Garden Center at Lake City #6864

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 Lake City Garden Center can 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 by climate. Find your zone on the USDA planting 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. Be sure to read your seed packet for details. If you start plants a little later than recommended, it's not ideal, but it should even out as time passes.

Gardening in Your Growing Zone
In the areas of Zones 9 and 10 stretching across the Southeast, you can plant indoors early in the year. Your odds of frost are low in this part of the country, but not zero. Be mindful of cold snaps and cover any early-riser bulb plants or sprouts during cold times.

Growing season begins 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 flowers, plants, and veggies thrive in Florida and southern Georgia. 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. 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 love the heat.

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. 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. That way, you'll know where your seeds should pop up, and you'll know they're not weeds. 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 micro-seedlings are fragile — only an inch or so high, with the tiniest seedling leaf or two — but they're resilient. Seedlings certainly don't get all this pampering in nature when they volunteer and grow wherever they please, 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
Once your seedlings have sprouted and are a few inches tall, start hardening them off. This is a process of gradually introducing them to the outdoors, making them stronger in the long run. Hardening means you're less likely to lose your growing garden during a sudden cold snap.

Transplant Young Plants Into Their New Homes
When your plants have three or four real leaves — different from miniature seedling leaves – 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 fertilizer as directed, either on top of the soil after it's planted or in the hole. Don't apply more than recommended, as you could burn the plant and kill it instead of helping it.

Protect Your Garden With Mulch
Finish your planting by following it with compost and mulch. Compost enriches the soil so your garden can grow even better. It may help foster stronger plants that bear more fruit and flowers. Mulch keeps your soil moist and controls weeds. 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
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 which spring flowers to plant when the weather warms. Shop for the soil, fertilizer, and seeds you need in the aisles of your Lake City Garden Center, online, or on our mobile app. Let's get growing together.