Horticulture

The process of creating new plants from seeds, cuttings, grafting, layering, division, or tissue culture. Propagation methods are chosen based on the species, desired genetic uniformity, and production scale.

The process by which plants convert light energy, carbon dioxide, and water into glucose and oxygen. Understanding light intensity, photoperiod, and spectrum is essential for optimizing plant growth in both field and controlled environments.

The physical, chemical, and biological properties of soil that support plant growth, including texture, structure, pH, organic matter content, cation exchange capacity, and microbial activity.

A systematic approach to pest control that combines biological, cultural, mechanical, and chemical methods to minimize pest damage while reducing reliance on synthetic pesticides and protecting beneficial organisms.

A horticultural technique in which tissues from one plant (the scion) are joined to the rootstock of another so that they grow together as a single organism. Grafting combines the desirable fruiting or flowering qualities of the scion with the root vigor, disease resistance, or dwarfing characteristics of the rootstock.

The cultivation of plants within enclosed structures such as greenhouses, high tunnels, or vertical farms where environmental factors like temperature, humidity, light, and CO2 concentration are precisely regulated to optimize growth.

Geographic regions defined by their average annual minimum winter temperature, used as a guide for determining which perennial plants are most likely to survive and thrive in a given location. The USDA Hardiness Zone Map is the most widely used system.

The selective removal of plant parts (branches, buds, roots) and the directing of plant growth into desired forms to improve health, increase fruit or flower production, manage size, and enhance aesthetics.

The controlled biological decomposition of organic materials such as food scraps, yard waste, and manure into humus-rich compost that improves soil structure, fertility, moisture retention, and microbial diversity.

A method of growing plants without soil by delivering dissolved mineral nutrients directly to the plant roots through water. Systems include nutrient film technique, deep water culture, ebb-and-flow, and drip irrigation setups.