Glossary

The following are some words used in gardening and earth work.

• Acid soil - soil with a reaction somewhat below pH 7, and having a preponderance of hydrogen ionsover hydroxyl ions in solution. Blueberries like acid soil. Vegetables and most garden plants don't.
• Aerobic - processes, usually decomposition, that require the presense of oxygen for the presence of Aerobic bacteria
• Alkaline soil - soil with a pH over 7. Asparagus like this type of soil.
• Anaerobic - processes, usually decomposition, that take place in the absence of oxygen. ex. Anaerobic bacteria.
• Annual-Plants that complete there life cycle in one season or year. Some of these reseed themselves and seem like perennials
• Biennial-Plants that normally require two years to reach maturity, producing seed in the second year and dying.
• Bloat-Excessive accumulation of gases in the stomachs of animals.
• Broadcast spreader- general purpose landscape and farm tool for spreading seed and soil amendments
• BTU - 1 BTU = 1 055.05585 joules
• Colloidal-contains clay particles with negative electromagnetic charges, that can bind sandy soils together and aid their nutrient retention properties.
• Cool season grass-Grasses adapted to rapid growth during cool moist, periods of the year, that are usually dormant during hot weather, or injured by it.
• Culm-jointed stem of a grass plant.
• Chilean Nitrate - Chilean nitrate (synonym: sodium nitrate) is manufactured from sodium-rich rocks which occur in a number of locations, e.g. Chile. The mineral deposit ‘caliche’ which occurs in Chile contains 6-10 % NaNO3. To manufacture Chilean nitrate, caliche is mined and crushed, then NaNO3 is extracted and crystallized. The end product Chilean nitrate contains ca. 98 % NaNO3. The nitrate ion, which acts as N source for crops, is identical to nitrate from synthetic mineral fertilizers.
• Crumb Structure - A soil with good crumb structure consists of aggregates or crumbs of soil particles held together with a "glue" of organic matter that resists erosion. Air and water can occupy the space around each crumb, and these promote plant growth. Sand has little crumb structure and, aside from it's use for cactus and other succulants, is a very poor growing medium. Pure clay, has poor crumb structure because, it tends to stick together when wet and drains poorly. A soil with good crumb structure usually has some clay, some sand and some organic matter.
• Cubic Yard - A pile of anything that would measure 3 feet by 3 feet by 3 feet equal to 27 cubic feet - A small landscape dump truck might hold three cubic yards. A ten wheel (tandem) dump truck might hold 14 - 18 cubic yards. Trades people often use the term "Yards" of material when talking about this subject.
• Cultivar- The international term for denoting the assemblage of cultivated plants that is distinguishable by many characteristics (morphological, physiological. cytological, chemical, or others), and, that when reproduced (sexually or asexually), retains it's distinguishable characters.
• Decumbent-Lying on the ground, but with ascending apex or extremity of stems and roots.
• Drop spreader- general purpose landscape tool used for spreading seed and fertilizer. more accurate than a broadcast spreader
• Endophyte-Fungus of the Acremonium family discovered to occur naturally in some plants, which causes some positive attributes in turf grasses.
• Glabrous-Smooth, not hairy
• Grass-Botanically, any plant of the family Graminae (Sedges have edges, rushes are round!)
• Green Manure-Crops grown and plowed under to improve the soil.
• Herbaceous-Plant growth that is relatively free of woody growth.
• Herbicide-Phytotoxic chemical used to kill or inhibit plant growth.
• Humus - \Hu"mus\, n. [L., the earth, ground, soil.] That portion of the soil formed by the decomposition of animal or vegetable matter. It is a valuable constituent of soils.
• -Indeterminate-Pertaining to growth of plants, the flowers of which are borne on lateral branches, the central stem containing vegetative growth, with blooming continuing for a long period, i.e., Alsike clover, Alfalfa, and Birdsfoot Trefoil.
• - Legume-Plant member of the family Leguminosae, with the characteristic of forming nitrogen fixing nodules on it's roots, thus making use of atmospheric nitrogen and fixing it into the soil, like clovers, beans and peas.
• Mulching non-living material that forms a covering on the soil surface.
• - Node-Joint of a culm or stem

• - Nodule-Tubercle, particularly such as formed on legume roots by the symbiotic nitrogen-fixing bacteria of the genus Rhizobium

• • - N-P-K-Nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium. Three key elements of fertilizer.
    
• • - Perennial-Herbaceous grasses and plants that continue to live for more than 2 years. Sp,e perennials are annuals in cold climates but are still classified as perennial.
• • - pH-The chemists measure of acidity of a soil. pH 7 is neutral. This is not a linear scale.
• • - Prussic Acid-(Hydrocyanic Acid) produced as a glycoside by several plants species, especially sorghums.
• • - rhizobia-Species of bacteria that live in symbiotic (mutually beneficial) relationship in the nodules of of legumes, allowing fixation of atmospheric nitrogen in form used as nutrients by host legumes.
• • - Rhizomatous-Spreads by rhizomes or root stock.
• • • - Saline soil-soil containing an excess of soluble salts, but not excessively alkaline: pH less than 8.5
• • • - Scarify-To scratch hard coated/shelled seeds to aid in germination.
• • • - Stolons-Trailing or creeping stem at or below the soil surface, capable of sending up new shoots at the nodes.
• • • - Thatch-Tightly intermingled layer of dead and living stems and roots developing between the zone of green vegetation and soil surface. Can enhance disease and insect activity, while reducing effectiveness of fungicides and insecticides.
• • • - Tiller-Branch or shoot originating at a basal node in the grass.
• • • - Topdressing-Application of fertilizer or amendments like compost and worm castings, anytime after establishment of a crop.
• • • - Vegetative-Term used to designate stem and leaf development in contrast to flower and seed development.
• • • - Warm season grass-A grass species that makes it's major growth during the warmer part of the year.
• • • - Yard -a measure, 3ft by 3ft by 3ft, or 27 cubic feet. Used to measure soil, stone, mulch, sand or any bulk material.