| Acidic soil |
A soil with a pH lower than
7.0 is an acid soil. See
pH below |
| Aerate |
Loosening soil to
increase water penetration often with a garden fork |
| Alkaline soil |
A soil with a pH higher than
7.0 is an alkaline soil. See
pH below |
| Annuals |
Plants whose life cycle lasts
one year - from sowing to blooming to seeding then dying |
| Balanced fertilizer |
Plant food which contains a
balance of all three primary elements i.e. nitrogen,
phosphorus and potassium |
| Bare root |
Plants sold which have had all
of the soil removed from their roots |
| Biennial |
A plant which
lives two years, usually producing flowers and seed in the
second year |
| Bolting |
Vegetable plants which flower
quickly rather than producing the crop. |
| Bud |
Early stages of development of
a flower or shoot |
|
Broadcast seeding |
The act of
scattering seeds, by the handful, across a large area. This
process is typically used for seeding of lawns and wildflower
gardens. |
|
Cold frame |
A small
enclosure which is covered with glass or clear plastic, used to
create a greenhouse effect for young plants. |
| Bulb |
The dormant immature part of a
plant which is planted to grow new plants e.g. garlic (also
sometimes called sets) |
| Canes, bamboo |
Sticks of various lengths made
of bamboo used for supporting or training plants and trees |
| Catch Crop |
A fast-growing crop that is
grown simultaneously with, or between successive plantings of a
main crop |
| Chlorophyll |
The green pigment in leaves |
|
Companion Planting |
The placing of different types
of plants in the same vicinity for beneficial purposes e.g.
certain types of flowers which will attract pollinating insects |
|
Compost |
A planting medium which is the
result of decomposed of organic matter. |
| Cover crop |
See Green Manure |
| Crowns |
The name given to certain
dormant usually bare rooted plants which are sold for planting
e.g. Asparagus |
| Crown |
The point where a plant's
roots and top growth join |
| Cultivar |
A cultivated variety or strain
of a plant produced by horticultural techniques and not normally
found in wild populations |
|
Cultivate |
The breaking up of soil
and removal of weeds in preparation for planting. |
| Cuttings |
A method of obtaining new
plants using sections of stems, roots or leaves from
existing plants - propagation |
| Damping off |
A fungus which usually affects
seedlings causing the stem to rot at soil level. |
| Dead head |
The process of removing
faded blooms to
prevent plants from setting seed |
| Dibble stick |
A pointed tool used to make
holes and drills in soil for sowing seeds or planting bulbs
and young plants. |
| Disease |
A bacterial or fungal
infection which has a detrimental affect on a plant |
| Deciduous |
A plant which looses its
leaves for part of the year (usually in winter) |
| Dividing |
A method of obtaining new
plants by splitting up the roots of existing plants |
| Dormant |
The time in a plant's
life when growth slows or stops allowing the plant to rest |
|
Double digging |
Preparing the soil by
systematically digging an area, usually in trenches, to the depth of two shovels. |
| Erosion |
The wearing or washing
away of soil usually referring to wind or water |
| Fertiliser |
Organic or inorganic plant
foods which may be either liquid or granular added to soil or
compost to improve the quality of plant
growth. |
| Foliar Feed |
Fertilizer applied in a
fine liquid
spray to a plants leaves |
| Forcing |
The process of hastening a
plants growth |
| Germinate |
The sprouting of a seed |
| Glut, a |
Where a large amount of crops
are ready to harvest at the same time |
| Green Manure |
Plants grown in the
absence of a normal crop to control weeds and which is then dug
into the soil to add humus prior to regular planting. |
| Growing season |
The amount of time between the
average date of the last harsh frost in spring and the first
harsh frost in Autumn |
| Hardening off |
The process of gradually
acclimatising indoor grown plants to outdoor conditions |
| Hardy |
The ability of a plant to
survive low temperatures or frost without protection |
|
Heirloom plant |
A plant,
vegetable, or seed that has been in cultivation for several
years. |
| Herbaceous |
Describes a plant with soft
rather than woody stems |
| Humus |
The brown or black organic
part of the soil resulting from the partial decay of other
substances |
| Hybrid |
The offspring of two plants of
different species or variety created
when the pollen from one plant is used to pollinate a different variety resulting in a
