| Abscission |
A natural dropping of leaves, flowers and other plant parts. |
| Acid soil |
Soils with a pH below 7.0 Acid soils can cause problems when their pH is below5.5 |
| Aeration |
To increase the amount of air space in the soil by tilling or otherwise loosening the soil. |
| Alkakine soil |
Soil with a pH above 7.0 Alkaline soils slow the growth of many plants when their pH is above 8.0 |
| Axil |
The location on a stem between the upper surface of a leaf or leafstalk and the stem from which it is growing. |
| Axilary buds |
Buds that form in leaf axils. |
| Biennial plants |
A plant that grows, flowers, produces seeds or fruit, and dies in two years. Some herbacous flowers and vegetables are biennial. Most biennial plants produce foliage the first year and bloom the second year. |
| Cambium |
A thin ring of tissue within the stem, branch, and trunk that continually forms nutrient and water-conducting vessels. |
| Chlorophyll |
The green pigment that is necessary for photosynthesis. |
| Chlorosis |
Yellowing of foliage due to a loss or breakdown of chlorophyll. Chlorosis may result from disease or infestation, poor growing conditions, or lack of nutrients. |
| Complete fertilizer |
A fertilizer containing nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, the three nutrients in which plants are most commonly deficient. |
| Conifer |
Woody trees and shrubs that produce cones. Common conifers include pines, firs, spruce, juniper, redwood and hemlocks. |
| Corm |
A short, solid, enlarged, underground stem from which roots grow. Corms are food-storage organs. They contain one bud that will produce a new plant. |
| Dead-heading |
The removal of old blossoms to encourage continued blooming or to improve the appearance of the plant. |
| Deciduous |
Plants that shed all their leaves annually, usually in the fall. |
| Desiccation |
Dehydration or loss of water. |
