Planting – Growing one or more plants together because they perform well in the same space and benefit each other.
Compost – Organic humus created by layering green and brown matter and allowing them to decompose. Great for the garden, it helps maintain soil moisture and temperature while also balancing soil organisms to prevent disease and improve fertility.
Cultivar – A plant variety or strain produced in cultivation through breeding or selection.
Cutworm – Worm-like larvae of any variety of moth that curls up into a C-shape and cuts plants off at soil level. Often green, brown or yellow with stripes. Various methods are used to foil these creatures when new plants are set out into the garden.
Dormancy – The act of a plant not producing growth and being in a state of stasis. Dormant oils are a natural pest control, sprayed when fruit trees and other perennials are dormant.
GMO – Genetically modified organism, meaning its genetic material is modified using genetic engineering. GMO foods are often a result of gene splicing from two different species.
Heirloom Plants – Time-tested, open-pollinated plants passed down from more than one generation of gardeners often in a particular region – often having more vigor and disease resistance for that region.
Hybrid – Controlled crosses of two parent plant varieties. They are not GMOs.
Mesclun – A mix of assorted young salad greens from lettuces and other greens like mustard, radicchio and arugula.
Mulch – Shredded leaves, compost, chopped bark or any other material which will decay over time, but is spread beneath plants to improve the soil, moderate soil temperature, and retain moisture. Rubber “mulch” does not count.
OMRI-Listed – A product tested and certified by the Organic Materials Review Institute, http://www.omri.org/.
Open Pollinated – Plants that are pollinated by the wind, insects, birds, etc. (See Heirloom Plants.)
Overwinter – To keep plants alive over the winter by bringing them indoors or into a greenhouse.
Perennial – A plant that lives and grows for several consecutive years in place. Some plants are considered hardy perennials because they are tolerant of freezes. Plant hardiness, however, is determined by where the gardener lives. Rosemary may be hardy in some parts of the country and not in others.
Potager – A kitchen garden formally laid out with defined areas. It may contain vegetables, flowers and herbs, but is primarily a kitchen garden, usually located nearby.
Sow – To plant seed. Direct Sow means to plant seeds outdoors directly into the soil in which they will grow.
Three Sisters Planting – Corn, squash and beans planted in concert. Corn first, for structure to support the climbing beans; squash beneath, to shade the others’ roots. (Summer melons can be planted in place of squash.) Derived from plantings done by the Iroquois and other Native American tribes.
Thinning – The process of removing some seedlings in order to give others room to grow and produce.
Top Dress – The process of amending the soil by adding a thin layer of fertilizer, like manure, to the surface of the soil.
Zones – Refers to plant hardiness zones in various areas and average ranges of temperatures. See www.planthardiness.ars.usda.gov/
YOUR GARDEN TOOLBOX
LET’S TALK TOOLS. Everyone has a garden toolbox, and everyone’s is different. This is mine. As I moved from an urban balcony full of containers to a small suburban yard and then to a larger property, my toolbox changed some, but not as much as you might think.
One of the first things you’ll probably need is a hand weeder. You can pull most weeds from containers by hand, but once you move to open beds and borders, you will have more weeds with tougher constitutions. Most weeds come from seeds deposited by birds or are blown in from other locations. You’ll also want trowels to transplant seedlings, among other tools. Now you need something to tote your stuff.
Garden tools are just like cutlery and other kitchen tools; although cheap ones work for a while, you’ll eventually want to invest in something better. Don’t waste your time on plastic garden tools, unless you’re doing container gardening. They won’t hold up under normal conditions. I buy good kitchen and garden tools because I use them every day. As a result, I rarely have to replace anything. So, while my toolbox isn’t cheap, it holds good tools (some of which were received as great gifts).
