Garden Center at Kifer Rd #640

Set Up For Springtime
On gorgeous spring days, tidy the yard before everything blooms in earnest. You can also add beauty and interest with hardscaping, stonework, and water features. Don't forget to sweep the gazebo and clean out the shed in preparation for spring, too. No matter what outdoor projects you choose to tackle and which plants you need, search for your local plant nursery and find that The Home Depot Kifer Rd Garden Center can help you enjoy your spring activities to the fullest.

Plant Hardiness Zones Explained
The first thing you should know when planting vegetables, 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 and flower bulbs.

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 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. Always read your seed envelope for details. If you start them later than recommended, it's not ideal, but it should even out as time passes.

Gardening in Your Growing Zone: Utah, Nevada, and California
This region ranges from Zones 7–9, with higher elevations in Zones 5–6. You'll find fertile land in some places, but mountains and deserts with harsher conditions elsewhere. What you can grow and when will vary considerably depending on where you live. In Zones 5 and 6, the outdoor growing season doesn't begin here until mid-March or even April, although you can start some veggies by seed halfway through February. Warmer Zones 7, 8, and 9 can plant earlier, but if you're in the desert, you'll likely want to consider indoor gardening in an enclosed porch or sunroom.

Utilize greenhouses to grow herbs and vegetables. Native plants like succulents, cacti, and hardy desert shrubs will grow outside with ease. Other beloved garden vegetables love the heat, like peppers, cucumbers, squash, and tomatoes. 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 heat and sun, so research to find which varieties can withstand the weather before planting outdoors.

Plant Seeds In Your Garden With Direct Sow
Direct sow, or planting seeds directly into outdoor garden soil, is another way of gardening. If you like to go with the flow, follow the instructions on your seed packet. Direct sow timeframes are later than indoor planting because the soil must be warm enough.

There's more variation with seed survival with direct sow. Your seedlings need to survive storms and hungry critters, weather too much rain or too little sun, and obtain proper nutrition. Be ready to deal with whatever nature gives you. If you're lucky, you'll get strong sprouts that are ready to grow.

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 plant nursery. In general, you can plant seeds indoors about a month before you can do it outdoors. Like direct sow, you push the seeds into the soil as directed on the seed pouch, but that's where the similarities end. Seed trays make it easier to transplant later.

You're responsible for giving them quality substitutes for sun and rain. Keep your seeds warm with heat mats and grow lights, water them carefully with a watering can or spray bottle, 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 Your Garden
In quality soil, dig a hole that's the same size or bigger than your plant's dirt plug. Carefully remove your transplant without pulling on it, keeping it inside its clump of dirt. Place your transplant in the ground, and fill any extra space with nutrient-rich topsoil and fertilizer, then water it well without overdoing it. Never apply more fertilizer than recommended, as too much could burn the plant. Consider putting up garden fencing or other protective measures if deer, squirrels, or chipmunks visit your yard regularly, as your sprouts may otherwise become a snack.

Protect Your Garden With Mulch
Finish it all off with compost and mulch. Compost enriches the soil so your garden can grow even better. Mulch controls weeds and keeps your soil from drying out. It may help foster larger plants that bear more flowers and fruit. Mulch and compost can be DIY creations, but you can also purchase them in-store. The next time you need "mulch near me," stop by the Garden Center to get the correct amount.

Greet the Spring
Don't miss a minute of growing season. Prepare to fertilize your lawn, plan your garden and landscaping, and browse your nearest plant 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 Kifer Rd Garden Center, online, or on our mobile app. Let's get growing together.