Today’s blog is a quick review of some garden terminology that gets thrown around at the garden center often. But if you’re not immersed in the gardening world, you just might not know what the terms mean. This quick list of garden jargon might clear up some of the confusion. Take a look.
15 Garden Terms Explained
- Well-draining soil: Soil that allows water to percolate through it quickly, preventing water from pooling and causing root rot.
- Example: A mixture of sandy soil and organic matter like compost can create well-draining soil for succulents.
- Loamy soil: A balanced mixture of sand, silt, and clay, often considered ideal for gardening due to its fertility and good drainage properties.
- Example: Many vegetable gardens thrive in loamy soil because it retains moisture without becoming waterlogged.
- Sandy soil: Soil composed mostly of sand particles, known for its quick drainage but poor nutrient retention.
- Example: Carrots grow well in sandy soil because it allows their roots to expand easily.
- Clay soil: Soil with a high proportion of clay particles, known for retaining moisture and nutrients but prone to poor drainage and compaction.
- Example: Roses can do well in clay soil if it is amended with organic matter to improve drainage and aeration.
- Rocky, limestone soil: Soil that contains a significant amount of rocks and limestone, often alkaline and well-draining.
- Example: Lavender plants thrive in rocky, limestone soil because they prefer alkaline conditions and good drainage.
- Topping off plants: The practice of cutting off the top part of a plant to encourage bushier growth and more lateral branching.
- Example: Topping off basil plants helps them grow more leaves and prevents them from becoming too tall, woody and leggy.
- Water regularly until plants are well-established: Providing consistent moisture to new plants until they develop a robust root system capable of sustaining them.
- Example: Newly planted trees should be watered regularly for the first few months to ensure they become well-established. Then begin to increase the time between watering to allow trees to become more reliant on natural rain fall for water.
- Pinching back plants: The act of removing the growing tips of a plant, by literally pinching them off, to promote fuller growth and more blooms.
- Example: Pinching back petunias can result in a bushier plant with more flowers.
- Deadheading flowers: The process of removing spent flowers to encourage further blooming and maintain the plant’s appearance.
- Example: Regularly deadheading marigolds and dianthus can prolong their blooming period and keep the plants from looking tired with dried flowers.
- Root hardy: Plants that can survive cold winter temperatures by preserving their roots, even if their above-ground parts die back.
- Example: Hostas are root-hardy perennials that die back in winter but regrow each spring.
- Determinate tomato: A type of tomato plant that grows to a fixed mature size and produces all its fruit in a short period.
- Example: ‘Roma’ tomatoes are determinate and are ideal for making sauces because they produce a large crop all at once.
- Indeterminate tomato: A type of tomato plant that continues to grow and produce fruit throughout the growing season,; a vining tomato.
- Example: ‘Cherry’ tomatoes are indeterminate and provide a continuous harvest from summer until frost.
- Deer resistant, not deer proof: Plants that deer are less likely to eat but may still nibble on if food is scarce.
- Example: Lavender is considered deer resistant, but in times of severe food shortages, deer may still sample it. There is NO DEER PROOF plant.
- Thinning seedlings: The process of removing some of your seedlings that have sprouted after germination to make room for the roots and mature size of your remaining seedlings.
- Example: Use pointed scissors to thin extra seedlings by cutting them at the soil line instead of pulling them out so you don’t risk damaging the roots of remaining seedlings.
- Plant Hardiness Zone: Plant hardiness zones are based on average minimum temperatures. A perennial plant based on your specific hardiness zone will most likely return in spring after winter dieback. See this link to discover your plant hardiness zone based on where you live.
My salvias keep breaking off when i try to put something around them so they won’t fall. Are they not deep enough in the ground?
Hi Myrtha,
What are you trying to put around them? The soil around the top of your planting hole for salvia should be level with the top of the soil of the rootball in the nursery container. This assures you aren’t planting too deeply or too shallow. I would double check that first and also make sure you’ve planted them as upright as possible.
I think you are using the old zone chart. I live on Round Rock north mod Austin. In the new zones we are 9a.
Oops. Thank you! I have updated and included a link to the new map.