eat the sprouts. But if you're really fortunate, you might get a strong sprout from each place you sowed seeds, perfectly spaced and ready to grow all spring. The reality of your sown seeds will usually be somewhere in between, and spreading out tiny sprouts throughout the soil isn't so bad. You know those sprouts are primed to survive and hardy, although there are no guarantees in the long term.

Start Seeds Indoors
If you're eager to get growing or would like more control in the care and feeding of seedlings, 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 sunlight and rain. Keep your seeds cozy with warming mats and grow lights, water them carefully with a mister 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 true 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 great, dig a slightly bigger hole and fill the extra room with nutrient-rich topsoil. Apply any fertilizer as directed on the package. Don't apply more than recommended, as you could burn and kill the plant instead of helping it.

Protect Your Garden With Mulch
Finish your planting by following it 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 plants that bear more fruit and flowers. Compost and mulch can be DIY creations, but you can also purchase them in-store. 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. 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 artificial grass, an outdoor rug, or a pellet grill to your balcony or patio. Shop for the fertilizer, soil, and seeds you need in the aisles of your Pflugerville Garden Center, online, or on our mobile app. Let's get growing together.