Garden Center at Moses Lake #8966

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 means you'll be ready to transplant young veggie plants and spring flowers when the frosts are through and the ground thaws. You might even want to directly sow organic seeds into the earth.

Plant Hardiness Zones Explained
The first thing to learn 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 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 5 garden can support plants listed as Zones 1–5. 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 seeds later than recommended, it's not ideal, but it should even out as time passes.

Gardening in Your Growing Zone
In the Pacific Northwest, Idaho, and Montana, there’s a wide range of climates and growing zones. Most of Washington, Oregon, and Idaho are Zones 6–9, with the higher peaks coming in as Zones 4–5. Montana is in Zone 5 on the western end, but the mountainous regions are mostly Zone 4, with the tallest mountains as Zone 3.

The differences in planting zones means your seed sowing times will vary. The coastal regions in Zones 8 and 9 can start many seeds indoors in mid-January. Colder regions in 6–8 should wait a little longer to plant, and all these zones need to wait an additional month before planting seeds outdoors rather than indoors. Mountainous regions in Zones 3 to 5 will have the shortest growing season, with seed starters going in later in the spring. Although the weather may vary, wait until the frost has passed to give your seeds the best chance at a healthy and hearty life.

Popular veggies of all kinds, including cucumbers and tomatoes, are fine with an early spring or late winter start indoors under the grow lights. Your spring flower seed choices, whether they're annuals or perennials, can also often get an indoor beginning.

Start Seeds Indoors
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 plant pots. If you're planting a larger garden, use seed trays — like the ones you see sprouts in at your Moses Lake Garden Center — to make it easy to stay organized and plant tiny soil plugs later. You can also use pots with seed starter mix and potting soil.

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 toothpick or plant tag. 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 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
When you're hardening your sprouts and gradually introducing them to the outdoors, be flexible. Keep an eye on your baby plants. Bring them inside or move them to a shady spot if they're looking rough. As always, make sure they're watered just enough, but not too much. Whisk wilted plants inside and give them a good drink, making sure they're healthy before setting them outdoors again.

Transplant Young Plants Into Their New Homes
By now, your plants have 3 or 4 real 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 small plants into their new outdoor home. "Transplant" means that you put these small plants straight into the garden soil or into pots. 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 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 fruit and flowers. 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 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. Plan your garden and landscaping, prepare to fertilize your lawn, and browse our garden center pages to find inspiration on what to plant when the weather warms. Shop for the soil, fertilizer, and seeds you need in the aisles of your Moses Lake Garden Center, online, or on our mobile app. Let's get growing together.