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Pots2Plots - Botanical terms Category: Animals and Nature > Botany Date & country: 01/02/2011, USA Words: 93

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

Branch, a
One of the main thicker stems on a tree which grows directly from the main stem (leader)

Bud
Early stages of development of a flower or shoot

Bush (trained)
A type of tree form which consists of a very short bare stem with an open canopy of branches and laterals, grown free-standing

Cane, fruit
The sturdy growths of some fruit such as raspberries, which bear the leaves and fruit

Canes, bamboo
Sticks of various lengths made of bamboo used for supporting or training plants and trees

Canopy (tree)
The part of a tree above the main trunk formed of branches and laterals

Chlorophyll
The green pigment in leaves

Cluster leaves
These are the small group of leaves found at the base of laterals directly against the stem (branch)

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.

Cold frame
A small enclosure which is covered with glass or clear plastic, used to create a greenhouse effect for young plants.

Cordon
A type of tree form which consists of one central stem and no branches

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.

Disease
A bacterial or fungal infection which has a detrimental affect on a plant

Disiduous
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.

Double flower
A flower with many overlapping petals

Dwarfing Rootstock
The part of a tree which has the roots onto which scions of other trees are grafted in order to produce a much smaller version of the original tree

Erosion
The wearing or washing away of soil usually referring to wind or water

Espalier (trained)
A type of tree form which consists of tiers of fruit bearing branches trained on wires or other supports

Evergreen
A plant which never loses all of its leaves

Fan (trained)
A type of tree form which consists of fruit bearing branches trained on wires or other supports which resembles a fan

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

Free Standing
A tree or plant which is grown in an open position as opposed to being against a wall or fence

Germinate
The sprouting of a seed

Girdling
The choking of a branch by a wire or other material which has been tied to tightly to a support

Grafting
The joining of a short stem of one plant onto the root stock of a different plant

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

Heading back
Cutting an older branch or stem back to a stub or twig

Heeling in
The temporary placing of a plant into a shallow trench and covering the roots with soil for protection until it is ready to be planted in its permanent position

Herbaceous
Describes a plant with soft rather than woody stems

Honeydew
A sticky secretion produced by sucking insects such as aphids

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

Lateral, a
A shoot which grows off a main branch

Layering
A method of propagation when a long runner or slender stem of a plant is rooted whilst still attached to the parent plant by securing it to the soil. Once rooted it is then detached and forms a new plant

Leader
The main stem of a tree or plant from which smaller branches grow. In large trees the bottom part of the leader becomes the trunk

Leaf mould
Partially decomposed leaves used as a soil conditioner

Loam
A rich soil composed of clay, sand and organic matter

Maiden
A tree which is under 1 year old. Usually just a single stem from which branches will form in future years

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.

Perennial
A non-woody plant which lives for more than two years

Pest
An insect or animal which is detrimental to the well being of a plant

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.

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

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

Pruning
The cutting of plants to remove dead or diseased wood, to control the direction of growth or contain the size of a plant

Pyramid (trained)
A type of tree form which consists of a bare stem (trunk) with an open canopy of branches and laterals which are trained into a pyramid shape (wide at the bottom graduating to a point at the top) grown free-standing

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

Rootstock
The part of a plant (usually a tree) which has the roots and which will influence certain growing characteristics of the plant such as height

Runner
A slender stem growing out from the base of plants, which terminates with a new offset plant.

Scion
A short length of stem, taken from one plant which is then grafted onto the rootstock of another plant

Shoot
The new soft growth from a stem

Soil pH
The measure of the amount of lime (calcium) contained in soil. See pH

Staking
The practice of driving a stake, usually a sturdy piece of wood, into the ground close to a plant as a growing support

Standard (trained)
A type of tree form which consists of a long bare stem (trunk) with an open canopy of branches and laterals, grown free-standing

Sucker
A growth originating from the rootstock of a grafted plant.

Systemic
A chemical which is absorbed directly into a plant's system

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 fruit, branches or laterals to allow sufficient room for the remaining fruit or branches to grow

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.

Tree form
The basic trained or untrained shape of a tree

vermiculite
An addition to container soil or compost mixes which helps retain moisture and makes the mix lighter