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Lowes - Glossary of gardening Category: Animals and Nature > Gardening glossary Date & country: 27/01/2014, USA Words: 105

Xeriscaping
To create a lower-maintenance landscape with native plants and reduced areas of turfgrass. A primary goal of xeriscaping is reducing landscape water consumption.

Woody
Refers to hard-stemmed perennial plants that are capable of surviving cold weather without dying back.

Turfgrass
Refers to residential lawn grasses as well as varieties used in sports venues.

Variety
A naturally grown or cultivated type of plant species.

Variegation
A pattern of stripes or patches on otherwise solid-colored leaves.

Vermiculite
A mineral used in potting mix to retain moisture and provide aeration.

Weeds
Unwanted plants that grow rampantly through other plantings, competing for food, water and light.

Tuberous
Refers to plants possessing thick and fleshy underground roots that serve as sites for food storage.

Topiary
The art of pruning and shaping trees and shrubs into decorative shapes.

Topsoil
The uppermost layer of soil that's the site for a plant's root growth and contains the most organic matter.

Top Dressing
To feed plants by sprinkling fertilizer or compost on top of them.

Training
A method of controlling plant growth, especially on climbing plants, by tying the stems to a support and pruning the plant back regularly.

Thinning
To cut branches or stems back to the main branch to allow sunlight into the plant's center, provide air circulation and encourage remaining stems to grow in their normal direction.

Tender
Refers to plants that are susceptible to frost and may not be able to survive freezing temperatures.

Terminal Bud
The uppermost bud on a stem.

Thatch
A layer of plant debris that accumulates between the soil and the grass blades and prevents the flow of moisture, air and nutrients to the grass roots.

Taproot
The first root to grow from a germinating seed. Usually growing straight down, taproots help anchor the plant in the soil.

Staking
A method of supporting tall, upright-growing plants by tying their stems to a wood or metal post.

Standard
A plant that's trained, through pruning or staking, to the form of a tree.

Stratify
To prepare a seed for planting by soaking it in water and then placing it in a warm or cold area.

Sucker
A shoot that grows from a plant's roots or from beneath the surface of the ground.

Side Dress
To apply fertilizer in a circle or band around plants or rows of plants.

Soil Test
A measurement of major nutrient (phosphorous, potassium and nitrogen) and pH levels in the soil.

Stolon
A horizontal, fleshy aboveground stem or runner. Creeping grasses spread by rhizomes or stolons.

Scarify
To prepare a seed for planting by cutting or nicking the outer layer.

Shrub
A deciduous or evergreen plant with woody stems that's usually less than 15 feet tall at maturity.

Rhizome
A horizontal, fleshy underground stem or runner. Creeping grasses spread by rhizomes or stolons.

Rootbound
Container-grown plants that lack adequate space for root growth.

Row Cover
Nylon or synthetic netting used to cover young seedlings to protect them from predators.

Rootstock
Refers to the portion on grafted plants that's chosen for the qualities of its root system.

Scion
Refers to the portion on grafted plants that's chosen for its superior leaf or fruit production.

Retaining Wall
A barrier created with stones, timbers or boards to prevent the erosion of soil on steep slopes.

Perennial
There are two types

pH
A measurement of acidity and alkalinity. pH represents hydrogen ions in the soil and signifies a plant's ability to draw nutrients from the soil.

Pinch Back
A method of encouraging bushy plant growth by removing the growing tip.

Plugs
Circular pieces of sod that are planted in a grid formation to start a new lawn.

Propagate
To grow new plants from old ones by using one of a variety of methods.

Perlite
A mineral used in potting mix to retain moisture and provide aeration.

Pesticide
Any substance or mixture of substances intended for preventing, destroying, repelling or mitigating any pest.

Ornamental
A plant raised for aesthetic reasons.

Pavers
Stone, brick or concrete materials used for patios and walkways.

Organic
A method of gardening without using synthetic (man-made) products.

Offshoots
New plants that branch out from the base of a plant's main stem.

Loam
Ideal garden soil that has a well-balanced moisture of sand, silt and clay.

Microclimates
Small areas in the home landscape that have unique characteristics regarding sun, shade, wind or moisture.

Mulch
Any organic material spread on top of soil to reduce water loss or prevent the growth of weeds.

Naturalize
A method of random garden plant distribution that simulates the growth of plants in the wild.

Lime
Soil amendment used to reduce acidity. Lime (calcium carbonate) is applied in powdered or pelletized form.

Indeterminate
A plant that continues to produce flowers or fruit throughout the duration of the growing season.

Layering
A method of plant propagation by which a single stem of a plant is notched and buried with its leafy tip exposed, while still attached to the parent plant.

Lateral Bud
Buds formed on the sides of a stem.

Leaching
Occurs when water flushes mineral substances and nutrients out of the soil.

