Horticulture Glossary

A soilless growing system in which plant roots are suspended in air and periodically misted with nutrient solution.

The cultivation, management, and study of individual trees, shrubs, and other perennial woody plants.

A class of plant growth hormones that regulate cell elongation, root initiation, apical dominance, and phototropism.

The premature flowering and seed production in vegetable crops, usually caused by heat or day-length stress, which reduces crop quality.

A thin layer of actively dividing cells between the bark and wood of a stem that produces new xylem and phloem tissue.

A measure of the soil's ability to retain and supply positively charged nutrient ions to plant roots.

The practice of growing different plant species in proximity for pest control, pollination, nutrient sharing, or spatial efficiency.

Decomposed organic matter used as a soil amendment to improve structure, water retention, nutrient content, and microbial activity.

Plant production within enclosed structures where temperature, humidity, light, and other factors are precisely managed.

A cultivated variety of a plant selected for desirable characteristics and maintained through propagation. Denoted by single quotes, e.g., Malus domestica 'Honeycrisp'.

Removing faded or spent flowers from a plant to encourage continued blooming and prevent unwanted self-seeding.

A low-pressure irrigation method that delivers water directly to the plant root zone through a system of tubes and emitters.

The branch of horticulture dealing with the cultivation and marketing of flowers and ornamental plants.

A horticultural technique in which the scion of one plant is joined to the rootstock of another to combine desirable traits.

The gradual exposure of greenhouse- or indoor-grown seedlings to outdoor conditions before transplanting.

A method of growing plants without soil using mineral nutrient solutions delivered in water.

A pest control strategy combining biological, cultural, physical, and chemical tools to minimize pest damage and environmental risk.

Any material spread over the soil surface to conserve moisture, regulate temperature, suppress weeds, and reduce erosion.

The branch of horticulture concerned with the production and marketing of vegetable crops.

A plant that lives for more than two growing seasons, typically dying back in winter and regrowing from its root system in spring.

The developmental response of plants to the relative length of day and night, particularly in relation to flowering.

The branch of horticulture devoted to the study and cultivation of fruit crops.

The process of producing new plants from seeds, cuttings, grafts, divisions, or tissue culture.

The evaporation of water from plant leaves through stomata, which drives water and nutrient uptake from the soil.

A cold period required by certain plants to become competent to flower. Common in bulbs, biennials, and some cereals.