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GLOSSARY 

OF 

GARDENING TERMS

This list of terms is far from complete.  However, we hope that it will help you to understand words used in this curriculum and are commonly used in other gardening resources.  These terms can also be used to expand your student’s learning experience by making them a part of your classroom spelling exercises.    

Acid soil	A soil with a pH lower than 7.0 is an acid soil. A soil pH higher than 7.0 is alkaline. Basically, pH is a measure of the amount of lime (calcium) contained in your soil.
Acre	A measure of land totaling 43,560 square feet. A square acre is 208.75 feet on each side.
Aerate	Loosening or puncturing the soil to increase water penetration.
Air layering	A specialized method of plant propagation accomplished by cutting into the bark of the plant to induce new roots to form.
Alkaline soil	A soil with a pH higher than 7.0 is an alkaline soil. A soil pH lower than 7.0 is acidic. Basically, pH is a measure of the amount of lime (calcium) contained in your soil.
Annuals	Plants whose life cycle lasts only one year, from seed to blooms to seed.
Aquatic plants	Plants which grow in, live in, or live on the water.
Arboretum	A garden with a large collection of trees and shrubs cultivated for scientific or educational purposes.
Arid	An arid area is dry and hot, with little rainfall and few plants.
Bare root	Plants offered for sale which have had all of the soil removed from their roots.
Bedding plant	Plants (mainly annuals), nursery grown and suitable for growing in beds. Quick, colorful flowers.
Biennial	A plant that usually lives only two years, normally producing flowers and seed the second year.
Biodiversity	Biodiversity is the abundance of different plant and animal species found in an environment.
Bolting	Vegetables that quickly go to flower, rather than producing the food crop. Usually caused by late planting and temperatures too warm.
Bonsai	The art of growing carefully trained, dwarf plants in containers.
Botanical name	The Latin or "scientific" name of a plant, usually composed of two words, the genus and the species.
Botanist	A botanist is a scientist who studies plants.
Bud	Early stages of development of a flower or plant growth.
Bulb	The thickened underground storage organ of the group of perennials which includes daffodils and tulips.
Cambium	The thin membrane located just beneath the bark of a plant.
Carbon Dioxide	Carbon dioxide, CO2, is a molecule that has one carbon atom and two oxygen atoms; it is a gas at standard temperature and pressure. Plants use carbon dioxide gas in the photosynthetic process.
Chlorophyll	The green pigment in leaves. When present and healthy usually dominates all other pigments.
Complete fertilizer	A plant food which contains all three of the primary elements - nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium.
Compost	An organic soil additive resulting from the decomposition of organic matter.
Conifer	A cone bearing tree with tiny needle-like leaves.
Conservation	Conservation is the wise use of natural resources (plants, animals, minerals, water, etc.) so that they are not damaged and will be in good condition in the future.
Corm	A thickened underground stem that produces roots, leaves and flowers during the growing season.
Cover crop	A crop that is planted in the absence of the normal crop to control weeds and add humus to the soil when it is plowed in prior to regular planting.
Crown	The point at which a plant’s roots and top join (usually at soil level).
Cultivate	Process of breaking up the soil surface, removing weeds, and preparing for planting.
Cuttings	A method of propagation using sections of stems, roots or leaves.
Damping off	A fungus, usually affecting seedlings, that causes the stem to rot off at soil level. Sterilized potting soil and careful sanitation practices usually prevent this.
Dead head	The process of pinching off used or spent blooms to keep the plants well groomed and to prevent them from setting seed. This will promote continued bloom.
Deciduous	Deciduous plants lose their leaves seasonally, usually for the dry season. Some deciduous plants include ash, beech, hickory, maple, and oak.
Decomposition	Decomposition is the decay or breakdown of things into more basic elements. For example, after a plant dies, it decomposes into organic nutrients.
Dividing	The process of splitting up plants, roots and all that have begun to get bound together. This will make several plants from one plant, and usually should be done to mature perennials every three to four years.
Dormancy	The yearly cycle in a plants life when growth slows and the plant rests. Fertilizing should be withheld when a plant is in dormancy.
Double digging	Preparing the soil by systematically digging an area to the depth of two shovels.
Double flower	A flower with many overlapping petals which gives it a very full appearance.
Drip line	The circle which would exist if you drew a line below the tips of the outer most branches of a tree or plant.
Epiphyte	A plant which grows on another plant, but gets its nourishment from the air and rainfall. They do no damage to the host plant.
