Garden Forum : Common gardening terms

Gardening is a fulfilling and rewarding hobby. Not only is it an excellent form of exercise that allows you to return to nature, but it can also improve your mental health and well-being. Coupled with the pleasure of growing flowers, fruits or vegetables on your own, you will understand why gardening is one of the most popular pastimes in the UK. But gardening is never a walk in the park. People who are new to gardening may feel overwhelmed at first-this feeling only intensifies when they turn to gardening magazines, books, radio shows, or websites for advice. Although experienced gardeners understand gardening terminology, hobbyists may be completely confused by the terminology. If you are afraid of new and unfamiliar gardening words, don't be afraid. This handy guide to the most common gardening terms should help you understand the most basic gardening advice

Gardening is a fulfilling and rewarding hobby. Not only is it a great way to get back to nature, but it can also improve your mental health and well-being. Add the joy of growing your own flowers, fruit or vegetables and you'll see why gardening is one of the UK's most popular pastimes. But gardening has never been a walk in the park. People who are new to gardening can feel overwhelmed at first—and it only gets worse when they turn to gardening magazines, books, radio shows, or websites for advice. While seasoned gardeners understand gardening terms, home gardeners can be completely confused by these terms. If you are afraid of new and unfamiliar gardening vocabulary, fear not. This handy guide to the most common gardening terms is designed to help you understand the most basic gardening advice.

Annual plant: Any vegetable or herb that grows at the beginning and end of a season, no matter where it grows. For example: basil, lettuce, tomatoes.
Bolting: Any non-fruiting vegetable or herb that grows under ideal conditions and produces seeds from the seed stem in the second year of growth. For example: carrots, onions, parsley.
Companion planting: When a non-fruiting vegetable or herb emits its seed stem earlier than it should. Usually, bolting is caused by stressful weather conditions such as high temperature or drought. For example: broccoli, coriander, lettuce, onion.
Compost: Plant different vegetables, herbs or flowers side by side to obtain beneficial results, such as pest control, disease prevention or planting more plants in the space.
Container garden : A healthy, fertile soil mixture produced by the decomposition of organic materials.
Cold season crops: Any vegetable or herb that likes cool weather in spring or autumn and does not grow well under high temperatures. The tolerance of cold season crops to cold and heat varies. Some can tolerate extremely cold temperatures, but all cool-season crops can survive frost.
Days to maturity: The average time it takes for a vegetable or herb to mature and start harvesting. (If the seed is started indoors, the maturity period begins when the plant is planted in the garden.)
Direct sow: Plant seeds outdoors, directly on the ground, raised beds, or containers.
Frost dates: Your area usually experiences the last frost in spring and the first frost in fall. Keep in mind that this is an average, so actual frost dates may change within 2 weeks on either side of these dates. You can find your average frost date by contacting your local promotion service or searching online (see Resources).
Full sun: direct, unfiltered sunlight for six to eight hours or more a day. Many plants need plenty of sunlight; some can tolerate partial sunlight, which means 4 to 6 hours of sunlight.
Germination: When seeds begin to grow and germinate above the soil surface and root below the soil surface.
Growing zone or gardening zone: In the United States, the growing zone corresponds to the average minimum temperature experienced by a particular location in winter. Knowing your growing area will help you understand which perennial crops can survive the winter.
Harvest category: What time period and how long a specific crop is expected to be harvested. In this book, harvest categories include: single harvest (crops will be harvested once), rapid burst (crops will be harvested once in 2 to 4 weeks), all season (crops will be produced throughout the season, usually until the first frost) And depends on the weather (crops can be harvested until weather conditions cause the plants to bolt).
Mulch: A layer of organic material added to the top of the soil to prevent weeds, retain water, regulate soil temperature and control erosion. For example: sawdust, fallen leaves, pine needles, grass clippings, organic hay or straw.
Organic matter: Any additives in your garden that are or have been living or produced by living organisms. For example: leaves, wood chips, feces.
Perennial plants: Any vegetable or herbaceous plant, if it grows in an ideal growing area, in terms of its nature, it will continue to grow season after season. If it grows in a colder area than it can tolerate, it will grow like an annual plant and will die in winter unless it is protected. For example: pepper, rosemary, oregano.
Raised bed garden: Any planting area above the ground, usually between 6 inches and 3 feet. Most have structural sides to hold the soil and an open bottom where the roots of the plant can reach the native soil below.
Soil pH: The pH level of the soil that enables plants to absorb the maximum amount of available nutrients. Most vegetables thrive in soils with a pH of 6.0 to 7.0.
Soil temperature: The temperature of the soil at a depth of about 1 inch. Different varieties of seeds require different soil temperatures to germinate.
Succession planting: Planting crops at different times, sometimes planting crops one after another in the same space, to achieve staggered harvesting or multiple harvests in a garden space. Related to continuous planting, relay planting refers to planting the second crop near the first crop when the harvest date of the first crop is about to end. They will grow together for a period of time before the first crops are pulled out.
Tilth: The physical conditions of the soil, related to its structure and the suitability of plants for good growth in it. The ideal soil slope has proper ventilation and drainage while maintaining optimal moisture.
Transplant: Seedlings that will be planted in the ground starting from indoor seeds or after purchasing from a nursery. Transplantation is the act of planting seedlings (seedlings) underground.
Trellis: Any structure that supports the vertical growth of vegetables with sprawling growth habits, such as lentils or cucumbers.
Warm season crops: Any vegetable or herb that likes warm summer weather and will not survive frost.

References

Bradley, Fern Marshall, Barbara W. Ellis, and Deborah Martin. The Organic Gardener’s Handbook of Natural Pest and Disease Control. New York: Rodale, Inc., 2009.

Bradley, Fern Marshall, Barbara W. Ellis, and Ellen Phillips. Rodale’s Ultimate Encyclopedia of Organic Gardening. New York: Rodale, Inc., 2009.

Bradley, Fern Marshall, and Jane Courtier. Vegetable Gardening. White Plains, NY: Toucan Books, 2006.

Cool Springs Press. Gardening Complete. Minneapolis: Cool Springs Press, 2018.

Damrosch, Barbara. The Garden Primer . New York: Workman Publishing, Inc., 2008.

Harrington, J. F. “Soil Temperature Conditions for Vegetable Seed Germination.” University of California at Davis. Accessed October 18, 2019.

https://extension.oregonstate.edu/sites/default/files/documents/12281/soiltemps.pdf .

McCrate, Colin, and Brad Halm. High-Yield Vegetable Gardening . North Adams, MA: Storey Publishing, 2015.

Reich, Lee. Weedless Gardening . New York: Workman Publishing Co., Inc., 2001.

Southern Exposure Seed Exchange (blog). “The Major Plant Families in a Vegetable Garden.” Accessed October 22, 2019. http://www.southernexposure.com/the-major-plant-families-in-a-vegetable-garden-ezp-190.html .