Some Terms Need A Simple Explanation
With all the yard work being tackled this spring, it’s not uncommon to hear horticultural jargon bantered about as if we all understood what it means. Just in case there are some terms you’re not 100 percent sure of, the following is a refresher course in garden vocabulary - with the help of Dr. D. R. Bienz and “The Why and How of Home Horticulture.”
Hopefully understanding these commonly used terms will make your future garden reading easier. For you garden “experts,” here’s a chance to test your knowledge:
Balled and burlapped: Often referred to as B&B, these plants are dug from the growing fields with their roots still encased in soil. They are then wrapped in burlap, tied with twine and shipped to nurseries to be sold.
Bare-root: Plants that have been lifted from the ground and washed of all or most of the soil around the roots. For example, if you order roses from Jackson & Perkins, they will be shipped to you bare-root.
Fibrous roots: These are masses of small hair-like roots that develop near the crown of the plant.
Suckers: Rapid-growing upright vegetative shoots that develop from the roots, crown or stem of a plant.
Chlorosis: Yellowing between the veins on a leaf resulting from a chlorophyll deficiency.
Node: Region of the stem where one or more leaves are attached. Buds are commonly borne at the node, where the leaf connects to the stem.
Host: Any animal or plant upon or in which another organism lives as a parasite. Pines are host to mistletoe. Douglas fir is an alternate host to the Cooley Spruce Gall Aphid.
Banding: Fertilizing close to a row of seed or seedlings without covering the seed or touching the plants.
Green manure: A crop plowed under when green for its beneficial effect on the soil. Peas and vetch are good examples.
Mulch: 1. Soil, straw, bark, woven fabric or any other loose or sheet material placed on the ground to conserve soil moisture, promote early maturity, or prevent undesirable plant growth (weeds) or soil erosion. 2. Material, such as straw, pine needles or leaves placed over plants or plant parts to protect them from cold or heat.
Perlite: White and very porous volcanic mineral that is sometimes used as a medium for rooting cuttings.
Vermiculite: Mineral or minerals, classified with the micas, which, when treated at high temperatures, expand into a loose, absorbent mass. It is often used as a mulch for seed beds, as a medium for rooting plant cuttings and in potting plants.
Biennial: Plant that normally requires two growing seasons to complete its life cycle. Only vegetative growth occurs the first year; flowering and fruiting occur the second year.
Bolting: Premature flower and seedstalk formation. For example, lettuce or spinach will bolt when the weather turns hot.
Cole crop: Any plant of the genus Brassica (family Cruciferae) - cabbage, cauliflower and broccoli.
Cross-pollination: Transfer of pollen from the anther of one plant to the stigma of another plant.
Hybrid: Progeny of a cross between two individuals differing in one or more genes.
F1 Hybrid: First generation following cross-pollination; F2 and F3 are the second and third generations.
Cutting: Any part of a plant that can be cut off and used to propagate new plants.
Day-neutral plant: Plant in which the flowering period or some other process is not influenced by length of daily exposure to light.
Stone fruit: Fruit with the seed or kernel surrounded by a hard shell called an endocarp within the pulp or flesh - as a plum, peach or cherry.
How did you do? One-hundred percent? How would you do with words like stoma, taxa, blastula or sclerenchyma fiber? Until next time…
, DataTimes The following fields overflowed: CREDIT = Phyllis Stephens The Spokesman-Review