Nutrients and Terms Flashcards
Macronutrients
Mg K Ca N P S - Mag’s Kools Cause Neo-Plastic Surgery
Micronutrients
Fe Al Cu Zn Mo B Mn - Fear Al’s Couzin Moby Man
abscisic acid
A growth-inhibiting hormone
abscission
The dropping of leaves, flowers, or fruit by a plant. This can result from natural growth processes (e.g., fruit ripening) or from external factors such as temperature or chemicals.
abscission layer
Specialized cells, usually at the base of a leaf stalk or fruit stem, that trigger both the separation of the leaf or fruit and the development of scar tissue to protect the plant
actinomorphic flower
A flower possessing radial symmetry. Any cut through the center divides the flower into two equal parts.
adjuvant
A substance that, when added to a pesticide, reduces the surface tension between two unlike materials (e.g., spray droplets and a plant surface), thus improving adherence. Also called surfactant. Check out the adjuvant, Dutch Master Penetrator.
adventitious
Growth not ordinarily expected, usually the result of stress or injury. A plant’s normal growth comes from meristematic tissue, but adventitious growth comes from nonmeristematic tissue.
adventitious bud
A bud in an unusual place on a plant, often on an internode. This may be the result of an injury. Suckers and water sprouts usually grow from adventitious buds.
adventitious root
A root in an unusual place, often where a branch contacts soil or damp material. A plant can not be reproduced from cuttings or layering unless adventitious roots develop.
after-ripening
The seed maturation process that must be completed before germination can occur.
aggergate fruit
A group of small fruits derived from several ovaries within a single flower.
aggregation
The process by which individual particles of sand, silt and clay cluster and bind together to form soil peds.
alkaline
Refers to medium or nutrient solution with a high pH; any pH over 7 is considered alkaline.
alkaline soil
Soil with a pH above 7 on a pH scale of 0 to 14. The higher the reading, the more alkaline the soil. See pH.
alkaloid
A nitrogen-containing compound frequently used as a chemical defense by plants.
allele
Different forms of the same gene; allele “A” may produce a tall plant, while allele “a” gives a short plant.
allelopathy
The excretion by some plants of compounds from their leaves and/or roots that inhibit the growth of other plants.
ammonium (NH4+)
The excretion by some plants of compounds from their leaves and/or roots that inhibit the growth of other plants
anaerobic
Active in the absence of free oxygen.
angiosperm
A member of a class of plants characterized by the formation of flowers and seeds in fruits.
anion
A negatively charged ion. Plant nutrient examples include nitrate (NO3-), phosphate (H2PO4-), and sulfate (SO42-).
annual
A plant that completes its life cycle in one growing season.
annual ring
A cylinder of secondary xylem added to the wood in a single growing season.
antagonism
The effect of a deficiency or toxicity of an element that restricts or interferes with the uptake.
anther
The pollen-bearing part of a flower’s male sexual organ. The filament supports the anther; together they are referred to as the stamen.
anthocyanin
A blue, violet, or red flavonoid pigment found in plants.
apex
The tip of a stem or root.
apical bud
A bud at the tip of a stem.
apical dominance
The inhibition of lateral bud growth by the presence of the hormone auxin in a plant’s terminal bud. Removing the growing tip removes auxin and promotes lateral bud break and subsequent branching, usually directly below the cut.
apical meristem
A region of actively dividing cells at the tip of a growing stem or root.
arboretum
An area devoted to specimen plantings of trees and shrubs.
aspect
Direction of exposure to sunlight.
assimilation
The building of cell matter from inorganic and organic materials (carbohydrates and sugars).
autotrophic nutrition
A form of nutrition in which complex food molecules are produced by photosynthesis from carbon dioxide, water, and minerals.
auxin
One of the best known and most important plant hormones. Most abundantly produced in a plant’s actively growing tips. Generally stimulates growth by cell division in the tip region and by cell elongation lower down the shoot. Growth of lateral buds is strongly inhibited by the normal concentration of auxin in the growing tip.
axil
The upper angle formed by a leaf’s stalk (petiole) and the internodes above it on a stem.
axillary bud
A bud that forms on an axil.
axillary bud primordium
An immature axillary bud.
bacillus thuringiensis (Bt)
A bacterium used as a biological control agent for many insect pests; primarily mosquitoes, fungus gnats, and caterpillars. Take a look at Mosquito Dunks.
bark
All the tissues, collectively, formed outside the vascular cambium of a woody stem or root.
basal
(1) At or near the base of a branch or trunk. (2) At or near a plant’s crown.
basal break
New growth that develops at the base of a branch or near a plant’s crown.
biennial
A plant that germinates and produces foliage and roots during its first growing season, then produces flowers and seeds and usually dies during its second growing season.
biennial bearing
Producing fruit in alternate years.
biosolids
A by-product of wastewater treatment sometimes used as a fertilizer.
blade
The flattened part of a leaf.
blanch
To exclude light from plants or parts of plants to render them white or tender. Often done to cauliflower, endive, celery, and leeks.
blight
Rapid, extensive discoloration, wilting, and death of plant tissue.
