Glossary

Sometimes it is diffcult to understand some gardening terms when you are new to gardening, so, with this in mind, to make this easier, I have listed the most commonly used terms and a simple explanation of what they mean.

I hope this is useful to you:

Aerobic: Refers to anything that requires oxygen. For example: Plant cells need oxygen in order to produce energy. Compost heaps need oxygen to decompose.

Aflatoxins: A type of fungus the forms on mouldy plants, especially when they are used for food. Aflatoxins are very toxic to animals and humans and there is a compound found in the Brassica family that helps the human body eliminate aflatoxins safely.

Anaerobic: Is the opposite of aerobic, literally meaning things that don’t require oxygen to live or carry oout specific tasks.

Annual: In gardening this is a term that is used to describe a plant or vegetable that completes its entire life cycle in one season. For example: Annual summer flowers will be sown in the spring and they will grow, flower, set seed and die by the end of that years summer.

Most annuals will generally have a life span of 60 to 75 days from sowing and many will re-seed or self-sow themselves and can therefore may be confused with perennial plants.

Related terms:

Hardy Annual: Refers to an ‘annual’ plant or vegetable that can be sown directly outside into the garden bed and one which does not require raising indoors until it is big enough to survive outside conditions.

Half Hardy Annual: Refers to an ‘annual’ plant or vegetable that will be killed by cold or frost, thus having to be sown and raised indoors until all threat of cold and frost has passed, then it can be transplanted outdoors.

Anthocyanisides: Refers to health protecting compounds found if plants and vegetables that also help form their colouring. For example: Black Currants contain anthocyanisides that produce their unique colour and health giving properties.

Anti-oxidant: Refers to a substance that prevents oxidation by destroying the oxidising agents that cause deterioration of food. For example: apples oxidise when they are cut, it refers to the brown colouring they get when subjected to the air.

Apex: In plant terms this alsways refers to the growing tip.

Apical Dominance: Is the presence of a plant hormone at the growing tip, also called the apex, of a stem that prevents the development of lateral shoots.

Axil: The upper angle between a leaf stalk or branch and the stem or trunk from which it is growing.

Barren: Means a plant not producing fruit or seed, infertile.

Related Terms:

Barren Day: When referring to moon planting that includes the signs of the horoscope. Primary barren signs are Aries, Leo or Sagittarius. secondary barren signs are Gemini, Virgo or Aquarius.

Biennial: Refers to a plant or vegetable that completes its entire life cycle in two years. It will germinate and grow in its first year and flower, set seed and die in its second year. Carrots, are biennial cultivar.

Bolting: A term used when a plant or vegetable prematurely sets seed, usually set off by a dry weather conditions.

Bract: Refers to a modified leaf  or scale, typically small, with a flower or flower cluster in its axil. Bracts are sometimes larger and more brightly colored than the true flower, as in a poinsettia.

Brassica: A genus (group) of the cruciferous family that includes broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, Chinese cabbage, cauliflower, kale, kohlrabi, minuza, mustard greens, swede, tatsoi, turnip.

Calyx: The lowest part of the flower, which is usually green and has sepals, leaf like parts that enclose the base of the flower holding the flower petals in place.

Chitting: Refers to the process of sprouting roots on seed potatoes by exposing them to light before planting, Chitting also toughens the seed potato up to prevent fungal disease.

Cloche: A semi circular cover usually made of clear palastic sheeting, used to cover young seedlings in the ground to protect them from frost.

Cold Frame: Refers to a structure which is built to trap heat and help the strong growth of seedlings which have been germinated befre the soil has warmed in early spring. It is usually three rows of bricks or wood in an oblong or square shape with w glass top which can be propped open to allow the air to circulate.

Corm: A swollen underground stem/bulb like which is used to store food during cold weather conditions in which the plant is dormant and in the spring it will produce roots and a new stem.

Cotyledon: Reffers to the first leaves produces by a very young seedling, they are also called ‘seed leaves’ and are distinctly different from the later ‘true leaves’

Cucurbit: Refers to a genus (group) of plants that includes cucumber, gourd, melons, pumpkin, squash

Cultivar: Refers to a variety of plant or vegetable that has been cultivated from one species. The cultivar name is in single inverted commas after the genus or family name. For example: Brassica oleracea ‘Red Ribs’ the Red Ribs is the cultivar name.

Dead Heading: Refers to the practice of removing ‘dead/spent’ flower heads from the plant usually before it sets seed.

Dormant: Refers to a period of time when normal physical functions are suspended or slowed down as if in a deep sleep. For example many fruit trees become ‘dormant’ during winter and awaken again in the spring.

