Gardening Terminology
ACIDIC: Soil, compost, or liquid with a pH below 7.0.
ALKALINE: Soil with a pH above 7.0 (up to 14.0), often referred to as “basic” soil.
ANNUAL: A plant that completes its entire life cycle—growing, flowering, producing seed, and dying—in one season.
AERATION: The process of loosening soil or compost to allow air, water, and nutrients to reach plant roots.
BENEFICIAL INSECT: An insect that helps control pests by feeding on them or laying eggs in them.
BIENNIAL: A plant that completes its life cycle over two growing seasons, producing foliage in the first year and flowers or seed in the second.
BOLT: When a plant prematurely goes to seed, often due to heat stress.
COMPOST: Fully decomposed organic matter used to improve soil structure and fertility.
COLD FRAME: An unheated structure covered with glass or plastic used to protect plants and extend the growing season.
COVER CROP: Plants grown to protect and enrich soil when garden beds are not actively planted.
CROP ROTATION: Growing different crops in the same area each year to reduce pests and soil depletion.
DEADHEADING: Removing spent flowers to encourage continued blooming and improve plant appearance.
DIRECT SEED: Sowing seeds directly into the garden soil rather than starting them indoors.
FERTILIZER: An organic or synthetic material added to soil or plants to supply essential nutrients.
FOLIAR FEEDING: Applying liquid fertilizer directly to plant leaves for rapid nutrient absorption.
GREEN MANURE: A crop grown and then worked into the soil to add organic matter and improve fertility.
HARDENING OFF: Gradually acclimating indoor-grown plants to outdoor conditions before transplanting.
HUMUS: Dark, rich organic material formed from fully decomposed plant and animal matter.
MULCH: Organic material spread on soil to retain moisture, regulate temperature, and suppress weeds.
N-P-K: The three primary plant nutrients—Nitrogen (N), Phosphorus (P), and Potassium (K), listed on fertilizer labels.
ORGANIC: Derived from living organisms; also refers to gardening methods that avoid synthetic fertilizers and pesticides.
PERENNIAL: A plant that lives for more than two years and typically regrows each season.
RHIZOME: A horizontal underground stem that produces roots and new shoots.
TRANSPLANTING: Moving a plant from one growing location or container to another.
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