plant which shows characteristics of both parent plants |
| Inter-cropping |
Growing a fast-growing
crop between other slower growing crops |
| Leaf mould |
Partially decomposed leaves used as a soil
conditioner |
|
Leggy |
Term used to
describe a plant-or a portion of a plant-that has grown long,
thin stalks. This is usually due to lack of adequate sunlight. |
| Loam |
A rich soil composed of clay,
sand and organic matter |
| Manure |
Organic matter
excreted by animals, which is used to enrich, condition and and
fertilise soil. |
| Microclimate |
The climate
within an area which may differ from the general surrounding
area usually due to influences such as windbreaks, hills,
structures or dips in the terrain |
| Micro nutrients |
Mineral elements which are
needed by some plants in very small quantities. Sometimes
referred to as "Trace Elements" |
| Mulch |
Loose material placed over
the soil to control weeds and conserve soil moisture such as
bark, manure or compost. Plastic sheeting can also be used in
certain circumstances |
| Node |
The part of a stem from which
a leaf or new branch starts to grow. |
| Organic material |
Any substance which originated
as a living organism. (i.e. peat, compost, manure) |
| Perennial |
A non-woody plant which
lives for more than two years |
| Perlite |
A mineral which forms light
granules used mainly for container potting mixes |
| Pest |
An insect or animal which is
detrimental to the well being of a plant |
| Pinching back |
The act of using the thumb and
forefinger to nip back the very tip of a branch or stem. |
| Pollination |
The transfer of pollen from
the stamen (male part of the flower) to the pistil
(female part of the flower), which results in the formation
of a seed which eventually becomes a fruit/vegetable |
| Potting Compost |
A soil mixture designed for
use in containers. Usually light and sterile. |
| Propagation |
Methods of starting
new plants e.g. by sowing seed, division, cuttings,
layering |
| pH |
The measure of
the amount of lime (calcium) contained in soil. A soil with
a pH lower than 7.0 is an acid soil: a soil pH higher than 7.0
is alkaline. |
| Repotting |
The act of transferring a pot
grown plant to a larger pot |
| Root ball, a |
The network of roots with soil
on a plant |
|
Root-bound |
This occurs when
a potted plant has outgrown its container and the roots become
entangled and matted together eventually causing restricted growth of the plant. |
| Rooting hormone |
A powder or liquid growth
hormone, used to promote the development of roots on a cutting |
|
Roots |
The part of a plant which is
under the soil consisting of fibrous growth |
| Sets |
The dormant immature part of a
plant which is planted to grow new plants e.g. onions |
| Shoot |
The new soft growth from a
stem |
| Soil pH |
The measure of
the amount of lime (calcium) contained in soil. See pH |
| Sphagnum |
A bog moss which is collected
and composted and used for lining hanging baskets |
| Staking |
The practice of driving a
stake, usually a sturdy piece of wood, into the ground close to
a plant as a growing support |
|
Succession planting |
Sowing or
planting a small amount of a crop at any one time then
sowing/planting again a couple of weeks later to ensure a longer
harvesting period without any gluts |
| Systemic |
A chemical which is absorbed
directly into a plant's system |
|
Tap root |
The main, thick root growing
straight down from plants such as carrots and parsnips.
Not all plants have tap roots |
| Tender plants |
Plants which are unable to
endure frost or freezing temperatures |
| Tendril |
A thin twisting and/or clinging growth on
plants such as vines, which enables the plant to attach itself
to supports such as canes, trellis or wires |
| Thinning |
Removing excess seedlings or
plants to
avoid over crowding and allow sufficient room for the remaining
crops to
grow to full size |
| Topsoil |
The top layer of quality
soil. Also applies to good quality soil sold at
garden centres |
| Trace nutrients |
Mineral elements which are
needed by some plants in very small quantities. Sometimes
referred to as "Micro Elements" |
| Transplanting |
The process of digging up a
plant and moving it to another location. |
| Tuber |
The dormant fleshy underground
part of certain plants e.g. potatoes, which are planted to
create new plants |
| Variegated |
Leaves which are marked with
multiple colors. |
| Vermiculite |
An addition to
container soil or compost mixes which helps retain
moisture and makes the mix lighter |