Drip Line: Refers to the area of soil directly below the outer edge of leaves where rain water will ‘drip’ off after a shower.

Equinox: The date or time, it’s a twice yearly occurance, when the sun reaches and crosses the celestial equator and the days and nights then have equal length.  In the Southern Hemisphere, the autumn equinox occurs in March 21st or 22nd, and the summer equinox occurs on September 23rd or 24th each year.

Ethylene: A hydrocarbon ( a mixture of hydrogen and carbon, also referred to as a compound) produced by some plants, mature fruit that quickens up the maturing phase, or flowering phase, or ripening phase in other plants. For example: Bananas put next to unripe fruit will help ripen them quicker.

Eye: Refers to the dormant beginnings of bud growth at the node on a stem or tuber. So called, because if you look carefully, each ‘eye’ contains a tiny bud with a curled leaf scar underneath which is similar in appearance to an unside down eye.

F1: Refers to the first generation of a hybrid or cross pollinated seed

F2: Refers to the second generations of a cross

Forced: A term that refers to seedlings that are ‘forced’ to grow out of season

Genus: A grouping of plants with similar distinguishing features which differ from other members of the same family. A genus name will form the first part of the plant’s botanical name. For Example: Brassica oleracea ‘Red Ribs’ with Brassica being the genus name.

Hardening Off: Referrs to a process where young seedlings that have been germinated and raised indoors or under cover are gradually acclimatised to the outside temperatures and light, so they can be eventually planted outside.

Hardy: A plant that will survive the frost

Heirloom: Original pre-1960′s open pollinated strains.

Herbaceous: A plant that is not woody and sometimes has the testure of foliage. Herbaceous perennials loose their leaves ans die back in winter.

Humus: The final product of the decomposition of organic material.

Hybrid: Refers to the porgeny (offspring) resulting from a cross pollination from related plants with different characteristics. The resulting hybrid plant will usually hav different leaves, flowers and fruit to it’s parents.

Inoculant: Refers to a process of introducing cells or organisms from another species into or onto a host. Which will provide the growing environment for the inocullated cells or bacteria to grow with out harming the host. For example: hazelnut trees can be inoculated with the fungi of truffels.

Last Quarter: Refers to a Moon Phase. Roughly seven days after a Full Moon, the Moon will be a 90° to the alignment of the Sun & the Earth, this is the part of the lunar cycle that is called the Last Quarter.

Lateral: Refers to a side growth from a thicker stem. For example: tomatoes have ‘lateral’ shoots which grow at the poin of where the leaf stalk meets the main stem. (These are usually removed from the plant before it sets fruit) It’s also possible to have side shoots which grow from the ‘laterals’ these are called ‘sub-laterals’.

Leader: Refers to one or more, main stems of very young fruit trees, which will influence the whole shape of the mature tree. The term ‘leader’ is also used to describe the outer end of the main stem on mature trees and perennial plants.

Leaf Axil: Refers to the part of the plant which is formed where the leaf stem meets the stem, it is at this point that other laterals or branches can grow out from.

Lectin: This is a naturally occuring toxin which is found in beans, lentils. It is this toxin, which is harmless in small quantities that is responsible for some people developing ‘wind’ after reconstituted dried beans.

Mycorrhiza: Refers to a benificial fungus usually found in humus of soil. Mycorrhiza act as tiny root hairs for many perennial plants, thus enabling them to absorb nutrients and water from the surrounding soil.

New Moon: Refers to a phase of the Moon. When the Moon is between the Sun and the Earth and only the unlit half is visable from the Earth.

Node: Refers to the point at which two stem sections meet. Leaves or new growth can only occur at a node.

Perennial: A plant that lives for more than two years. Perennials often die back in winter and re-grow in the following spring.

pH: A number relating to the acidity or alkalinity of a solution on a logarithmic scale on which 7 is neutral and lower numbers are more acid, and higher numbers more alkaline.

Potting On: Refers to the procedure of transplanting seedlings or plants from the container they have out grown to a slightly larger one.

Rhizome: A thick, long stem that is usually under ground and has the ability to store food in winter and grows a new stem and roots in Spring when weather conditions are good.

Species: Often abbreviated to sp. and refers to divisions with in a genus (group) of plants that is different to the others in the group. the ‘species’ name forms the second part of the plants botanical name

Station: Refers to a specific ‘space’ used to sow or plant seedlings in so they will not restrict each others growth.

True Leaf: Refers to the second set of leaves produces by a new seedling, these leaves resemble the ‘normal’ leaves associated with that species.