Glossary

annual – a plant that dies once frost sets and requires replanting each year; a plant that lasts a single growing season

bolting – the act of “going to seed,” when a plant under stress (usually due to extreme heat, poor light or drought), produces a thick flowering stem and seeds, usually toughening the leaves and diminishing its taste (bitters); Common with lettuce, spinach, some herbs

Brassicas – genus of plants in the mustard and cabbage family; Includes cauliflower, broccoli, collards, mustards, kale, bok choy, rutabaga, kohlrabi, brussel sprouts, cabbage, and turnips

cloche – a clear, usually bell-shaped plastic or glass cover used to protect plants (usually from frost)

cotyledon – the leaf/leaf pair that first emerges when a seed germinates, which provides the seedling with food until true leaves develop

cross-pollination – the act of pollen being transferred from one plant to the flowers of another, to form fruit

damping off – a plant disease caused by microbes that results in the killing of seeds before germination, or the thinning and yellowing/browning of plant stems, usually due to excess moisture and too low temperatures; Kills plant and taints soil

deadheading – the act of cutting or breaking off dead or spent flower heads on flowering plants, to promote continuous blooming and improved appearance

determinate – a plant variety that has a definite height or growth restriction, typically more compact and stop growing in size once bearing fruit; often have short harvest window as fruits reach maturity within a two-week window

direct-sowing – planting seed in soil directly outdoors

dolomite – gardening lime, usually added to soil before sowing or transplanting of seedlings for added calcium and magnesium, and/or to raise pH to boost plant growth; not recommended if plant variety prefers acidic soil

first frost – the estimated appearance of severely cold weather which will negatively impact many plants, typically marks end of growing/harvest season for plants which prefer warm temperatures

germination – the act of a seed sprouting, appearance of the cotyledon after seed has been planted

hardening off – the act of gradually increasing exposure of indoor seedlings to outdoor temperatures and environment, before transplanting outdoors, so as to prevent shock and loss of seedlings

hardiness zone – the alpha-numeric label given to a growing region by the USDA, which aids in determining which plants will thrive in a particular area

herbaceous – herbs; plants that do not have woody stems, and whose leaves and stems die back after first frost

indeterminate – a plant variety that will continue to grow in size and bear fruit until impacted by frost, often requires lots of space to grow and continuous harvest

last frost – the estimated end of severely cold weather which will negatively impact plants, typically marks beginning of spring growing season for plants which prefer warm temperatures

perennial – a plant type that once planted, typically grows again each spring if prepared properly for over-wintering

pollination – the transfer of pollen from the male flower or part (anther) to the female flower or part (stigma) to promote the growth of fruit and seeds

self-fertile – plants that can self-pollinate; plants that do not require pollen from other plants to form fruit

succession planting – the process of planting a seed variety in intervals, usually every two weeks to permit harvests over the course of the season; a means to decrease the likelihood of having to harvest and process large quantities at once

trap crop – decoy crop or plant, grown in the garden to attract insect pests away from desired crops/plants

true leaves – leaf pairs that are capable of photosynthesis, the leaves that grow after the cotyledon (first leaf pair)