Leggy
Refers to plants that have an abnormal amount of stem in relation to their flower and foliage.

Hoop Stake
A long, thin, metal post with a perpendicular ring of wire at the top, which serves as a support for tall-growing flowers.

Humus
Dark, rich, organic soil matter made from decaying plant or animal material.

Hybrid
A plant that's the offspring of two parent plants of differing varieties, species or cultivars.

Insecticide
A pesticide formulated to kill or control insects.

Hardy
Refers to plants that have the ability to survive prolonged exposure to freezing temperatures.

Harden Off
The process of increasing an indoor plant's exposure to light and colder temperatures to acclimate it to outdoor conditions.

Heel In
A method of protecting a plant by placing its stems in a shallow trench over winter.

Herbicide
A pesticide formulated to kill or control plants.

Herbaceous
Refers to nonwoody (soft-stemmed) perennial plants that often die back to the ground every winter and reappear in the spring.

Hardscape
Constructed elements of a landscape, such as decks, walls fences and driveways.

Half-Hardy
Refers to plants that can withstand long periods of damp or cold weather but may be damaged by frost.

Groundcovers
Low-growing, spreading plants used for ornamental purposes or as a substitute for grass.

Friable
A characteristic of good soil. Rich in organic matter, friable soil crumbles easily, allows water and oxygen to reach plant roots.

Germinate
The process where a seed develops into a sprout. The requirements may be warmth, water or light according to the plant variety.

Graft
A propagation method performed by joining two plants by connecting the tissues of each.

Foliar
Pertains to the leaves (foliage) of a plant. Foliar fertilizers and pesticides are applied directly to the leaves.

Forcing
To force plants, by artificial means, to mature quickly and produce their flowers earlier than normal.

Espalier
A method of training a plant in a formal pattern against a wall or trellis.

Evergreen
A plant that retains its green foliage year-round and is functional for more than one growing season. Coniferous evergreens have needlelike leaves and produce seed in their cones. Broadleaf evergreens have regular leaf-shaped foliage but retain their leaves throughout the year.

Fertilizer
A supplement to a naturally occurring element necessary for plant growth. Fertilizer can be liquid or granular and organic or inorganic (man-made).

Deadhead
To remove flower heads from plants after they've bloomed to prolong the flowering season.

Division
A method of producing new plants from existing stock by digging up the plant, cutting it into two or more pieces and replanting.

Dormancy
A period of rest exhibited by no growth or flowering. Dormancy usually takes place during colder periods.

Double-Digging
The process of moving the topsoil of one area to another area to reinvigorate the soil.

Drip Line
The circumference around a plant formed by water that drips off its outermost leaves or branches.

Determinate
A plant that, by artificial or natural means, produces all of its flowers or fruit at the same time.

Crown
The uppermost part of a tree where new growth takes place or the part of a plant where the roots and stem join.

Cultivar
A plant variety resulting from the cross-pollination of two different plants within a species.

Cuttings
Portions of root, stem, branch or leaf used to propagate plants.

Cultivate
To assist a plant in the growing process.

Deciduous
A plant that loses most or all of its leaves in fall or winter.

Containerized
Container-grown trees and shrubs that are ready to transplant along with the soil they've been grown in.

Compost
A diverse mixture of completely decayed organic matter used for fertilizing and conditioning soil.

Cold Frame
A four-sided structure with a glass or plastic covering used to shelter young plants or transplanted seedlings from cold temperatures.

Conifer
A woody tree or shrub, primarily evergreen, which produces cones.

Companion Planting
Adjacent growing of mutually beneficial plants to improve growth and repel pests.

Bonsai
Trained, dwarfed trees and plants in special shallow containers. Bonsai mimics growth in the wild but on a tiny scale.

Bolt
When leaf crops (such as spinach and cabbage) stop producing leaves and send up seed stalks due to warming weather.

Broadcast
To randomly disperse seeds or other material across a set area.

Bulb
An underground-modified stem, usually covered by a papery exterior. Bulbs are the growth and food source for many flowering perennials.

Corm
A bulblike structure that serves as a continual underground food source for a flowering plant.

Bareroot
Dormant plants sold with the roots loose rather than contained in a wrapped soil ball or container.

Bed
A specific garden area in which plants are grouped together to create a unified design.

Biennial
A plant with a life cycle that spans two years. The plant produces stem and foliage growth during the first year. After a dormant season, they produce flowers and seeds the second year.

Apical Bud
Apical buds, also called terminal buds, are at the tip of a plant stem.

Aphids
Insects that look like black, yellow, green or white grains of rice. Aphids suck the juices of new growth on plants.

Balled and Burlapped (B&B)
A method of plant preparation in which the entire root system is contained inside a ball of soil and wrapped in burlap for protection.