Ecosystem	An ecosystem is the interrelationships between all of the living things in an area.
Erosion	The wearing away, washing away, or removal of soil by wind, water or humans.
Espalier	Process of training a tree or shrub so its branches grow in a flat pattern.
Evergreen	A plant which never loses all of its leaves at one time.
Eye	An undeveloped bud growth which will ultimately produce new growth.
Evaporation	Process by which water returns to the air. Higher temperatures speed the process of evaporation.
Fertilizer	Organic or inorganic plant foods that may be either liquid or granular used to amend the soil in order to improve the quality or quantity of plant growth.
Flat	A shallow box or tray used to start cuttings or seedlings.
Forcing	The process of hastening a plants growth to maturity or bloom.
Frond	The term used to describe the branch and leaf structure of a fern or members of the palm family.
Frost	The condensation and freezing of moisture in the air. Tender plants will suffer extensive damage or die when exposed to frost.
Germinate	The process of the sprouting of a seed.
Girdling	The choking of a branch by a wire or other material, most often in the stems of woody plants that have been tied to tightly to a stake or support.
Grafting	The uniting of a short length of stem of one plant onto the root stock of a different plant. This is often done to produce a hardier or more disease-resistant plant.
Ground cover	A group of plants usually used to cover bare earth and create a uniform appearance.
Growing season	The number of days between the average date of the last killing frost in spring and the first killing frost in fall. Certain plants require a minimum number of days to reach maturity, so be sure your growing season is long enough.
Habitat	A habitat is a space (which includes food, water and shelter) suitable for the survival and reproduction of an organism.
Hardening	The process of gradually acclimatizing greenhouse or indoor grown plants to outdoor growing conditions.
Hardpan	The impervious layer of soil or clay lying beneath the topsoil.
Hardiness	The ability of a plant to withstand low temperatures or frost without artificial protection.
Heading back	Cutting an older branch or stem back to a stub or twig.
Heeling in	Temporarily setting a plant into a shallow trench and covering the roots with soil to provide protection until it is ready to be permanently planted.
Herbaceous	Describes a plant with soft rather than woody tissues.
Humus	The brown or black organic part of the soil resulting from the partial decay of leaves and other matter.
Hybrid	The offspring of two plants of different species or varieties of plants. Hybrids are created when the pollen from one kind of plant is used to pollinate an entirely different variety, resulting in a new plant altogether.
Hydroponics	The science of growing plants in mineral solutions or liquid, instead of in soil.
Indigenous	An indigenous organism is one that lives naturally in a particular region and were not introduced there by man.
Lath	In gardening, an overhead structure of evenly spaced slats of wood or other materials used to create shade.
Layering	A method of propagation, by which a branch of a plant is rooted while still attached to the plant by securing it to the soil with a piece of wire or other means.
Leaching	The removal or loss of excess salts or nutrients from soil. The soil around over-fertilized plants can be leached clean by large quantities of fresh water used to “wash” the soil. Areas of extremely high rainfall sometimes lose the nutrients from the soil by natural leaching.
Leaf mold	Partially decomposed leaf matter, used as a soil additive.
Loam	A rich soil composed of clay, sand and organic matter.
Manure	Organic matter, excreted by animals, which is used as a soil additive and fertilizer.
Microclimate	Variations of the climate within a given area, usually influenced by hills, hollows, structures or proximity to bodies of water, i.e., when it's raining at your house and the sun is shining on the other side of the street.
Micro nutrients	Mineral elements which are needed by some plants in very small quantities. If the plants you are growing require specific “trace elements” and they are not available in the soil, they must be added.
Mulch	Any loose material placed over the soil to control weeds and conserve soil moisture. Usually this is a coarse organic matter, such as leaves, clippings or bark, but plastic sheeting and other commercial products can also be used.
Native plant	Any plant that occurs and grows naturally in a specific region or locality.
Naturalize	To plant randomly, without a pattern. The idea is to create the effect that the plants grew in that space without human's help, such as you would find wild flowers growing.
Node	The part of a stem from which a leaf or new branch starts to grow.
Organic gardening	The method of gardening utilizing only materials derived from living things (i.e. composts and manures).
Organic material	Any material which originated as a living organism (i.e. peat moss, compost, manure).
Parasitic plant	A plant which lives on, and acquires its nutrients from another plant. This often results in declined vigor or death of the host plant.
