Seed Saver's Glossary

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Annual - Produces flowers and seeds in one year.   

Anther - The pollen-producing part of a flower.   

Bag - To cover flowers with a mesh bag to prevent insect pollination.   

Biennial  - Produces flowers and seeds the second year after it is planted.  

Blight  - Any of a number of viral or fungal diseases of plants.   

Blossom-end rot  - A black spot on the bottom of certain fruit, especially tomatoes, caused by calcium loss.   

Bolt - When a flower stalk is sent up by a plant.  

Brassica  - Plants in the genus Brassica,including cabbage, bok choy, kale, turnip, etc.   

Calcium - An essential mineral of soil.     

Chaff - Dry stems and flower parts left over from seed extraction.  

Cotyledon - The leaves within a seed that emerge when it sprouts.   

Cross-pollination - When pollen from one variety fertilizes another variety. A hybrid variety results.  

Cucurbit - Member of the squash family.   

Damping off - Die-off of seedlings due to a fungus.   

Determinate  - A bush-type plant that stops growing after flowers have formed on the top of the plant. 

Diatomaceous earth  - A natural substance derived from microscopic plants called diatoms; used to kill insect pests.   

Ecologically grown - Grown without toxic pesticides or synthetic fertilizers.   

Ferment - To allow pulp to break down through the action of natural yeast and bacteria.

Fertilization 1) the process of combining male and female reproductive cells to form a seed; 2) application of nutrients to soil.  

Fertilizer - A substance applied to soil that provides plants with essential nutrients.   

Floating row cover - A light weight breathable fabric used to cover growing plants to prevent insect damage.   

Fruit - The fleshy or dry ripened ovary of a plant, containing seeds. Bean pods and corn kernels are fruit.   

Germination - Sprouting of seeds.   

GMO -  "Genetically Modified  Organism": any organism whose genetic makeup has been altered in a   laboratory.   

Grow out - To plant and grow seeds of a particular variety.   

Hand-pollinate - To transfer pollen by hand from the anther of a male plant to the stigma of a female plant.

Hardening off - To gradually acclimate plants to weather conditions outdoors.   

Heirloom - An open-pollinated variety that has been handed down through families for at least 50 years. Also called Heritage.  

Hybrid - A plant that results from accidental or deliberate cross-pollination of two varieties of the same   species.    

Indeterminate - A vining type of plant that continues to grow throughout the season.  

Isolation distance  - The required distance between varieties of the same species in flower, to prevent cross-pollination.    

Nitrogen  -  A major essential nutrient of plants, chemical symbol N.    

Open-pollinated  - A variety that breeds true when pollinated by a plant of the same variety.   

Organic - Grown without toxic pesticides or synthetic fertilizers following strict guidelines for organic   certification.   

Ovary - The female part of a plant that forms seeds.  

Perennial  - Living and flowering for several or many years.   

Phosphorus - A major essential nutrient of plants, chemical symbol P.    

Pollen - Male structures that carry genetic material to female structures, resulting in a seed.  

Potassium  - A major essential nutrient of plants, chemical symbol K (latin Kalium).   

Rogue - To remove plants with characteristics that do not conform to those of the variety.   

Scientific name -The two part (binomial) Latin or Greek name of a species: Genus and species.   

Self-pollinating - Female part in a flower will receive pollen from the same plant and produce viable seeds.   

Silica gel - A substance made of glass that is used to dry seeds for storage.   

Species - A group of organisms that can breed with one another in nature and produce fertile offspring.    

Stigma - The female part of a flower that   receives pollen.   

Stratification - A method of artificially treating seeds to break their dormancy.   

Variety - Within a species, a type of plant developed for specific characteristics.   

Vernalization The process of chilling moist seeds to break winter dormancy.   

Winnow - The process of separating seeds from chaff.