Released Jan. 17, 2008
URBANA, Ill. -- Seed and plant catalogs may be filling your mailbox this time of year — but these publications have a language of their own. Understanding "horticulture-speak" can help you choose the right plants for your yard or garden.
Greg Stack, University of Illinois horticulture educator says the term "hardiness zone" is one of them. He explains that the U.S. is broken up into 11 hardiness zones based upon the lowest average winter temperature for the area.
Hybrid and open-pollinated are words that are used with both flowers and vegetables.
Stack says that seeds of hybrid varieties are produced by the controlled crossing of known parent plants, resulting in varieties that exhibit the best characteristics of both parents. They're often the best that plant breeders and seed companies have to offer.
Open-pollinated is often associated with heirloom or antique varieties of flowers and vegetables. While they may not have the best disease resistance, they bring to the garden interesting plants that might have been stars in your grandmother's garden.
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http://www.aces.uiuc.edu/news/stories/news4266.html
Contacts: Debra Levey Larson, (217) 244-2880, dlarson@uiuc.edu
Greg Stack, (708) 720-7520
