Mission
In conjunction with the University of Tennessee Knoxville's (UTK) mission, the UTK Seed Library seeks to "move forward the frontiers of human knowledge and enrich and elevate the citizens of the state of Tennessee, the nation, and the world," through engagement in experiential learning and empowering students to lead healthy, sustainable lifestyles, while facilitating food access, community connections, and enhancement of the student experience.
Core Values
Experiential Learning | Empowerment | Community | Food Access | Healthy Lifestyles | Inspiration | Sustainability
Where are we located?
The Seed Libraries are located Hodges Library and Pendergrass Library.
- Hodges' Seed Library is on the second floor in the seating area next to Starbucks.
- Pendergrass' Seed Library is across from the computer lab.
All University of Tennessee, Knoxville affiliated patrons may check out seed packets to begin growing their own gardens. Pick any kind of seeds you would like and take them home. Each seed packet contains enough seeds to grow 2-4 plants.
There are tons of great resources in this guide about growing seeds, harvesting produce, saving seeds, and much more. Take a look at what's inside to better know where you would like to start. Growing veggies is fun!
What's the difference between type and variety of a vegetable?
Type: cucumber, squash, tomato
Variety: Tendergreen Burpless (cucumber), Butternut Waltham (squash), and Black Cherry (tomato)
Chaff: the husks of corn or other seeds separated by winnowing or threshing.
Cover Crop: a crop grown to "cover" the soil and prevent erosion. These crops are grown after the primary crop is harvested. Fast-growing annuals are ideal choices.
Cross-pollination: when pollen is exchanged between flowers from the same or different plants.
Days to Maturity: the number of days between planting and first harvest.
Heirloom: varieties whose seed lines have been maintained and passed down by gardeners and farmers over generations, prized for traits such as appearance, fragrance, and flavor.
Hybrid: varieties resulting from natural or artificial pollination between genetically distinct parents. Commercially produced plants are often hybrids bred for specific characteristics.
- (F1)Hybrid: "F" stands for filial or offspring. F1 is the first generation of offspring after cross-pollination. Often F1 hybrids produce sterile offspring or offspring which is unlike the parent.
Open Pollinated (OP): open-pollination varieties are stable varieties resulting from pollination between the same or genetically similar parents. Not hybrids.
Self-pollination: when pollination takes place within a single flower. Self-pollinating plants do not require other flowers or plants to pollinate it. Isolation or separation of self-pollinating plants within the garden is not necessary.
Threshing: process of loosening the edible part of a cereal grain, or other crop, from the surrounding chaff. This step takes place between harvesting and winnowing.
Umbels: a flower cluster in which stalks of nearly equal length spring from a common center and form a flat or curved surface, characteristic of the parsley family.
Wind-pollination: when pollen is carried from one flower to another by the wind.
Winnowing: blowing a current of air through (grain) in order to remove the chaff. This step takes place after threshing.