Garden Center at Henderson #3302

It's time to start thinking of spring. We're here to help you prepare for warmer temperatures, fragrant breezes, and sprouts poking up out of the ground. Planting seeds indoors near a sunny window 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 directly sow seeds into the earth.

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. You'll have good results with plants that have your zone number or less. In other words, a Zone 9 garden can support plants listed as Zones 1–9. 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 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 easily grow outside. Other beloved garden vegetables love the heat, like peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers, and squash. 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 sun and heat, so research to find varieties that can handle the weather before planting outdoors.

An indoor garden of greenery might also be lovely, so create an oasis within 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 annuals or perennials, can also often get an indoor start.

Start Seeds Indoors
Save money when you grow your garden from seeds by starting them indoors. We've got all the seed starter supplies you'll need. For best results, you'll want grow lights or a warming mat to go with your seed tray or planter pots. If you're planting a larger garden, use seed trays — like the ones you see sprouts in at your Henderson Garden Center — to make it easy to stay organized and plant tiny soil plugs later. You can also use pots with potting soil and seed starter mix.

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
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, 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 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 warmer than 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
By now, your plants have 3 or 4 true leaves — they'll look different from the miniature seedling leaves. When the ground is warm, and you're not expecting soaking rain, look into transplanting your big sprouts into their new outdoor home. "Transplant" means that you put these small plants straight into pots or garden soil. 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 your flower bed with compost and mulch. Compost enriches the soil so your garden can grow even better. It may help foster stronger plants that bear more flowers and fruit. Mulch controls weeds and keeps the soil moist. Mulch and compost 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 right amount.

Greet the Spring
Late winter into 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 what to plant when the weather warms. Shop for the soil, seeds, and fertilizer you need in the aisles of your Henderson Garden Center, online, or on our mobile app. Let's get growing together.