#1 Home Improvement Retailer

Do you have what you need to make your garden grow?

pro installer with home depot shirt using power drill on wooden furniture
the home depot logo with home services and tag line let us do it for you
Explore Your Local Garden Center at a Home Depot Near You. Get inspired to upgrade your plants and landscaping.

Garden Center

Contact Us
Pro Service Desk(270)538-0004
Store Hours
Mon-Sat: 6:00am - 9:00pm
Sun: 8:00am - 8:00pm
Curbside: 09:00am - 6:00pm
Location
2801 James Sanders Rd
Paducah, KY 42001
map pin
map preview

The Home Depot Garden Center at Paducah

Spring Black Friday Savings
Enjoy some of the best bargains of the season with our Spring Black Friday deals. Level up your yard or patio with patio furniture to fit any decor style. Spring cleaning applies both inside and outside your house, so upgrade your lawn and garden with gorgeous flowers. Don't forget to check out our outdoor power equipment, as well. Save on everything you need during our spring sale, running only from April 4th through April 28th. Don't miss out on these savings.

Small blue house with lots of colorful flowers in front garden
The Home Depot Mother's Day Sale
The Home Depot Mother's Day Sale is a good time to help Mom upgrade her garden. We've got discounts on popular brands of herb plants, small plants, and those details that make a garden special: planters, garden decor, and flower pots. If you're on the fence about the perfect present when searching for Mother's Day gifts, a gift card always works. Shop The Home Depot Mother's Day Gardening Gifts Sale from May 2nd to May 12th in-store or online.

Mother and child gardening with tools

It's time to start thinking of spring. We're here to help you prepare for sprouts poking up, fragrant breezes, and warmer temperatures. 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 directly sow organic seeds into the earth.

Plant Hardiness Zones Explained
The first thing to learn 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 plant bell pepper seedlings 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 9 garden can support plants listed as Zones 1–9. You can plant seeds indoors roughly a month before you can plant them outside, or direct sow. Read your seed packet for details. If you start plants a little later than recommended, it's not ideal, but it will likely even out as time passes.

Gardening in Your Growing Zone
The Midwest is mostly Zones 6 and 7 throughout Indiana, Michigan, and Kentucky. You’ll find pockets of Zone 5 and stretches of Zone 4 in the Upper Peninsula. In Zones 5 and 6, the outdoor growing season doesn’t begin here until mid-March or even April, although you can plant some veggie seeds halfway through February. Warmer Zone 7 can start planting earlier, and Zone 4 much later on. Tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, squash, and other classic garden crops will do well in this region, and most of them can get an early jump on growing indoors before spring really moves in.

Also, check out cruciferous veggies and certain herbs if you're ready to get planting. This includes kale, broccoli, and cabbage. Greens like spinach, artichokes, and fragrant herbs, including oregano, basil, and parsley, also don't mind an early start. The main concern is waiting until the frost has passed for the season, so planting seeds outdoors as direct sow is later here compared to farther south.

Plant Seeds Outside With Direct Sow
Planting seeds with the direct sow method, right into the soil, is another option. It doesn't give you as much organized planning in terms of reliability and spacing compared to indoor starts. However, if you like to go with the flow, follow the instructions on your seed packet and try it out.

Prepare to deal with whatever hand nature deals you: You may have no seeds that germinate. A critter may eat the tender seedlings. 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. Flooding rains might disturb the ground and wash away the seeds. But if you're lucky, you'll get strong sprouts that are ready to grow all spring.

Start Seeds Indoors
If you're eager to get growing or would like more control in the care and feeding of seedlings, start your seeds indoors instead. In general, you can plant seeds indoors about a month before you can do it outside. Like direct sow, you push the seeds into the soil as directed on the seed packet, but that's where the similarities end.

You're responsible for giving them quality substitutes for rain and sun. Keep your seeds cozy with warming mats and grow lights, water them carefully with a mister 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
By now, your plants have 3 or 4 true leaves — they'll look different from the miniature seedling leaves. When you're not expecting soaking rain, and the ground is warm, look into transplanting your small plants into their new outdoor home. These large seedlings that are ready to be planted can also be called "transplants" or "starts." In cases where you directly planted into the ground, 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 off your garden 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 keeps your soil from drying out and controls weeds. Mulch and compost 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. 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 seeds, soil, and fertilizer you need in the aisles of your Paducah Garden Center, online, or on our mobile app. Let's get growing together.


Shop Outdoor and Garden Brands

Frequently Asked Questions About Gardening

What number planting zone am I in?

Check the USDA zone map, as planting zones have shifted slightly through the years. Planting zones with higher numbers can plant earlier in the year. Increase your odds of successful gardening by choosing plants that are meant for your zone.

What's direct sow in gardening?

If the soil is warm and pliable, consider planting your veggie, flower, or fruit seeds directly into your garden. This is called the "direct sow" method. Plant after the threat of frost is gone for the season, as seedlings and sprouts can't weather those conditions. You can also start your seeds indoors if you'd like. Consult your seed envelope for how and when to sow seeds.

How do I plant veggie seeds?

Read your seed package for info on proper depth, spacing, and how many seeds to sow per hole when planting spring flowers, fruits, and vegetables — indoors or outdoors. Requirements vary from one type of fruit, flower, or veggie plant to the next. Certain seeds should only be sown indoors, and your seed package will tell you that, too. For more details, check out how to plant flower seeds.

Do I have to harden off my seedlings before planting them outside?

Yes, if you raised plants indoors from seeds, harden them first before you transplant them. Hardening allows your seedlings to adjust to the great outdoors and sun, rain, and temperature swings, making them more resilient against cold snaps. It slows their growth until they're strong and ready to take off during a spring warm front.

How do I strengthen my seedlings before planting them outdoors?

Get your sprouts used to breezy spring days and storms with a fan and keep fungus from growing in damp conditions. Set up an oscillating fan on low to mimic the wind. Just the gentlest breeze for several hours a day will do the trick. The stems and leaves will get used to blowing in the breeze and not snap when a gust comes through. If you don't set up a fan, your seedlings may be more sensitive to strong winds. Try to plant between storms.

Should I use peat moss starters or coir starters?

Seed starters, full of nutrients in pots or pellets, work for new and experienced gardeners alike. You don't have to use these starters if you're planting in soil, but you may want to. Starting seeds in peat pots works best for delicately rooted plants like carrots and beets, as well as flowers that need acidic soil. Some people prefer coir starters instead, as they have a neutral pH. Check what type of soil your plants need to help narrow it down, and chat with a garden center associate if you need more info.

Nearby Stores

3200 Banterra Dr

Marion, IL 62959

49.51 mi

Pro Service Desk

(618)997-7300

Mon-Sat: 6:00am - 9:00pm

Sun: 8:00am - 8:00pm

Garden Project Calculators