Kitchen Garden Glossary

Familiarizing yourself with basic plant terminology can lessen the overwhelming feeling of being a new plant parent. Knowing plant care terms empowers you to be a better observer and problem solver. That's what growing success is all about!

I've listed important garden vocabulary to help you feel more confident when researching, asking questions, and digging into the soil!

Cache Pot

Put simply, it's a pot with drainage inside a larger pot that does not contain drainage. By filling the base of the larger pot with water, you hydrate your plants by allowing the soil to pull in hydration as needed.

Chlorophyll 

The green pigment within a plant that allows it to absorb energy from the sun through photosynthesis and convert it to food for the plant.

Companion Planting

A method of planting different but compatible crops together to best utilize growing space and create an ecosystem of plants that enhance and protect eachother. An example is to plant basil with your tomato plants. The basil helps sweeten the tomato fruits, and the basil's strong scent will deter tomato-eating hornworms.

Determinate 

In gardening, this term describes a crop that grows to a determined height and generally produces its fruit all at once. These plants are great for container gardens and often don't need additional trellising support.

Grow Bag

A nursery pot that is generally made from breathable fabric. It allows you to grow in multiple spaces and promotes a healthy root structure by enabling plants to drain well and, through air pruning of the roots, deter the plant from becoming root-bound. They can range in size from holding 2 gallons to 500 gallons of soil.

Indeterminate

In gardening, this term refers to crops that do not have an intrinsic limit to their growth but only stop growing when affected by the weather, pests, or disease. Due to their sprawling nature, they often require more space and sometimes trellises for vertical support.

Internode

The space between nodes on a main stem. Locating these is important for propagating some plants, especially herbs within the Mint Family. You would cut at the base of an internode, right above a node.

Macronutrients

Plants need these nutrients in larger amounts. The three big ones are Nitrogen, phosphorus, and Potassium, also known as NPK. On a fertilizer container, you may see three numbers representing the percentage of those three nutrients within. The first number represents the amount of Nitrogen. The second is the percentage of phosphorus. The third is the amount of Potassium.

• Nitrogen (N) - An important macronutrient that is especially essential at the beginning of a plant's life cycle for producing chlorophyll and conducting photosynthesis to encourage all-over plant growth.
• Phosphorous (P) - An important macronutrient that strengthens root systems for more water and nutrient uptake and is essential for plant reproduction to produce flowers and seeds.
• Potassium (K) - An essential macronutrient for a plant throughout its life cycle. Potassium is a super transporter of nutrients to all parts of a plant. It keeps systems flowing and nutrients moving into plant cells.

Micronutrients

The smaller, trace amounts of nutrients that plants need to thrive. Depending on the plant, some important micronutrients include calcium for strong plant structure, magnesium for better chlorophyll production, and sulfur to help make a crop more disease-resistant.

Mycorrhizae/Mycorrhizal Fungi

A beneficial fungus found within the soil that strengthens plant root systems to allow them to better absorb nutrients and hydration.

Node

When I think of a plant's node, I think of "new." It's a new branch, leaf, or flower bud that grows from a plant's main stem.

Olla

Photosynthesis

The process of plants being exposed to sunlight, converting carbon dioxide into food for the plant, and giving off oxygen.

Phototropism

Nature's magic that allows plants to turn or stretch their stems, leaves, and budding flower faces toward the strongest source of light. To prevent my indoor plants from growing lopsided, I often rotate them every week for more overall even growth.

Plant Cuttings

A portion taken from a plant's roots, stems, or leaves and put in an environment that encourages the cutting to grow its own roots or stems to eventually become an independent plant. Many plants can grow from cuttings and I've had the most success with succulents and herbs within the Mint Family, such as Rosemary, Basil, and of course, Mint.

Plant Family

Within Plant Classification, plants within the same family share similar features and nutritional needs. Learning plant families is helpful because when you understand how to care for one plant within that family, you are not starting from scratch with how to care for all plants within that family. An example is the Solanaceae, or Nightshade, Family, which includes tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, and potatoes. These crops prefer slightly acidic, well-draining soil, and when lower stems get buried, they turn into roots that can help absorb hydration and nutrition for the plants. Learn more about Plant Families in the Rutabaga Education Curriculum.

Potting Soil/Potting Mix

Both terms describe the medium used for your plants to establish roots and live. Depending on what the plant needs to thrive, potting mixes can contain different nutrients and components designed to retain or dispel hydration.

Propagation

This is different than starting a plant from seed; it is the process of growing a new plant from an existing one. Depending on your plant's characteristics, you can propagate by cutting from the stem or leaf, dividing between rhizomes, or using plant pups or offshoots.

Rhizome or Rhizomatic

Plants that have horizontal stems that are often underground and produce above-ground vertical shoots or small branches. From each upward growth, there is also usually a small root system below the rhizome to support that part of the plant. Examples include gingers, bamboo, and many types of grasses.

Rootbound

As a plant grows in a pot, the roots can run out of room. When this happens, the roots circle the interior, looking for somewhere else to get the needed hydration and nutrition. When shopping for plants, I try to check the root system to ensure this hasn't happened so that I'm buying healthier plants. If you notice this happening to your potted plants, it's time to repot them into a larger space.

Root Rot

When a plant's roots persistently sit in water, they suffocate and become a breeding ground for bacteria and unwanted fungus. Rotten roots are common in potted plants that have been continually overwatered.

Runners

Stems that grow horizontally above ground that can establish independent root systems and grow vertical branches. Well-known plants with this characteristic include strawberries, mint, spider plants, and philodendrons. 

Tuber

Underground portions of a root or stem that stores nutrients for a plant. Common examples of tubers include Potatoes and Yams.

Variegation/Variegated 

Markings on a plant's leaves that are different colors. More common with indoor plants and often a little bit slower to grow due to containing less of the green pigment, chlorophyll, that allows the plant to turn sunlight into food for the plant.