Garden Center at Methuen #2685

Celebrate Springtime Gardening
On gorgeous spring days, tidy up the yard before everything blooms in earnest. Remember to measure your garden so you can find fresh mulch near you as soon as it's available. Don't forget to clean the shed and sweep out the gazebo in preparation for spring, too. No matter which plants you need and what outdoor projects you choose to tackle, search for your local plant nursery and find that The Home Depot Methuen Garden Center can help you enjoy your spring activities to the fullest.

Plant Hardiness Zones Explained
The first thing you should 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 growing 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. You'll have good results with plants that have 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. Always read your seed packet for details. If you start your seeds later, it's not ideal, but it will even out as time passes.

Gardening in New England
In Zone 5, which includes parts of Pennsylvania as well as Vermont, upstate New York, New Hampshire, and southern Maine, your best bets for veggies will be root vegetables like carrots and beets, leafy greens including lettuce, and cruciferous veggies like cabbage and kale. You can try squash, but prepare for additional warming upkeep when late frost is forecast. Planting dates are roughly mid-March through May 1st, depending on whether you're starting your seeds indoors or directly sowing them into your garden.

Much of Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, New Jersey, Connecticut, southern New York state, and Massachusetts are in Zone 6, so planting can begin earlier there than farther north. Parts of Virginia are even warmer, coming in at Zone 7. The outdoor growing season doesn't begin until mid-March or even April, although you can plant some veggie seeds halfway through February. Tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, onions, 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.

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 package. 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 little sun or too much rain, and obtain proper nutrition. Prepare to deal with whatever nature gives you. If you're lucky, you'll get strong sprouts that are ready to grow all spring.

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

You're responsible for giving them quality substitutes for sunlight and rain. Keep your seeds warm with heat mats and grow lights, water them carefully with a spray bottle or watering can, 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 Their New Homes
In quality soil, dig a hole that's the same size or bigger than your plant's dirt plug. Place your transplant in the ground, and fill any extra space with nutrient-rich topsoil. Apply fertilizer if desired inside the plant hole before planting or on top of the dirt, then water them well without overdoing it. Only apply as much fertilizer as is recommended, as adding more could burn the plant. Consider putting up chicken wire or other protective measures if squirrels, rabbits, deer, or chipmunks visit your yard regularly, as your sprouts may otherwise get eaten.

Protect Your Garden With Mulch
Nourish your garden bed with compost and mulch. Compost enriches the soil so your garden can grow even better. Mulch keeps your soil from drying out and controls weeds. It may help foster stronger and larger plants that bear more fruit and flowers. Compost and mulch can be purchased in-store, or you can learn how to compost DIY-style. The next time you're searching for "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 browse your nearest nursery to find inspiration on which spring flowers to plant when the weather warms. If you don't have a lawn, consider adding artificial grass, a pellet grill, or an outdoor rug to your patio or balcony. Shop for the fertilizer, seeds, and soil you need in the aisles of your Methuen Garden Center, online, or on our mobile app. Let's get growing together.