Peat moss	The partially decomposed remains of various mosses. This is a good, water retentive addition to the soil, but tends to add the acidity of the soil pH.
Perennial	A nonwoody plant which grows and lives for more than two years. Perennials usually produce one flower crop each year, lasting anywhere from a week to a month or longer.
Perlite	A mineral, which when expanded by a heating process, forms light granules. Perlite is a good addition to container potting mixes, to promote moisture retention while allowing good drainage.
Pest	Any insect or animal which is harmful to the health and well-being of plants or other animals.
Photosynthesis	The internal process by which a plant turns sunlight into growing energy. The formation of carbohydrates in plants from water and carbon dioxide, by the action of sunlight on the Chlorophyll within the leaves.
Pinching back	Utilizing the thumb and forefinger to nip back the very tip of a branch or stem. Pinching promotes branching, and a bushier, fuller plant
Pistil	The seed-bearing organ of a flower, consisting of the ovary, stigma and style.
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. Hybrids are created when the pollen from one kind of plant is used to pollinate and entirely different variety, resulting in a new plant altogether.
Potting soil	A soil mixture designed for use in container gardens and potted plants. Potting mixes should be loose, light and sterile.
Propagation	Various methods of starting new plants ranging from starting seeds to identical clones created by cuttings or layering.
Pruning	The cutting and trimming of plants to remove dead or injured wood, or to control and direct the new growth of a plant.
pH	Basically, pH is a measure of the amount of lime (calcium) contained in your soil. A soil with a pH lower than 7.0 is an acid soil, a soil pH higher than 7.0 is alkaline soil. Soil pH can be tested with an inexpensive test kit.
Rhizone	A modified plant stem that grows horizontally, under the surface of the soil. New growth then emerges from different points of the rhizome. Irises and some lawn grasses are rhizome plants.
Root ball	The network of roots, along with the attached soil, of any given plant.
Rootbound	A condition which exists when a potted plant has outgrown its container. The roots become entangled and matted together, and the growth of the plant becomes stunted. When repotting, loosen the roots on the outer edges of the root ball to induce them to once again grow outward.
Rooting hormone	A powder of liquid growth hormone used to promote the development of roots on a cutting.
Runner	A slender stem growing out from the base of some plants which terminates with a new offset plant. The new plant may be severed from the parent after it has developed sufficient roots.
Relative humidity	The measurement of the amount of moisture in the atmosphere.
Single flower	A flower having only a minimum number of petals for that variety of plant.
Sphagnum	A bog moss which is collected and composted. Most peat moss is composed primarily of sphagnum moss. This moss is also packaged and sold in a fresh state, and used for lining hanging baskets and air layering.
Spore	The reproductive cell of ferns, fungi and mosses. (These plants do not produce seeds.)
Staking	The practice of driving a stake into the ground next to, and as a support for a plant. When attaching the plant to the stake, be sure that it is tied loosely so it doesn't strangle the stem. When staking a potted plant, the stake should be set into the planter before the plant is added.
Sucker	A growth originating from the rootstock of a grafted plant, rather than the desired part of the plant. Sucker growth should be removed, so it doesn't draw energy from the plant.
Systemic	A chemical that is absorbed directly into a plants system to either kill feeding insects on the plant, or to kill the plant itself.
Tap root	The main, thick root growing straight down from a plant. (Not all plants have tap roots.)
Tender plants	Plants which are unable to endure frost or freezing temperatures.
Tendril	The twisting, clinging, slender growth on many vines, which allows the plant to attach themselves to a support or trellis.
Thinning	Removing excess seedlings to allow sufficient room for the remaining plants to grow. Thinning also refers to removing entire branches from a tree or shrub to give the plant a more open structure.
Topiary	A method of pruning and training certain plants into formal shapes such as animals.
Topsoil	The top layer of native soil. This term may also apply to good quality soil sold at nurseries and garden centers.
Transpiration	The release of moisture through the leaves of a plant.
Transplanting	The process of digging up a plant and moving it to another location.
Tuber	A flat underground stem which stores food and plant energy, and from which a plant grows. (e.g. Dahlias)
Variegated	Leaves which are marked with multiple colors.
Vermiculite	The mineral “mica” which has been heated to the point of expansion. A good addition to container potting mixes, vermiculite retains moisture and air within the soil.

Last updated:  May 14, 2002