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Garden Vocabulary

Direct Seed/Direct Sow: Plant seeds directly in the garden.

Harvest: This is when the crop should be ready to pick, though harvest time may vary depending on the weather.

Planting depth: As a general guideline, seeds should be planted at a depth that is twice their diameter.

Transplant: Plant starts (young vegetable plants). These may be grown from seed in the classroom 6-8 weeks before planting in the garden or purchased from a garden center. Transplants have an intact rootball, and at least 4-6 leaves.

Seeding and harvest overlap/Succession Planting: With any plant there is a window with which it can be planted and harvested. The earlier within that window a crop is planted, the earlier it will be harvested. With some crops there may be an overlap in the seeding and harvesting window. You may be harvesting from the first planting when the seeding window is still open.

Seed Starting Medium: For healthy seedlings, choose a loose, well-drained medium composed of fine particles. Regular potting soil may be too rich and does not drain well. You can purchase seed-starting mix at a garden center or make your own.

Thinning: Vegetables need space to grow. Seeds are often sown thicker than needed to ensure germination. Once seedlings have 1-2 sets of true leaves (approximately 2-3 inches tall) they can be thinned. Pulling the seedlings up often inadvertently pulls neighboring seedlings along with them; so it is easier to snip the unwanted seedlings at the soil level.