Glossary and Definition of Gardening Terms

A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z

A

Acid (soil): Soil that has a low pH value between 3.5 and 6 (lacking in lime). Most peaty soils and some very sandy soils fall into this category.
Alkaline (soil): Soil that has a high pH value between 7 and 9 (high lime content). Usually chalky soils and some clay soils.
Alpine: A plant that is usually native to a mountainous zone between the upper limit of tree growth and the permanent snow line. Can also be categorised as any small plant suitable for a rockery.
Annual: A plant that grows from seed and completes its life cycle within one growing season.
Anther: The part of the flower stamen that contains pollen.
Axil: The angle between the leaf (or lateral) and stem of a plant.

B

Bark-ringing: Cutting out a thin (4-6 mm wide) strip of bark halfway round the trunk of a tree. This reduces the flow of sap, and hence growth and is usually done to encourage flower production.
Bedding plant: A flowering plant used for a short-term garden display, to provide colour for part of the year.
Biennial: A plant with a life cycle spanning two growing seasons, where flowers and seeds are only formed in the second season.
Blanching: Excluding light from the stems and/or leaves of certain vegetable crops in order to make them white.
Block-sowing: Sowing across a wide area, rather than sowing in drills or lines.
Bolting: Applied to a vegetable that is prematurely producing seed heads (AKA gone to seed).
Bottom heat: Heat applied from below to encourage cuttings to take root quickly.
Brassicas: Plants of the genus Brassica, which include cabbages, Brussels sprouts, cauliflowers and kale.
Budding: Grafting a single growth bud from one plant onto the rooting system of another.
Bulbil or Bulblet: A small bulb formed at the edge of base of a stem above ground.

C

Catch crop: Any fast-maturing crop that can be grown between rows of a slower-maturing one or between the maturing of one crop and the planting of the next.
Chitting: Refers to sprouting seed potatoes - placing them in a cool, but not cold light place so that they will sprout.
Cloche: Panes of glass, plastic sheeting or other transparent covering, held together by shaped wires or canes, used for forcing outdoor plants.
Clone: One of several identical plants obtained from a parent plant by vegetative propagation.
Cold frame: An unheated low wooden or metal framed structure with glass or clear plastic sides and top used to protect young plants from rough or cold weather.
Compost: (1) Rooting medium, usually a mixture of peat (or peat free) medium, plus a balanced fertilizer, used for growing plants in pots or other containers.
(2) Manure substitute made from rotted vegetable matter.
Cordon: A plant restricted to a single stem by pruning.
Corm: A food-storage organ found in some plants, consisting of a thick, fleshy stem with a papery sheath.
Crown: (1) Part of a herbaceous perennial from which the roots and shoots grow.
(2) The main branch system or head of a tree.
Cultivar: Short for 'cultivated variety'. A variant of a species, arising in the wild or in gardens, maintained in cultivation.
Curd: Part of the edible head of cauliflower or broccoli.

D

Damping off: A fungal disease that attacks the stem of a plant in excessively damp conditions.
Deadheading: Removing faded blossom from a plant to prevent seeds from forming and to prolong the flowering season.
Deciduous: Applied to a plant (particularly a tree or shrub) that sheds its leaves each year at the end of the growing season.
Dibber: A stick for making holes for seedlings to be transplanted.
Disbudding: Removing surplus buds or shoots so that those remaining grow larger or stronger.
Dot plant: A plant grown singly or well spaced in a bed to emphasize a feature such as colour, height or texture.
Double: Applied to a flower with more than the usual number of petals.
Drawn: Applied to a plant grown too warm or kept without sufficient light so that it is spindly and pale.
Drill: A shallow furrow in which seeds are scattered or sown.

E

Earthing-up: Drawing soil up around a plant's stem to blanch it, to cover tubers and prevent greening, or to support it.
Espalier: A tree with branches trained to grow horizontally, in tiers, about 37cm (15 in) apart.
Eye: (1) A dormant growth bud, e.g. on a potato tuber.
(2) A centre of a flower-head.
(3) A single budded cutting, e.g. vine.

F

F1 hybrid: The result of crossing two related, pure-bred plants with certain desirable characteristics. Also known as a first-generation hybrid.
Fan-trained: Regarding a shrub or tree with its main branches trained like the ribs of a fan.
Filler plants: Plants used to infill a planting scheme while the main species are growing up.
Firming: Pressing down the soil around the base of a plant's stem.
Force: To cause a plant to grow more quickly and to produce early flowers or an early crop, usually with the aid of artificial heat.

G

Genus (pl. genera): A group of plants with common characteristics that are different from those of all other such groups. A genus comprises one or more species.
Germination: The first stage in the development of a plant, indicated by the appearance of a root (radicle) growing from a seed.
Greenwood cutting: A tip or section cut from a current season's stem after the main burst of growth has slowed down.

H

Half-hardy: (1) Applied to a plant that can withstand average winters outdoors but needs protection from severe frost.
(2) A plant which is so susceptible to frost damage that it can only be grown outside during the summer.
Half-standard: A tree or shrub with 1m to 1.25m (3-4 ft) of stem beneath the branches.
Harden off: Acclimatizing plants grown in warmth conditions to cooler outside conditions.
Hardwood cutting: A cutting taken once the growth has ceased and become woody.
Hardy: An outdoor plant capable of surviving frost anywhere in Great Britain.
Heeling-in: Temporarily covering the roots of new trees and shrubs with soil.
Herbaceous: Applied to a non-woody perennial plant that dies back to ground level at the end of the growing season and re grows the following spring.
Herbaceous border: A flower bed containing herbaceous perennial plants.
Hybrid: A plant derived from crossing any two distinct parents.

