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An Insightful Guide to Container Gardening
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CONTAINER GARDENING Pots & Planters Selecting Plants Potting Mixes Planting Watering Sunlight Fertilizer Pest Problems Growing Vertical  This site is brought to you by www.PlanetNatural.com |
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Garden Glossary Acidic: A soil or growing medium with a pH between 0 and 7.0. Generally a pH between 5.0 and 6.5 is desirable for container plants.Alkaline: A soil or growing medium with a pH between 7.0 and 14. Annual: A plant that completes its life-cycle in one growing season. Atrium: An interior area that provides plenty of light for plants, often skylighted. Many homes have built in atriums. Beneficial Insect: Refers to any insect that benefits your garden in some way. For example, insect pest predators and parasitoids and pollinating insects. Biennial: A plant that requires two growing seasons to complete its full life cycle. Biological Pest Control: The use of living organisms such as beneficial insects to assist in natural pest control. Bio-Solids: The organic product that results from sewage treatment processes. Often found in store bought compost and may contain heavy metals. Bolting: When annual vegetables or flowers produce seeds prematurely. Chlorophyll: The green pigment in leaves. When a plant is healthy it is very prominent. Chlorosis: A yellowing of the leaves due to lack of chlorophyll. Chlorosis is often caused by an iron deficiency in the soil. Companion Planting: Grouping plants together for their mutual benefit. Compost: Decayed organic matter used as a nutrient rich soil amendment. It is dark, odorless and rich in nutrients. Container Gardening: Growing plants in pots and planters instead of in the ground. Cultivar: A plant variety that is grown, not wild. Dead Heading: Removing spent flowers to encourage further flowering. Direct Seed: Seeding directly in soil instead of starting in flats. Drip Irrigation: An irrigation method that applies water slowly to the roots of plants, by depositing the water either on the soil surface or directly to the root zone. The goal is to minimize water usage, or to provide a more constant source of water to your plants. Fertilizer: A material that is applied to a plant or soil to improve the nutrient content. Foliar Fertilizer: When a fertilizer is applied to the plants leaves instead of the soil. Foliar applied nutrients are available to your plants immediately. Germination: The initial growth phase of a seed, characterized by the emergence of a stem and root. Growing Media: The material used to grow a plant or germinate seeds. Hardening Off: The process of acclimatizing a plant to being outside. Heavy Soil: A soil that is poorly drained and contains a high proportion of clay. Integrated Pest Management (IPM): An environmentally sensitive approach to pest control in which the least toxic methods are applied first and usually in combination with other control methods. Loam: A high quality, fertile soil with good proportions of sand, clay, silt, and organic matter. Macronutrients: The nutrients identified as absolutely necessary for plant growth. See N-P-K below. Micronutrients: The nutrients that are required by plants in small amounts. These include boron, copper, zinc, and others. Mulch: Any material that is applied to the surface of the soil (around plants) to hold in moisture and help control weeds. N-P-K: Nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. The macronutrients necessary for plant growth. These numbers are commonly found on fertilizer labels. Nutrient Solution: A liquid fertilizer applied to the leaves of plants or as a soil drench. Organic: A general term referring to a gardening technique that utilizes no chemical or synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, or herbicides. Perennial: A plant that lives for more than one year. Perlite: A volcanic mineral heated to make it expand. Often used in potting mixes to encourage good drainage, as well as to keep the soil from compacting. pH: A measure of the acidity or alkalinity of the soil. A pH of 7 is neutral (below 7 is acidic - above 7 is alkaline). Soil pH affects the availability of nutrients to plants. Potting Mix: A potting medium consisting of soil, sand, peat, leaf mold, or other ingredients. Season Extender: Equipment or gardening practices that extend the life of your plants beyond what they would typically reach outdoors. Examples include, greenhouses, cold frames and row covers. Soil Amendment: Any material added to a soil to improve its physical properties, such as water retention, drainage, aeration and structure. Soil-less Mix: A light-weight medium for growing plants in containers. Usually includes combinations of ingredients such as peat moss, composted pine bark, sand, perlite, or vermiculite. Does not contain soil. Soil Test: A measurement of pH and the availability of nutrients in the soil. Topdressing: Applying fertilizers or soil amendments around plants after they have been established. Transplanting: Shifting a plant from one soil or growing medium to another. Trellis: A structure, usually made from interwoven pieces of wood, bamboo or metal that supports many types of climbing plants such as sweet peas, grapevines and ivy. Vermiculite: A lightweight and absorbent mineral often applied to potting mixes to increase its aeration and water holding capacity. Worm Casting: The digested waste of earthworms. A nutrient rich soil amendment. |
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