Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show/podcast: Plant catalog terms
The plant catalogs have been arriving or you’ve been googling and finding all kinds of fun plants. Every year, and 2023 is no different, I grab a hot chocolate and enjoy perusing plants.
One question I get every year, and generally when people are looking to plant vegetables, is what those terms mean.
If you’re looking up lettuce and see the term “slow to bolt” – that’s a good thing. It means that your lettuce won’t flower early. Lettuce is best harvested and eaten BEFORE it flowers. Once that process begins, the lettuce leaves can be bitter. I’ve had a lot of good luck with these leaf lettuce varieties. They last longer into the season and never bolt. Once the stems have a milky sap, it’s time to quit harvesting.
In most descriptions of tomatoes and some squash you find the terms “indeterminate” and “determinate”.
- Indeterminate plants will continue to grow and produce. That means you’ll need space. Generally speaking these plants need at LEAST 4 feet from other plants. In cold climates you’ll also end up with a lot more green tomatoes. You can decide if that’s good or bad.
- Determinate plants grow to a certain point and stop. They produce less but require less room.
- The term “bareroot” means the plant is shipped without soil around the roots. Shrubs, fruits, trees and many perennials are shipped this way and are generally much cheaper. You’ll want to get them in the ground as soon as possible.
- “Field grown” refers to a more mature plant that’s developed in the ground for a full season or more. These are stronger plants but more expensive.
- If you see F1, that means disease resistant!
If there’s a term you don’t understand, ask me on Facebook or send an email and let me know other topics you’d like more information on!