I

In situ: A plant placed in its permanent growing position.
Infill planting: Plants used to infill a planting scheme while the main species are growing up.
Inter cropping: Sowing fast-growing vegetables and slow-growing ones near to one another so that the fast growing ones are harvested early to give room for the slow-growing variety.

J

K

L

Lateral: A side growth branching, away from a main stem.
Layering: A method of propagation in which a shoot is induced to send out roots while still attached to the parent plant.
Leader: The leading shoot at the end of a stem or main branch of a tree or shrub.
Leguminous: Concerning the Leguminosae family, most of which have pea-shaped flowers and bear seeds in pods, e.g. sweet pea and broad bean.
Loam: An ideal fertile soil type, consisting of a mixture of sand, clay and decayed vegetable matter.

M

Mulch: A layer (usually of organic material), spread around the base of plants to conserve moisture, condition the soil, feed the plants and inhibit the growth of weeds.

N

Node: The point where a leaf and bud join a stem.

O

Offset: (1) A young plant borne at the end of a short runner (e.g. strawberry).
(2) A small bulb formed at the base of another one.

P

Palmate: A broad flat leaf that is divided out from central point, like the shape of a hand with extended fingers.
Perennial: A plant that lives for several years (it will survive the Winter and regrow in the next season).
Pinnate: A row of leaflets arranged along each side of a common stalk or stem.
Pinching out: Removing the growing at the tip of a shoot by pinching with the tips of the thumb and fore finger.
Pipings: Tip cuttings taken from carnations and pinks.
Plunge: Burying a pot containing a young plant, cutting or tender plant up to the rim to guard against unwanted fluctuations of moisture content and temperature in the potting medium.
Pot-bound: Applied to a container grown plant with no more space available for the roots to grow further.
Potting on: Repotting a plant in a larger pot to allow further growth.
Pricking out: Transplanting and spacing out seedlings or small rooted cuttings into individual pots or evenly spaced-out in a tray.
Propagation: Any means of increasing a desired plant, by seeds, cuttings, layers or grafting etc.
Propagator: A covered tray or container that protects planted seeds and cuttings and promotes growth by providing a moist, warm environment.

Q

R

Raceme: A flower cluster with each flower borne on a short stalk from an unbranched stem (e.g. lily of the valley).
Rhizome: A thick fleshy, horizontal, underground or surface stem sending out roots and shoots.
Ring culture: Growing plants in bottomless containers which stand on a bed of free-draining aggregate.
Ripe cutting: See Hardwood cutting.
Root ball: A plant's roots and the soil or compost surrounding them.
Rootstock: A root system and stem onto which another plant is grafted.
Runner: A prostrate stem of certain plants (e.g. strawberry and blackberry) that forms new plants and roots easily.

S

Scarifying: Using a spring-tooth rake to pull out moss and dead vegetation from a lawn.
Seedling: (1) A young plant newly emerged from seed.
(2) A seed raised until it reaches the flowering plant stage, particularly concerning fruit trees and orchids.
Semi-double: Applied to a flower with only some stamens converted to petals.
Semi-hardy: See Half-hardy.
Semi-ripe cutting: A cutting taken when new growth from spring has started to 'ripen', or become woody.
Set: The successful fertilization of flowers, resulting in young fruit formation.
Shrub: A perennial plant with a number of persistent woody stems.
Single: Applied to a flower with the usual number of petals and stamens.
Soak away: A pit filled with stones and rubble that assists in draining an area, such as a lawn, and prevents it from becoming waterlogged.
Softwood cutting: A tip or side shoot cut from a vigorously growing non-woody stem.
Species: A plant, or a group of closely related plants, within a genus. Species have distinctive characteristics and always breed true to type from seed.
Spit: The depth of the blade of a garden spade or fork.
Sport (mutation): A plant that markedly differs from the normal type.
Spring-tooth rake: A rake with a fan-shaped set of slender metal ribs bent down at the open end.
Spur: (1) A short branch bearing flower buds.
(2) A tubular or horn shaped prolongation of a petal.
Stamen: The male reproductive organ of a flower, comprising a stalk (the filament) bearing a pair of anther lobes, which contain pollen.
Standard: (1) A tree or shrub with 1.5 to 2m (5-6ft) of bare trunk beneath the branches.
(2) Uppermost petals of a pea-flower or iris.
Stem-rooting: Applied to a plant, such as types of lily, which puts out roots directly from the lower stem.

T

Tender: Applied to any plant that would be damaged by low temperatures when growing outdoors.
Tendril: A slender leaf or stem that twines around a support, enabling certain plants to climb.
Terminal bud: The topmost bud on a stem.
Tilth: Where the soil surface well broken down to a fine crumbly consistency (usually by raking) and is ready for sowing seeds.
Tine: A slender prong of a fork or similar tool.
Tipping: Removing the growing tip of a shoot to encourage growth.
Top dressing: A surface application of compost, fertilizer or fresh soil (see also Mulching).
Topiary: The art of trimming trees and bushes into ornamental shapes.
Transpiration: Emitting water vapour, usually from the leaves.
Truss: A cluster of bud, blossoms or fruit.
Tuber: A thickened, fleshy root or underground stem providing food storage, e.g. dahlia and potato.

U

Umbel: A cluster of flowers with stalks arising from the same point.

V

Vegetative propagation: Growing a new plant from a part taken from another plant (e.g. stem or root cutting).

W

Wind rock: The loosening of the base of the main stem and sometimes also the root system of a plant by the action of strong winds.

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