Garden Center at North Dartmouth #2673

Celebrate Springtime Gardening
It's time to start thinking of spring. Clean out the shed and sweep the gazebo to prepare for warmer temperatures, fragrant breezes, and sprouts poking up out of the ground. Planting seeds indoors with grow lights 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 plant seeds directly into the earth. What better way to start than by exploring your favorite local plant nursery?

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 plant hardiness zone map and learn when to plant flower bulbs and seeds.

For example, you could plant bell pepper seedlings outdoors in mid-March in Zone 10, but not until the end of May in Zone 4. The plants that'll thrive in your area are in your zone — plus all the zones numbered less than that. In other words, a Zone 7 garden can support plants listed as Zones 1–7. The timeframe to direct sow outdoors in your garden is often around a month later than the indoor start date. Always read your seed package for details. If you start them later, it's not ideal, but it will likely even out as time passes.

Gardening in New England
In Zone 5, which includes parts of Pennsylvania as well as upstate New York, southern Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont, your best bets for veggies will be root vegetables like beets and carrots, leafy greens including lettuce, and cole crops like kale and cabbage. 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 West Virginia, Connecticut, New Jersey, southern New York state, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and Ohio 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. Peppers, tomatoes, onions, cucumbers, 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
Planting seeds into your garden soil, or using the direct sow method, is an alternative option. There's less planning and tending than growing indoors. If you like to go with the flow, follow the instructions on your seed pouch and try it out.

Prepare to deal with whatever hand nature deals you: You could have no germinating seeds or all of them might sprout. A critter might munch the tender seedlings for a snack. All the seeds you plant in each hole may sprout, so you'll need to choose the most robust sprouts to survive in a process called thinning. Bugs or garden pests might make a meal out of your seedlings before they take off. But if you're lucky, you'll get strong sprouts that are ready to grow all spring.

Start Seeds Indoors
You can save money and gain the satisfaction of growing your garden from seeds by starting them indoors in your own plant nursery. We've got all the seed starter supplies you'll need. For best results, you'll want heat mats and grow lights to go with your seed trays. If you're planting a larger garden, use seed trays — like the ones you see sprouts in at your nearest garden center — to plant tiny soil plugs with seedlings. 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 press 3–5 seeds into the soil at the proper depth. Mark where you planted the seeds with a toothpick or plant tag. That way, you'll know where your seeds should pop up. Otherwise, it'll be a surprise when the sprouts push out of the soil.

Watch Over Your Sprouts
When your seeds have sprouted but aren't ready to go outside yet, you can still prepare them for outdoor life. These micro-seedlings are fragile — only an inch or so high, with the tiniest seedling leaf or two — but they're resilient. Seedlings aren't pampered in nature, so they can handle more than you think. However, your sprouts are still babies, so don't go overboard. 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 your seedlings are less likely to die during a sudden cold snap.

Transplant Young Plants
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 be sure to water it. Only apply as much fertilizer as is recommended, as too much could kill the plant. Consider putting up chicken wire or other protective measures if squirrels, deer, or chipmunks visit your yard regularly, as your sprouts may otherwise get eaten.

Enrich Your Garden With Mulch and Compost
Nourish your garden 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 fruit and flowers. Compost and mulch can be purchased in-store, or you can learn how to compost DIY-style. The next time you need "mulch near me," stop by the Garden Center to get the correct amount.

Greet the Spring
Late winter into early spring is an exciting time in the world of gardening. Prepare to fertilize your lawn, plan your landscaping and garden, and browse The Home Depot nursery to find inspiration on which spring flowers to plant when the weather warms. For those without lawns, consider adding a pellet grill, artificial grass, or an outdoor rug to your balcony or patio. Shop for the fertilizer, seeds, and soil you need in the aisles of your N Dartmouth Garden Center, online, or on our mobile app. Let's get growing together.