Acidic soil: Soil with a pH level below 7; also called sour soil.
Alkaline soil: Soil with a pH level above 7; also called basic soil. More prevalent in Western regions.
Annual: Plants that complete their life cycles from germination to seed in a single growing season.
Biennial: Plants that live for two years. The first year they grow only leaves; the second year they bloom, set seed and die.
Bulb: A tuberous underground bud with roots and a scaly stem; many require a period of freezing in order to bloom.
Butterfly cycle: The life cycle goes from egg, to caterpillar, to chrysalis, and finally the full-fledged butterfly.
Calyx: in lavenders these are the outer whorl of protective leaves around the base of the flowers.
Chlorotic Foliage: A condition in which the leaves of a plant turn yellow. An iron deficiency in the soil or lack of oxygen to the roots cause by over watering is usually the cause.
Cold-hardy: refers to perennial flowers, shrubs and trees that can survive cold and/or subfreezing temperatures and return for another growing season.
Cold snap: is a sudden drop in temperature usually during the spring and may cause damage to already blooming and leafing plants.
Companion plant: A plant that goes well with another in terms of height, texture, color or fragrance. This also can refer to two plants that benefit each other’s health, such as keeping insects away.
Compost: Also called humus, compost is a soil conditioner made up of partly decayed organic material, usually consisting of plant materials such as leave and pine needles, manure and soil.
Cool season grasses start greening up and do their growing during the cooler months of spring and fall. They are the first grasses to turn green and will remain green late in the year. During the hotter months of summer, they go dormant and turn brown unless irrigated with lots of water to prevent them from going dormant. Cool season grasses do best when planted in the spring.
Corolla: the petals of a flower.
Crown:The part of an herbaceous perennial at or just below the soil level where the roots converge to form woody tissue from which the buds for new stems grow.
Cultivar: A cultivated variety from a plant that grows naturally in the wild.
Dead-heading: cutting off the spent flower heads on plants after they have bloomed. However, if you want the plant to re-seed itself, leave the deadheads intact on the plant.
Deep watering: This is thoroughly soaking a plant so the roots get a good watering.
Fast-draining: soil that allows water to pass through quickly. Typically refers to sandy, gravelly or light-textured loam soils that don't stay wet for extended periods of time.
Greening-up: refers to plants and shrubs that are beginning to put out new growth in the spring.
Harden-off: This is a process of gradually getting young plants used to being outside after germinating or being grown indoors or a greenhouse. Too much sun, wind and low humidity can damage seedlings if they aren't acclimated to these outdoor conditions.
Hardy Annuals: Plants that complete their life cycle in one year, but are cold-hardy enough to take frost. They can be planted in fall in mild climates or earlier in spring while night temperatures are still frosty (such as Pansies).
Herb: any plant used as a medicine, seasoning or fragrance.
Herbaceous: This refers to plants that have soft tissues as opposed to woody stems. These plants also die back to the ground during cold winter months.
Inflorescence: This is the arrangement of blossoms on a stem and can refer to flowers growing in clusters or individually.
Indelible ink: permanent, water proof ink used on markers to note plants and bulb locations.
Leaf-out:refers to trees that are putting out new leaf buds in the spring.
Lean soil: Soil, such as clay or sand, that doesn’t contain much humus or rich nutrients.
Mulch: is material laid on the ground around plants to protect soil moisture, insulate the roots during the winter and reduce erosion and weed growth. Organic mulches include bark, wood chips, sawdust, straw, leaves and newspaper; inorganic mulches can be gravel, stone and ground cloth fabric.
Nectar: The sweet liquid in many flowers that serve as food for a variety of insects.
NPK: this is expressed with three numbers (2-3-2 for example) on bags of fertilizer and refers to the nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium ratio in the mix. N=nitrogen; P=phosphorus; K=potassium (also known as potash). Depending on the plant and the season, you'll want the percentages to be different.
