Vegetables Key Terms

Learn the terms when working with vegetables

By Darcy Chadwick

It sounds easy enough. You want to grow some vegetables, so all you need are a few things, such as soil, seeds and water, right? Wrong. There's more to sowing vegetables, and you need to be well informed to start your crop. If you don't, then you run the risk of rotten vegetables or vegetables that simply do not thrive. Once you know some key vegetable terms, you're halfway to a prosperous, hearty and healthy harvest.

Soil testing

Soil testing involves collecting a soil sample and sending it to a laboratory to be tested. This is a necessary step if you want to provide an ideal growing environment for your vegetables. You can find out what the pH balance of your soil is, taking into account if the soil is too acidic or slightly alkaline.
Try: Read more about how you decipher your soil test results at the University of Minnesota and its Soil Testing Laboratory.

Cultivars

The name cultivars comes from combining two words: cultivated and variety. Cultivars are plants within a specific species that are formed with distinct characteristics. Popular vegetable cultivars are those that are pest-resistant or frost-resistant.
Try: View the Cucurbit Breeding Horticultural Science page from North Carolina State University to see a detailed list of all vegetable cultivars.

Transplanting

Transplanting occurs when you take seedlings from a container and plant them into an area until they reach maturity. Usually this is a larger garden with vegetables such as tomatoes, cucumbers or peppers that have been started as seedlings inside a greenhouse. Extra care needs to be taken when transplanting vegetables, as the roots could get damaged.
Try: Look to Bob Vila for information and tips on transplanting your vegetables into a garden.

Greenhouses

Greenhouses are useful for propagating plants in cooler weather since they allow sunlight to enter and prevent heat from escaping. They can also work well when you're starting your plants as seedlings, as they provide optimal sunlight since the entire structure is made of glass. This allows for perpetual sunlight as the greenhouses prevent shadows from interfering with the indoor plants.
Try: Read more about how greenhouses work at GlassHut.

Catch crops or cover crops

If a crop of vegetables has been harvested and is no longer producing more vegetables, then you may want to plant another vegetable in its place. That's where catch or cover crops come into play. This is when you sow a crop that quickly matures to fill the vacant lot.
Try: To learn about common catch or cover crops that make good selections, check out Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education.

Compost

Good for many outdoor aspects, compost is beneficial to vegetable gardens because it helps control moisture by improving the soil's drainage. It can also be used as a mulch to protect the plants' roots from the dry, hot sun. The more organic matter, such as compost, that you add, the better the soil's texture becomes.
Try: Learn about what compost is and isn't from Virginia Tech and its Virginia Cooperation Extension.