Garden Center at N Tucson (oro Valley) #481

Gardening Gift Sale for Mother's Day
Our Mother's Day Sale is a great time to help Mom upgrade her garden. We've got savings on popular brands of herb plants, small plants, and those details that make a garden special: planters, garden decor, flower pots, and even patio furniture. If you're unsure of the right present when searching for Mother's Day gifts, a gift card never fails. Shop The Home Depot Mother's Day Gardening Gifts Sale from May 2nd to May 12th in-store or on our mobile app.



On those beautiful days, clean up the yard before everything blooms in earnest. Lawn care is often a priority, as well. Planning your garden lets you make the most of your time and space. Remember to measure your garden so you can find fresh mulch near you as soon as it's available. No matter what outdoor projects you choose to tackle, The Garden Center in N Tucson (Oro Valley) can help you enjoy your spring activities to the fullest.

Plant Hardiness Zones Explained
The first thing you should know when planting spring flowers, vegetables, 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 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. For best results, choose plants in your zone number or less. In other words, a Zone 5 garden can support plants listed as Zones 1–5. 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 later than recommended, it's not ideal, but it will likely even out as time passes.

Gardening in Your Growing Zone
The diverse topography of this area means planting times vary widely. Desert areas are in Zones 7-10, depending on location, and areas with more elevation are in chillier Zones 4–6. Both mountains and deserts can have extreme conditions, so consider indoor gardening as a supplement to growing outdoors if possible.

In the desert, native plants like succulents, cacti, and other hardy desert shrubs will easily grow outside. Other beloved garden vegetables love the heat, like nightshades. If you start them indoors and carefully introduce them outdoors in the shade, you can enjoy raising vegetables even in a dry climate. However, many flowers, both annuals and perennials, are sensitive to that much sun and heat, so research to find varieties that can handle the weather before planting outdoors.

Colder regions in Zones 6–8 should wait a little longer to plant, and all these zones need to wait an additional month before planting seeds outdoors rather than indoors. Mountainous regions in Zones 3 to 5 will have the shortest growing season, with seed starters going in later in the spring. Although the weather may vary, waiting until the frost has passed will give your seeds the best chance at a healthy life.

Check out cruciferous veggies and certain herbs if you’re ready to get planting. This includes cabbage, broccoli, and kale. Greens like artichokes, spinach, and fragrant herbs, including basil, parsley, and oregano, also don't mind an early beginning. In Zones 4–6, 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.

Plant Seeds Outside 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 package and try it out.

Prepare to deal with whatever hand nature deals you: You might have no germinating seeds. A critter could eat the seedlings. All the seeds you plant in each hole may sprout, so you'll need to spread them out later or 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'd like more control over your seedlings' journey or you're eager to get growing, 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 sun and rain. Keep your seeds warm with heat 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
When your plants have three or four true leaves — different from mini seedling leaves – transplant them. In quality soil, dig a hole the same size as the dirt plug where your transplant has been growing. If your ground soil isn't fantastic, dig a slightly bigger hole and fill the extra room with nutrient-rich topsoil. Apply fertilizer as directed, either in the hole or on top of the soil after it's planted. Only apply as much as recommended, as you could burn the plant and kill it instead of helping it along.

Protect Your Garden With Mulch
Finish your flower bed with mulch and compost. Mulch controls weeds and keeps your soil from drying out. Compost enriches the soil so your garden can grow even better. It may help foster larger and 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
Late winter into 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 seeds, fertilizer, and soil you need in the aisles of your N Tucson (Oro Valley) Garden Center, online, or on our mobile app. Let's get growing together.