Garden Center at West Roxbury #2665

Set Up For Springtime
It's time to start thinking of spring. Sweep the gazebo and clean out the shed to prepare for warmer temperatures, fragrant breezes, and sprouts poking up out of the ground. Planting seeds indoors with grow lights means you're ready to transplant spring annuals and young veggie plants when the frosts are through and the ground thaws. 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 spring flowers, veggies, 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 planting zone map and learn when to plant flower bulbs and seeds.

For example, you could transplant bell peppers outdoors in mid-March in Zone 10, but not until the end of May in Zone 4. For best results, choose plants in your zone number or less. In other words, a Zone 6 garden can support plants listed as Zones 1–6. 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 them later than recommended, 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, Vermont, and New Hampshire, 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 Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia, Connecticut, New Jersey, 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. 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. Garden pests or bugs 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 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 nursery pots and 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 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.

Strengthen 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 don't get all this pampering 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 The Seedlings
Once your seedlings are a few inches tall, start hardening them off. Gradually introducing them to the outdoors, strengthening them in the long run. Hardening means your sprouts and seedlings are less likely to die during a sudden cold snap.

Transplant Young Plants Into Their New Homes
In quality soil, dig a hole that's bigger than or the same size as 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 topsoil and fertilizer, then be sure to water it. Only apply as much fertilizer as is recommended, as too much could harm the plant. Consider putting up wire fencing or other protective measures if deer, squirrels, or chipmunks visit your yard regularly, as your sprouts may otherwise become a snack.

Enrich Your Garden With Mulch and Compost
Finish it all off 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 and stronger plants that bear more fruit and flowers. Compost and mulch can be purchased in-store, or you can learn how to make 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 landscaping, and browse your nearest plant 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. Shop for the seeds, fertilizer, and soil you need in the aisles of your W Roxbury Garden Center, online, or on our mobile app. Let's get growing together.