Garden Center at Alton,IL #6920

On those beautiful days, clean up the yard before everything blooms in earnest. Lawn care is often a priority, as well. Planning your garden lets you make the most of your time and space. You can also add beauty and interest with hardscaping, stonework, and water features. No matter what outdoor projects you choose to tackle, The Home Depot Garden Center in Alton, IL can help you enjoy your spring activities to the fullest.

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 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. You can plant seeds indoors roughly a month before you can plant them outside, or direct sow. Always read your seed packet for details. If you start plants later than recommended, it's not ideal, but it should even out as time passes.

Gardening in Your Growing Zone
This area is primarily in Zone 6, with Zone 5 starting in Central Illinois, slightly north of Peoria and Bloomington-Normal. The outdoor growing season doesn’t begin here until mid-March or even April, although you can plant some veggie seeds halfway through February. Tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, squash, and other classic garden crops will do well in this region, and most of them can get an early start indoors before spring really moves in.

Also, check out certain herbs and cruciferous veggies if you’re ready to get planting. This includes kale, broccoli, and cabbage. Greens like spinach, artichokes, and fragrant herbs, including oregano, basil, and parsley, also don't mind an early beginning. The main concern is waiting until the frost has passed for the season, so planting seeds outdoors as direct sow is later here compared to farther south.

Start Seeds Indoors
You can save money and gain the satisfaction of growing your garden from seeds by starting them indoors. We've got all the seed starter supplies you'll need. Veteran planters and new gardeners alike should disinfect seed trays with a watered-down bleach solution before reusing them each year. When your pots or trays are prepared, plant your seeds. As for the soil, test the mineral levels and pH to find if it needs amendments or additives. Soil pH differs among regions, and what your plants need depends on what you're growing. Most veggie plants like a pH of around 6.5. Soil amendments can tip the balance of your soil in a direction that'll help your plants.

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 plant tag or toothpick. Otherwise, it'll be a surprise when the sprouts push out of the soil.

Sprouts
Prepare your seed sprouts for outdoor life while they're still indoors. These inch-tall micro-seedlings are fragile but resilient. Seedlings don't get all this pampering in nature, 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 floor fan on low to mimic the wind and strengthen their stems.

Harden Your Seedlings
Harden your seedlings for best results later. On days that are warmer than 45–50 degrees, take your trays or pots of seedlings outside to slowly warm in the shade for two hours, but bring them inside at night. They're not ready for direct sunlight yet or harsh nighttime temps. Gradually add more outside time each day, gently introducing your plants to the sun. After a week or more of this, you can leave them out overnight if the temps stay above 50 degrees. Cover your plants if they're in the ground and a late-season frost sneaks back in.

Transplant Young Plants Into Their New Homes
You've raised your baby plants from seeds, watched them sprout, and carefully hardened them off to brave Mother Nature. By now, your plants have three or four true leaves — they'll look different from the miniature seedling leaves. When you're not expecting soaking rain, and the ground is warm, look into transplanting your big sprouts into their new outdoor home. These large seedlings that are ready to be planted can also be called "transplants" or "starts." In cases where you direct sowed, you may still want to shuffle plants around for the best spacing and sun. That's also a transplant situation, as is repotting plants into larger pots.

Protect Your Garden With Mulch
Finish off your garden with mulch and compost. Mulch controls weeds and keeps the soil moist. 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. 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 right amount.

Greet the Spring
Early spring is an exciting time in the world of gardening. Don't miss a minute of growing season. Prepare to fertilize your lawn, plan your garden and landscaping, and browse our garden center pages to find inspiration on which spring flowers to plant when the weather warms. Shop for the seeds, fertilizer, and soil you need in the aisles of your Alton, IL Garden Center, online, or on our mobile app. Let's get growing together.