- Nitrogen stimulates foliage (which you want in the spring, not in the fall)
- Phosphorus encourages strong root growth (which you want in the fall)
- Potassium promotes hardiness (which you want in the fall)
Organic: Materials originating from a living organism. In a stricter sense it refers to a method of gardening in which no chemical fertilizers or pesticides are used.
Perennial: An herbaceous (soft stemmed) plant that lives for more than two years. Numerous species live for many years. Most perennials usually bloom for a limited time each year.
Perlite: a very light weight, heat-treated volcanic rock that is used to improve drainage and increase the pore space (oxygen availability to the roots) in potting soil.
Pod: The dried fruit or seed vessel on a plant that encases the seed.
Pollination: The spreading of pollen between plants for reproductive purposes and the development of fruit.
Propagation: plant reproduction, done in three ways:
- division propagation is taking plant clumps, roots and all, and dividing them into smaller pieces to transplant elsewhere
- cutting propagation is taking a piece, either a stem or root section, of a plant and transplanting it
- seed propagation means growing plants from seed.
Pruning: This is the removal of dead, damaged or unwanted branches on trees, shrubs and vines. On large trees, trim limbs back to the main trunk or large branch. Late winter is when most pruning is done or when the sap isn’t moving. Pruning helps shape plants and helps direct growth as in fruit trees.
Root nodule: A small swelling on roots resulting from nitrogen-fixing bacteria.
Scoring or scratching roots: The loosening of roots when taken from a nursery pot so they won’t continue growing in a circle. If tough, they can be cut with a knife. Healthy roots need to stretch out lengthwise.
Scratch-in:means raking granular fertilizer into the soil either with fingers or a small rake or hand cultivator.
Soil minerals: Also called nutrients, these are necessary for plants. Ones needed in large amounts (macronutrients) include: nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium and sulfur. Other elements are needed in smaller amounts (micronutrients) such as iron, manganese, copper, zinc, boron, chlorine and molybdenum. Sodium is found in almost all plants, but apparently is not necessary for their growth except when potassium is lacking. Other nutrients include carbon, hydrogen and oxygen; these are obtained through water and air.
Soil nutrients: Macronutrients are those that are needed by plants in substantial quantities and include nitrogen, phosphorous, sulfur, calcium, magnesium, and potassium. Micronutrients are those that plants need in small quantities and include copper, zinc, iron, manganese, boron, and molybdenum.
Spike: An elongated main stem that supports many separate flowers on shorter stems, usually symmetrically arranged. (as with Penstemon)
Stolon: A horizontal stem growing above ground that forms roots at its tip.
Succulents: These are plants with fleshy, thick tissue adapted to storing water. Common succulents include agaves, ice plants and stonecrops.
Suckers: Often called watersprouts, shoots or canes, this growth springs from the roots of trees, some shrubs and roses. They should be removed, especially if they're from the rootstock of grafted trees or roses.
Umbel: The flowering part of a plant made up of a cluster of flowers (as with Yarrow).
Up-pot:This is repotting a plant when it's outgrown its pot and putting it into a larger one. Increase the size of the pot and freshen the old potting soil with new soil. This gives the roots more room to grow.
Warm season grasses: start greening up when the weather and the soil are warm. They do their growing during warm months and will remain green during the hottest months. They remain dormant in the early spring and will return to dormancy in mid-fall. Warm season grasses do best when planted during warm months.
Water-in: means using a liquid vitamin, plant food or some other additive with water so it can be readily absorbed by the soil.
Winter Protection: protecting plants from cold, dry winds and low winter temperatures to minimize plant damage or death. Container grown plants need winter protection to protect the roots from repeated freezing and thawing.
Xeric: This is a type of garden or particular plant that tolerates a low moisture growing environment. Terms such a "waterwise" and "water-thrifty" refer to the same concept or type of plant.
Xeriscape: Macronutrients are those that are needed by plants in substantial quantities and include nitrogen, phosphorous, sulfur, calcium, magnesium, and potassium. Micronutrients are those that plants need in small quantities and include copper, zinc, iron, manganese, boron, and molybdenum.
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