Test your gardening knowledge with these terms
Acid soil
Soil with a pH lower than 7.0, acceptable for most plants, also called sour soil, the opposite of alkaline.
Alkaline soil
Soil with a pH higher than 7.0, also called sweet soil, opposite of acid.
Annuals
Plants that sprout from seed, grow, flower, set seeds, and die all in one growing season.
Anther
The terminal part of a stamen, which contains pollen.
Biennials
Plants with a two year life cycle, that produce leaves in the first season, then flower and set seed in the second season.
Bone meal
Finely ground white or light gray bone. Adds nitrogen and phosphorous to the soil.
Bract
A modified and often scale like leaf, usually located at the base of a flower, a fruit, or a cluster of flowers or fruits.
Builder’s sand
This horticultural sand has coarse, large grains that improve drainage and aeration of soil.
Bulb planter
Used to dig holes for bulbs. This cylindrical, hand held tool minimizes disturbance to nearby tree or shrub roots.
Clay soil
Soil with very small, flat particles that tend to pack together tightly, hardens when dry, and drains poorly without organic amendments.
Compost
Organic material composed of decaying plant and animal matter for use in soil.
Corona
A crown like structure on some corollas, as in daffodils and the milkweed family.
Crown
The point where roots join the aboveground parts of a plant.
Cultivar
A manmade plant variety, produced and maintained by vegetative propagation instead of seed.
Cuttings
Stems, roots, or leaves taken from plants for propagation.
Dead heading
Removing blooms that have faded.
Dormant
Plants which are in a resting state, most often during low or high temperatures. They may die down to the roots.
Edging
A line that creates visual interest and separation, for example, between the lawn and an annual border.
Germinate
The sprouting from a seed.
Hardy plants
Plants that are resistant to pests and diseases, often more vigorous and productive. Can withstand cold winters.
Horticulture
The cultivation of plants for ornament or nourishment.
Humus
Decomposed vegetable matter, an important element of garden soil.
Hybrid
A plant created from a cross between two parent plants of different species, subspecies, or varieties of plant.
Layering
Treating a shoot so it will form roots while still attached to the parent plant. A common method used for propagating roses.
Leaching
The removal of nutrients from the soil by flushing it with water.
Loam
A humus rich soil with up to 25 percent clay, 50 percent silt, and less than 50 percent sand.
Lobe
A segment of a cleft leaf or petal.
Mulch
Any material spread over the soil surface to retain soil moisture, moderate soil temperature, and suppress the growth of weeds.
Neutral soil
A soil having a pH value of 7.0, that is neither acid nor alkaline.
Node
The location on the stem where buds, leaves and branches are attached.
Organic matter
Mulch or other material derived from decomposed plant or animal products.
Peat moss
Partly decomposed moss, rich in nutrients and with a high water retention. Commonly used as a soil amendment.
Perennials
Plant species that can live for more than two years.
Perlite
White granules of a treated volcanic mineral, usually mixed with potting soil to improve drainage.
pH
A measure of soil acidity or alkalinity on a scale of 1.0 to 14.0. Neutral is 7.0. A pH below 7.0 is acidic, above 7.0 is alkaline.
Pinching
Removing a shoot tip with thumb and forefinger, resulting in a bushier growth.
Pistil
The female reproductive organ of a flower, consisting of an ovary, style, and stigma.
Rhizome
An underground stem or storage organ, with roots growing from it.
Rootball
The clump of roots and soil on a plant when removed from its pot.
Seed heads
Pods or clusters of seeds on mature plants at the end of the growing season.
Self seeding
An annual’s ability to drop seeds that germinate successfully and grow into seedlings.
Species
Plants which are genetically similar and which breed true to type from seed.
Stamen
The male reproductive organ of a flower, consisting of a filament and a pollen containing anther.
Tap root
The main, central root of a plant.
Terminal stem
Growing tip on a plant or shrub.
Vermiculite
A light weight, flaky, treated amendment that improves soil drainage.
