Seedling: A baby plant anywhere from the first sprout stage of cotyledons up to a small plant with some true leaves.
Cotyledon: The first leaves to sprout out of a seed. They generally look very different from the true leaves of the adult plant.
True leaves: The leaves that grow after the cotyledons. The first true leaves generally look like the leaves of an adult plant, though they can be slightly different shapes or colors at first. A seedling is ready to transplant to the garden when it has its first 3-4 true leaves.
Transplanting: The process of planting a seedling in the garden or into a different pot. The best time to transplant is on a cool, cloudy morning or afternoon right before a light rain. The worst time to transplant is in the hot, dry midday sunshine. Water your seedling and the soil you’re planting it into before transplanting. We often add a little compost to the hole when we transplant a seedling. See our blog post all about transplanting (coming soon) for more details and instructions. Plant a seedling at the depth of its cotyledons or up to its first true leaf(s).
Compost: A fully decayed mixture of plants and materials that makes the best amendment to improve the organic matter in garden soil.
Soil Amendments: Anything you add to the soil to improve or change its quality or characteristics. Compost is the universal soil amendment that every garden needs every year. Other amendments may be added as needed or indicated by pH tests and soil lab tests. For a list of our favorite soil amendments click here.
Organic Matter: The component of soil that is made of carbon-containing compounds from things that is alive or decaying life.
Annual: A plant that is not hardy through the winters of a specific place or has a lifecycle that involves growing, forming flowers and seeds and dying back all in one year. Example: In our region peppers are considered “annuals.” However, in a tropical place they would be considered perennials because they will continue growing and flowering for years as long as a frost doesn’t kill the plant.
Biennial: A plant with a two year lifecycle. Generally, these plants grow lots of roots and leaves in their first year and flower in their second. Example: carrots, if not harvested in their first year, will send up a flower and set seeds in their second.
Perennial: A plant that is hardy in a specific area and comes back every year. There is a difference between herbaceous and woody perennials. Herbaceous ones tend to have soft stems and the plant dies back to the root each winter, only to sprout from the bottom in the spring. Example: daffodils, violets, asparagus, yarrow. Woody perennials may lose their leaves in the winter but will sprout new ones from the woody stems that remain above ground. Example: lavender, sage, many types of shrubs and berries.
Hardiness Zones: These represent the average climate in certain areas specifically regarding temperature extremes. We use these maps to have an idea of what will live through the winter in our area and to get a sense of when to plant things throughout the year.
For an interactive map and to input your zip code for specific info, click here.
Climate vs Weather vs Micro-Climate: Your climate is an average of the yearly and seasonal weather PATTERNS and may include temperature extremes, averages and patterns, rain and precipitation patterns, humidity, and seasonality. Weather is made up of MOMENTARY events and fronts that move through at any one time. Micro-climates are noticeable differences in weather and climate in a small area. For instance, the sunny side of your house has a different micro-climate than the shady side. Micro-climates can be controlled with windbreaks, water and earthworks (rocks, ponds, terracing), and creating shade with structures or planting trees. There are even smaller microclimates in your garden bed itself. The environment at soil level is vastly different than the environment at 2-3′ high.
Frost dates: Each area has dates that correspond to the average date of last light frost in the Spring and first light frost in the fall. This date depends on your climate and microclimates. When air temperatures reach 32°F, a freeze is predicted. The Old Farmers’ Almanac site has tons of info about this and a zip code input that will tell you your dates. According to their site, there is a 30% chance that a freeze will happen after the Spring date and before the Fall date.
Light freeze: 29° to 32°F (1.7° to 0°C)—tender plants are killed.
Moderate freeze: 25° to 28°F (3.9° to -2.2°C)—widely destructive to most vegetation.
Severe freeze: 24°F (-4.4°C) and colder—heavy damage to most garden plants.”
The Old Farmers’ Almanac
Litchfield, CT: Spring last frost: May 21; Fall first frost: Sept 27
Hamden, CT: Spring last frost: April 30; Fall first frost: Oct 10
New London, CT: Spring last frost: April 23; Fall first frost: Oct 19
