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| During the world wars, the government developed many gardening pamphlets |
Saturday, January 29, 2022
Wondering what all those terms mean that you read about in gardening magazines, blogs and books? Here a few of the more common terms used and what they mean.
Annual, Biennial, Perennial-Refers to how long a plant lives. Annuals have a life cycle of one year. They grow, flower, set seed all in the first year, and when they die, they do not return next year. A biennial grows one year, flowers and sets seeds the next year, completing its life cycle. An example of a biennial are carrots. If left in the ground, they will have flowers that look like Queen Ann's Lace the following spring. A perennial is one that comes back year after year, like asparagus. The one watch out is to make sure that the plant is a perennial for your "hardiness" zone.
Bare root plants-When plants are shipped from the nursery with no soil attached to their roots. You can typically get bare root plants for much less than those shipped in soil. I have had great success with bare root plants. Just be sure to get them into soil as soon as they arrive. Follow the instructions that come with them to ensure success.
Bolt, Bolting-The point at which a vegetable sends up its flower stalk for propagation. Lettuce and cilantro are good examples of crops that send up a tall stalk when the weather warms. If left, the stalk will produce flowers and then seeds. You can save the seeds to resow or leave and they will self sow.
Cole or cold crop plants-Veggies that thrive in cool or cold temperatures, like broccoli, Brussels sprouts, kale, spinach, and mustards. You would use these for your spring, fall and for the most cold hardy, your winter edible garden.
Cold season crops for your edible garden A spring edible garden A fall edible garden Winter edible garden
Companion planting-One plant placed next to another can either help or hinder the growth and production of its neighbor. Companion planting refers to planting neighbors that assist in the growth and health of the neighboring plant. The most famous companion planting is the "three sisters". The corn provides the trellis for the beans. The beans provide nitrogen for the squash and corn. The squash vine shades the surrounding soil to keep moisture in the soil and shade out competing weeds. Companion plants can assist in different ways, from providing shade, nutrition or deterring pests and weeds.
Compost-"Black gold". Organic matter (vegetable scraps, leaves, weeds, sawdust, etc.) that is decomposed by microbes. Good finished compost will smell earthy and is great to add to the garden bed to improve soil texture.
Container Garden-When fruits, vegetables and flowers are grown in pots. Nowadays there are dwarf varieties of just about any fruit or vegetable that has been developed to do well in pots. Don't let lack of yard space deter you from growing your own food!
Cover crop-A crop that is planted just to keep the bare soil covered to prevent erosion and loss of fertility. Many cover crops are also grown to improve the fertility and tilth of the soil.
Crop rotation-From one year to the next, you should put your veggie plants into a different area of the garden. This helps break pest and disease cycles. Pests and disease organisms are typically adapted to a specific type of crop and they stay over the winter in the soil and garden debris. By moving your tomatoes from one area to another, it makes it harder for the pests and diseases to survive into the season. You can be smart about how you rotate your crops so that last year's crop actually helps this year's crop by adding needed fertility and loosening the soil.
Days to Maturity/Days to Harvest-Reported on the seed packet. The number of days from when a seed is planted until it produces a harvest. This will vary based on how warm it is and the hours of daylight. Typically, they are giving the time it takes when planted early in the season. Seeds planted when warmer will likely produce sooner than what is on the seed packet.
Deadheading-Removing spent flowers. Removing flowers that are past their prime will signal to the plant to produce more flowers. The same goes for fruits in vegetable plants; keeping them picked will signal to the plant to make more.
Direct seeding-This is when you start the seed in the plant's final location. You can direct seed into a pot or the garden bed. Some plants do not like to be transplanted like carrots and radishes. For best growth, you would direct seed these type of crops.
Dormancy-When the plant stops growing is called dormancy. It's kind of like when the bears go into hibernation. Everything slows down, the plant is still living. Dormancy can be caused by high heat, drought, reduced sunlight or cold temperatures. It is most often used for stoppage of growth that occurs when the temperature and sunlight reduction during winter.
Fertilizer-Different types of compounds and minerals that are added to the soil that promote the growth of plants. The exact moment that a seed sprouts.
Frost date, Last frost date, First frost date-Seed starting recommendations on seed packets typically refer to how many weeks before or after your last frost date to start your seeds either indoors or outdoors for your spring and summer garden. The last frost date is referring to your last spring frost when there is a very good chance there will not be another frost that year for your area. When a seed packet refers to first frost date, it is talking about the first frost in the fall for your area. This is for fall and winter planting.
Full sun, Part sun, Part shade, Full Shade-These terms refer to how much sun the plant needs to do well. Full sun generally means at least 6 hours of unobstructed sun. Part sun is 4-6 hours of unobstructed sun. Partial shade is 2-4 hours of direct sun. Full shade is less than 2 hours. Most edibles require full sun to thrive. There are some that can produce in less than full sun.
Germination/Pollination-Germination is the exact moment that a seed sprouts. Pollination is when the plant's flower is fertilized. The flower has to be fertilized in order to develop a viable seed. Some plants require another like it to pollinate. Those that do not require another plant are called self-fertile. Different plants will germinate at different rates based on soil temperature. Some like cool soil, others like warm soils. Planting seeds too soon can results in them just rotting in the soil.
