Garden Center at Springfield #4617

Celebrate Springtime Gardening
It's time to start thinking of spring. Sweep the gazebo to prepare for fragrant breezes, sprouts poking up out of the ground, and warmer temperatures. Planting seeds indoors with grow lights means you're 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 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, veggies, and other seeds is your planting zone. Every location in the United States 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 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. 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 your plants later than recommended, it's not ideal, but it will likely even out as time passes.

Gardening in the Hills of Appalachia
Tennessee, Virginia, Kentucky, and West Virginia are in Zones 6–8. Cruciferous veggies and certain herbs are ready to grow when you're ready to plant. This includes kale, cabbage, and broccoli. Greens like spinach and artichokes, early-blooming annuals like marigolds, and fragrant herbs, including basil, oregano, and parsley, also don't mind an early beginning. Even in the highest peaks of West Virginia in Zone 5b, traditional garden vegetables like hot peppers of all kinds, cucumbers, and tomatoes are fine with an early spring or late winter start indoors under the grow lights.

Look up the date of your last predicted frost, then count backward 6 to 8 weeks. That's the time you should sow your seeds indoors. The idea is to have strong baby plants that are ready for transplant when the ground is warm enough. Remember to enjoy the process — watching your plants grow, bloom, and put out tiny veggies that'll grow to harvest size is part of the fun.

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. Bugs or garden pests might eat 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 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 plant 3–5 seeds, then press them into the soil to the depth you need with your finger. 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, your sprouts are still babies, so don't go overboard. You can even use an oscillating fan on low to strengthen their stems by mimicking the wind.

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, strengthening them in the long run. Hardening means your sprouts are less likely to freeze to death 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 or on top of the dirt, then water them well without overdoing it. Only apply as much fertilizer as is recommended, as too much could harm the plant. Consider putting up chicken wire or other protective measures if deer, squirrels, or chipmunks visit your yard regularly, as your sprouts may otherwise get eaten.

Enrich Your Garden With Mulch
Nourish your garden 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 larger plants that bear more flowers and fruit. Compost and mulch 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 right amount.

Greet the Spring
Don't miss a minute of growing season. Prepare to fertilize your lawn, plan your 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. Shop for the fertilizer, soil, and seeds you need in the aisles of your Springfield Garden Center, online, or on our mobile app. Let's get growing together.