Gardening Glossary UK
Plain-English definitions of the growing terms you'll encounter on seed packets, in gardening books, and across this site.
A
- Annual
- A plant that completes its full life cycle in one growing season. Examples: lettuce, radishes, French beans.
- Aspect
- The direction a bed faces. South-facing gets the most sun in the UK.
B
- Bolt
- When a plant prematurely produces flowers and seeds. Makes leaves bitter and reduces harvest. Common in lettuce, spinach, and beetroot.
- Brassica
- Plant family including cabbages, kale, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, turnips, swede, and radishes. All susceptible to club root.
C
- Chitting
- Pre-sprouting seed potatoes in a light, frost-free location before planting. See our full chitting guide.
- Cloche
- A cover placed over plants to trap warmth and protect from frost, wind, and pests.
- Crop rotation
- Moving plant families to different beds each year to prevent build-up of soil-borne pests and diseases. See our garden planning guides for a worked rotation plan.
F
- F1 hybrid
- First-generation cross between two parent plants, bred for uniformity and disease resistance. Saved seeds will not breed true.
- Frost hardy / Frost tender
- Hardy = survives below 0°C (kale, leeks). Tender = killed by frost (tomatoes, courgettes, basil).
H
- Hardening off
- Gradually acclimatising indoor-raised seedlings to outdoor conditions over 7–14 days before transplanting.
L
- Last frost date
- The average date of the final frost in spring. In most of the UK: mid-April to mid-May. Tender crops must not go outside before this.
- Legume
- Plant family (peas, beans, clover) that fixes nitrogen from the air into soil. Excellent predecessors for hungry crops like brassicas.
S
- Succession sowing
- Sowing small amounts of the same crop every 2–3 weeks to spread harvest over a longer period and avoid a glut. See our succession sowing guide.
- Sets
- Small immature bulbs for planting onions, shallots, and garlic. Easier and faster than growing from seed.
T
- Tilth
- The physical condition of soil — a fine, crumbly tilth is ideal for seed sowing.
- Thinning
- Removing excess seedlings to give remaining plants enough space, light, and nutrients.
Put the Terms into Practice
Our UK Vegetable Garden Planner gives you sow dates, spacing, and harvest windows for every crop.
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Relevant next steps
Helpful Next Steps
Use these practical links to turn the guide into a clear garden plan and the right next action.
Plan the next step
Use the printable UK Vegetable Garden Planner to turn this guide into sowing dates, bed layouts, and weekly garden tasks.