GMO, Hybrid, Heirloom, Open Pollinated-These are all terms for how a seed was developed. GMO are genetically modified to withstand harsh chemicals and the rights are owned by the company. Hybrids are seeds that have been developed through artificial pollination and any seeds produced by the plant will not come back identical to its parent. Heirlooms are seeds that have been passed down from generation to generation. There is much debate over how old it must be to be considered an heirloom. Open pollinated are seeds that parents produce seeds that grow back like the parent plant. All heirlooms are open pollinated. There are many open pollinated crops being developed today. If you like to save seeds, grow heirlooms or any open pollinated plant type.
What do the terms GMO, natural, heirloom, organic, hybrid really mean? Seed saving-fun, easy and a cost saver
Harden, Hardening off-When you gradually get a seedling or transplant used to the conditions in its final garden spot. Wind, temperature and sun should all be taken into account. In the spring, you would take the seedlings out under a covered area when it is warm and keep inside when it is really cold. You add more time outdoors with increasing exposure to sun to give the plants a smooth transition to the growing conditions in the garden.
Hardiness-This term is used in a couple of different ways. It can refer to the climate zone that the perennial plant can survive from one year to the next. It is also used to describe how well it can perform in different seasons of the year, like "extremely cold hardy". It is ideal to grow varieties that do well in your area. Ordering seeds and plants from companies near you ensures they do well in your climate.
Manure-Animal waste used to fertilize and add organic matter to the soil. Should either compost well before using in the garden or wait 120 days after adding to the soil to plant. Most commonly used is cow, horse, chicken and rabbit manures. "Hotter" refers to the level of nitrogen in the compost. Hot manures like chicken manure can cause the plant roots to get burned and die. Manures should be composted with copious amounts of soil or carbon materials like straw.
Mulch-Organic matter used to cover bare earth. Can be a variety of materials. Most common in gardens is pine needles and straw. Many use wood mulch as well. If using spent hay, you may get unwanted grass sprouts. If using wood mulch, would apply a nitrogen fertilizer right before putting down the mulch.
Organic matter-Plant or animal matter that is decomposed or in the process of being broken down, like compost. Both sandy and clay soils are helped with healthy doses of organic matter added to the garden.
Raised bed-When vegetables are grown in mounded garden soil. Can have wood, stone, or concrete sides to keep the soil raised. Raised beds will warm earlier in the spring and cool quicker in the fall. They will also drain faster than a flat garden bed.
Seed leaf, First true leaves-The first leaves that emerge from a seed are not "true" leaves. They are actually part of the seed and called cotyledons. The first leaves to form from the stem of the sprouted plant are called true leaves.
Seedling, Transplant-A seedling refers to a newly sprouted plant. When the plant has grown significantly indoors or a protected location and is ready to be planted into its permanent spot in the garden or pot, it is considered a transplant.
Soil test-It is a good idea to take samples of your garden soil from several locations, mix it and have it tested to see what nutrients it is deficient in. Then, you know exactly what to add to your garden for optimal growth. If you are already high in some nutrients and add more, you can actually stunt or kill garden plants.
Sowing seeds, Seeding-This typically refers to putting seeds directly in the pot or garden spot where they will remain through the growing season. It can also refer to just starting seeds that will be transplanted out after sprouting into their final growing spot in the garden or pot.
Succession planting-Succession planting means to sow the same seeds on an interval so that you get a continuous crop or harvest. For example, sowing lettuce seeds every 2 weeks will keep you in salads spring, summer and at least through fall.
Sunscald-The sun can "burn" leaves and fruits of vegetables. I commonly see sun scald on tomato and pepper fruits during the heat of the summer. If transplants are not hardened off properly, you will see sun scald on the leaves. Most of the time the plant will lose those leaves as it grows new leaves.
Thin, Thinning-When sowing seeds, most seed packets recommend sowing more than is healthy for long term growth. You sow more to be sure you get enough plants because not 100% of the seeds will sprout and grow into seedlings. After they have sprouted, you should thin to the recommended spacing on the seed packet. You can either pinch off the tops of the unwanted seedlings or gently dig up and plant elsewhere.
Till, Tilling, Rototilling-When you want to work in fertilizer, turn under weeds or cover crops, you will turn over the soil. This is called tilling. You can use a shovel, a spade or a rototiller machine to do the job. Every time you do this, you are upsetting the microbial network of the soil. If possible, use other methods to accomplish fertilizing and adding organic matter. Adding amendments in the fall and covering in mulch will allow them to be incorporated by spring as an example.
Transplant, Transplanting-Moving a plant from one location to another is called transplanting. The plant that is being moved is called a transplant. When transplanting seedlings from indoors or a sheltered area to the garden be sure to harden the plant so it does not go into shock and possibly die.
Wilting-When a plant droops. It can be from a variety of issues. In the summer, it is generally because the plant has lost a great deal of moisture through its leaves during the hot part of the day. If they recover, the plant likely has enough soil moisture. In general, plants need about an inch of water a week. Always check down a couple of inches to make sure the soil is actually dry before watering. Too much water is just as bad as too little.
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