Garden Center at Salem #3480

Celebrate Springtime Gardening
It's time to start thinking of spring. Sweep the gazebo and clean out the shed to prepare for sprouts poking up out of the ground, warmer temperatures, and fragrant breezes. Planting seeds indoors with grow lights means you're ready to transplant young veggie plants and spring annuals when the frosts are through and the ground thaws. You might even want to plant seeds directly into the soil. What better way to start than by exploring your favorite local plant nursery?

Plant Hardiness Zones Explained
The first thing to learn when planting spring flowers, vegetables, and other seeds is your planting zone. Every location in the United States and its territories is sorted by climate. Find your zone on the USDA growing 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. You'll have good results with plants that have your zone number or less. In other words, a Zone 8 garden can support plants listed as Zones 1–8. You can plant seeds indoors roughly a month before you can plant them outside, known as direct sow. Always read your seed packet for details. If you start your plants 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 upstate New York, southern Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont, your best bets for veggies will be root vegetables like carrots and beets, 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
Direct sow, or planting seeds directly into outdoor garden soil, is another way of gardening. If you prefer to go with the flow, follow the instructions on your seed envelope. 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 hungry rodents and storms, weather too much rain or sun, 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
You can gain the satisfaction of growing your garden from seeds and save money 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 warming mats and grow lights to go with your seed trays and nursery pots. 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 when the time comes. You can also use pots with potting soil and seed starter mix.

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 plant tag or toothpick. 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 seedlings 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, don't go overboard, as your sprouts are still babies. You can even use an oscillating fan on low to mimic the wind and strengthen their stems.

Harden Your Seedlings
Once your seedlings are a few inches tall, start hardening them off. This is a process of gradually introducing them to the outdoors, strengthening them in the long run. Hardening means you're less likely to lose your growing garden during a sudden cold snap.

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 fertilizer and topsoil, then water them well without overdoing it. Never apply more fertilizer than recommended, as too much could burn the plant. Consider putting up wire fencing or other protective measures if deer, squirrels, rabbits, or chipmunks visit your yard regularly, as your sprouts may otherwise become a snack.

Enrich Your Garden With Mulch
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 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 looking 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. Plan your landscaping and garden, prepare to fertilize your lawn, and browse your nearest nursery to find inspiration on which spring flowers to plant when the weather warms. For those without lawns, consider adding artificial grass, a pellet grill, or an outdoor rug to your patio. Shop for the fertilizer, soil, and seeds you need in the aisles of your Salem, NH Garden Center, online, or on our mobile app. Let's get growing together.