bloom booster
Fertilizer high in phosphorus (P) that increases flower yield. Check out Grotek Monster Bloom Booster.
blossom-end-rot (BER)
A physiological and nutritional disorder on fruit creating a black, leathery, sunken appearance on the blossom end of the fruit – often associated with poor watering, root death, and calcium deficiency. Check out Technaflora MagiCal to prevent blossom-end-rot.
bole
The main stem of a tree. Also called a trunk
bolting
Producing seeds or flowering prematurely, usually due to heat. For example, cool-weather crops such as lettuce bolt during the summer. Leaf crops are discouraged from bolting by removal of flower heads. See deadhead.
botrytis
A fungal disease promoted by cool, moist weather. Also known as gray mold or fruit rot.
bract
A modified leaf, usually small, but sometimes large and brightly colored, growing at the base of a flower or on its stalk. Clearly seen on dogwoods and poinsettias.
bramble
A spiny cane bush with berry fruits (e.g., raspberries and blackberries).
break
(1) Any new growth coming from a bud. (2) See bud break.
broadleaf evergreen
A non-needled evergreen.
British Thermal Unit (BTU)
Amount of heat required to raise the temperature of 1 pound of water 1°F.
bud
A small protuberance on a stem or branch, sometimes enclosed in protective scales, containing an undeveloped shoot, leaf, or flower.
bud break
The resumption of growth by a resting bud.
bud head
A swollen or enlarged area where a bud was grafted to a stock.
bud scale
A modified leaf that forms a protective covering for a bud.
bud sport or mutation
A genetic change within an organism or its parts that changes its characteristics. Also called a bud sport or sport.
bud union
The suture line where a bud or scion was grafted to a stock. Sometimes called the graft union.
budding
The grafting of a bud onto stock of a different plant. The bud is the scion.
budstick
A shoot or twig used as a source of buds for budding.
bulb
An underground storage organ consisting of a thin, flattened stem surrounded by layers of fleshy, dried leaf bases. Roots are attached to the bottom. See corm, tuber, rhizome.
bulbil
A small bulb-like organ that sometimes forms in place of flowers.
bulblet
(1) An underground bulbil. (2) A tiny bulb produced at the base of a mother bulb.
buttress root
An enlarged, aboveground root giving support to a tree trunk.
calcium carbonate (CaCO3)
A compound found in limestone, ashes, bones, and shells; the primary component of lime. Check out Xtreme Gardening CalCarb.
callus
Tissue that develops when cambium or other meristematic tissue is wounded.
calorie
Amount of heat required to raise the temperature of 1 cubic centimeter of water 1°C.
calyx
The collective term for the sepals (the cup, usually green, between a flower and its stem).
cambium
The living, growing layer of cells between the xylem and phloem. In woody plants, it is located just beneath the bark.
candelabrum
A strong, dominant rose cane with accelerated growth that originates from a bud union and explodes with many blooms.
cane
The externally woody, internally pithy stem of a bramble or vine.
canker
A localized lesion on a limb or trunk, usually due to disease or injury. Part of the bark or wood appears to be eaten away or is sunken.
capillary force
The action by which water molecules bind to the surfaces of soil particles and to each other, thus holding water in fine pores against the force of gravity.
capitulum
(1) A dense, short, compact cluster of sessile flowers (stalkless and attached directly at the base), as in composite plants or clover. (2) A very dense grouping of flower buds, as in broccoli.
carotene
A orange-yellow pigment located in the chloroplasts.
catfacing
Disfigurement or malformation of a fruit. Fruits typically affected include tomatoes and strawberries. Although not fully understood, catfacing is thought to be caused by insects or adverse weather during fruit development.
cation
A positively charged ion. Plant nutrient examples include calcium (Ca++) and potassium (K+). See anion.
cation exchange capacity (CEC)
A soil’s capacity to hold cations as a storehouse of reserve nutrients.
central leader
(1) A trunk or stem extending up through the axis of a tree or shrub and clearly emerging at the top. (2) A system of pruning that uses the central leader as a basic component.
cellular respiration
The chemical breakdown of food substances, resulting in the release of energy.
cellulose
A plant substance forming part of the cell wall.
cercus
A thread-like or sometimes forceps-like tail near the tip of an insect’s abdomen (usually a pair). Plural: cerci.
chelate
A complex organic substance that holds micronutrients, usually iron, in a form available for absorption by plants
chloroplast
A specialized component of certain cells. Contains chlorophyll and is responsible for photosynthesis.
chlorosis
An abnormal yellowing of a leaf.a
chromosome
A threadlike structure within each living cell which contains the cell’s genetic material.
cladode
A flattened stem performing the function of a leaf, as in a cactus pad.
cladosporium
Any of several fungal diseases that afflict plants; commonly called leaf mold.
cloche
A plastic, glass, or plexiglas plant cover used to warm the growing environment or protect plants from frost.
cole crops
A group of vegetables belonging to the cabbage family; plants of the genus Brassica, including cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage, turnips, and brussels sprouts.
coleoptera
An insect family made up of species having horny front wings that fit over their hindwings. Includes beetles and weevils.
