Garden Center at Greer #1126

Mother's Day Deals on Gardening Gifts
The Home Depot Mother's Day Sale is a good time to help Mom upgrade her garden. We've got deals on popular brands of herb plants, small plants, and those details that make a garden special: garden decor, flower pots, and planters. If you're unsure of the perfect present when searching for Mother's Day gifts, a gift card is always a winner. Shop The Home Depot Mother's Day Gardening Gifts Sale from May 2nd through May 12th in-store or on our mobile app.



It's time to start thinking of spring. We're here to help you prepare for fragrant breezes, sprouts poking up, and warmer temperatures. Planting seeds indoors near a sunny window means you'll be ready to transplant spring flowers and young veggie plants when the frosts are through and the ground thaws. You might even want to directly plant organic seeds into the earth.

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 by climate. Find your zone on the USDA planting zone map and learn when to plant 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. The plants that'll thrive in your area are in your zone, and all the zones numbered less than that. 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. Be sure to read your seed packet for details. If you start plants later than recommended, it's not ideal, but it will even out as time passes.

Gardening in Your Growing Zone
Virginia, West Virginia, Kentucky, and Tennessee are in Zones 6–8. Cruciferous veggies and certain herbs are ready to grow when you're ready to plant. This includes kale, broccoli, and cabbage. Greens like spinach and artichokes, early-blooming annuals like marigolds, and fragrant herbs, including oregano, basil, and parsley, also don't mind an early beginning. Even in the highest peaks of West Virginia in Zone 5b, traditional garden vegetables like 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 at the same time the ground is warm enough. Do your best and enjoy the process – watching your plants grow, bloom, and put out tiny veggies that'll grow to harvest size is part of the fun.

Start Seeds Indoors
Save money and gain the satisfaction of growing your garden from seeds by starting them indoors. We've got all the seed starter supplies you'll need. For best results, you'll want grow lights or a warming mat to go with your seed tray or plant pots. If you're planting a larger garden, use seed trays — like the ones you see sprouts in at your Greer Garden Center — to make it easy to stay organized and plant tiny soil plugs later. 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 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 toothpick or plant tag. That way, you'll know where your seeds should pop up, and you'll know they're not weeds. Otherwise, it'll be a surprise when the sprouts push out of the soil.

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 when they volunteer and grow wherever they please, 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 floor 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 you're less likely to lose your growing garden during a sudden cold snap.

Transplant Young Plants Into Their New Homes
Carefully take your seedling out of the container. A good way to do this is to turn it sideways or upside-down and gently squeeze the plastic to break the seal. If your transplant grew in the garden, leave plenty of room around the stem and dig deeper than you think with your garden trowel. You don't want to damage the roots. Place it into the hole you dug for it, even with the surrounding soil.

Protect Your Garden With Mulch
Finish off your garden with compost and mulch. Mulch controls weeds and keeps the soil moist. Compost enriches the soil so your garden can grow even better. It may help foster stronger plants that bear more flowers and fruit. Compost and mulch can be purchased in-store or created at home. The next time you're looking for "mulch near me," stop by the Garden Center to get the right amount.

Greet the Spring
Early spring is an exciting time in the world of gardening. Don't miss a minute of growing season. Prepare to fertilize your lawn, plan your garden and landscaping, and browse our garden center pages to find inspiration on which spring flowers to plant when the weather warms. Shop for the soil, seeds, and fertilizer you need in the aisles of your Greer Garden Center, online, or on our mobile app. Let's get growing together.