Garden Center at Summerwood #1832

Set Up For Springtime
It's time to start thinking of spring. Clean the shed and sweep out the gazebo to prepare for warmer temperatures, sprouts poking out of the ground, and fragrant breezes. Planting seeds indoors with grow lights means you'll be ready to transplant young veggie plants and spring annuals when the ground thaws and the frosts are through. You might even want to sow seeds directly into the earth. What better way to start than by exploring your favorite local plant nursery, The Garden Center in Summerwood?

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 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 7 garden can support plants listed as Zones 1–7. 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 likely even out as time passes.

Gardening in Your Growing Zone
Growing season starts early and ends late in this part of the country. The weather and climate make it easy to get and keep a beautiful garden. 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 bell peppers, jalapeños, and more. Cucumbers, zucchini, 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 are happiest in 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 after the last frost.

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 reliability and spacing compared to indoor starts. However, if you like to go with the flow, follow the instructions on your seed pouch and try it.

Your seeds might struggle to grow or get washed away, or insects or animals might eat the sprouts. But if you're really lucky, 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 hardy and primed to survive, although there are no guarantees in the long term.

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 sun 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
Carefully take your seedling out of the container. A good way to do this is to turn it upside-down or sideways and gently squeeze the plastic to break the seal. If your transplant grew in the garden, dig deeper than you think with your garden trowel and leave plenty of room around the stem. You don't want to damage the root ball. Place it into the hole you dug for it, even with the surrounding soil.

Protect Your Garden With Mulch
Finish it all off 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 flowers and fruit. Mulch controls weeds and keeps your soil from drying out. 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. 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 patio or balcony. Shop for the soil, seeds, and fertilizer you need in the aisles of your Summerwood Garden Center, online, or on our mobile app. Let's get growing together.