Glossary

Annual- Plants that germinate, bloom, set seed, and die in one season.

Biennial- Plants that have a life cycle of two years. The first year they germinate and grow; the second year they bloom, set seed, and die.

Catch plants- Plants that are good at taking up minerals from the soil and storing them in the plant tissues. The minerals are returned to the soil for use by subsequent crops when the catch plants are chopped and allowed to decompose in place (nutrient cycling). Roots left in the soil to decompose also return stored minerals to the soil.

Chop and drop- Refers to the cutting of cover crops or other plants, leaving roots in the soil, and allowing the rest of the plant to drop in place and remain as mulch and sheet compost as the plants decompose.

Cover crop- Plants that usually are not planted to provide a product but which furnish services to the garden such as discouraging weeds, regulating soil temperature, attracting pollinators and predator insects, aerating soil with deep roots, and furnishing organic material back to the soil when allowed to decompose in place.

Crop rotation- Refers to a planting plan which rotates crops to a different area of the garden from year to year, thus discouraging pests and diseases which might prey upon that crop. A three- to four-year rotation schedule is desirable.

Compost- A dark, crumbly material created when microorganisms break down organic materials such as leaves, grass clippings, animal manures, and kitchen waste. It is not completely decomposed like humus.

Good bug, bad bug, benign bug- A quick way to identify insects in the garden to see what their effect on plants will be. 

Greens and browns- Refers to the ratio of nitrogen (greens) and carbon (browns) needed for a successful compost pile. The general recommendation is 1:2 greens to browns.

Food forest- A low-maintenance sustainable plant-based food production and agroforestry system based on woodland ecosystems, incorporating fruit and nut trees, shrubs, herbs, vines, and perennial vegetables which have yields directly useful to humans.

Humus- The organic component of soil, formed by the decomposition of leaves and other organic material by soil microorganisms. Humus is completely decomposed and stable as opposed to compost which is in the process of decomposition.

IFAS- Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences. At the University of Florida, Extension is located in IFAS, along with the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences (CALS) and the Florida Agricultural Experiment Station, and is called UF/IFAS Extension.

Master Gardener Volunteer (MGV)- UF/IFAS Extension-certified volunteers who are trained to provide research-based horticultural education to Florida residents.

Micro irrigation- A method of irrigation through which water is distributed through drippers, sprinklers, foggers, and other emitters on the surface.

Mulch- Any material applied to the soil surface for protection or improvement of the area covered.

NPK- Nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) - The three plant nutrients that compose a complete fertilizer; a product’s N-P-K numbers reflect each nutrient’s percentage by weight.

Organic- Natural matter or compounds with a carbon base; also, food grown without synthetic chemicals or pesticides.

Organic materials- Those materials which can decay into organic matter, i.e. anything that was alive and is now in or on the soil.

Organic matter- Organic materials which are in the process of decomposing into humus.

Pollination- The transfer of pollen from the male anther of a flower to the female stigma enabling fertilization and the production of seeds. Most often is done by animals or wind.

Perennial- A cold hardy plant that will return again in the spring; typically a plant that lives more than two years.

Raised bed- A planting bed that sits on top of the soil and can be made of different materials.

Soil- Unconsolidated mineral or organic material on the immediate surface of the earth that serves as a natural media for the growth of plants; typically consists of a mixture of organic remains, clay, and rock particles.

Square foot gardening- A system of garden planning where plants are spaced in measured spaces, usually one square foot each, instead of rows.

Trap plants- Plants that lure pest insects away from the other plants in your garden or which lure predator insects into your garden to prey upon the pest variety.

Worm castings- The high quality compost made by worms. See “Vermicompost.”

Vermicompost- Using worms to digest vegetable scraps and make high quality compost or “worm castings.” Home vermicomposting is typically done in plastic containers.