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I'm very bored tonight and felt like giving something back to the community. I was at the hydro store the other day and on my way out the guy put a Sunlight Supply catalog in my bag with my other goodies. Of course this was at the top of my reading list, and just a few pages in I found a wealth of information. Common Conversions, Ph guidelines of plants, Light intensity charts, Temperature charts, container capacities, Quick reference pest guide with pictures, and then there it was, the holy grail in my opinion, a Glossary of Horticultural Terms. Now instead of just going on to google and copy and pasting this information, I am going to type it out, word by word. Kind of as a THANK YOU to everyone who makes this community what it is.
Alternating Current (AC) - An electric current that reverses its direction at regular occurring intervals. Homes have AC.
Acid - An acid of sour substance has a pH below 7.0.
Aeration - Supplying soil and roots with air or oxygen.
Aeroponics - Growing plants by misting roots suspended in air.
Alkaline - Refers to a substance with high pH; any pH over 7.0 is considered alkaline.
All Purpose (General Purpose) Fertilizer - A balanced blend of N-P-k, all purpose fertilizer is used by most growers.
Amendment - Fortifying soil by adding organic mineral substances in order to improve texture, nutrient content or biological activity.
Ampere (amp) - The unit used to measure the strength of an electric current.
Annual - A plant that normally completes its entire life cycle in one year or less, tomatoes are examples of annual plants.
Arc - Luminous discharge of electricity (light) between two electrodes.
Arc Tube - A quartz container for luminous gases also houses the arc in HID lights.
Auxin - Classification of plant hormones; auxins are responsible for foliage and root elongation.
Bacteria - Very small, one-celled organisms.
Beneficial Insect A good insect that eats bad flower and vegetable munching insects.
Biodegradable Able to decompose or break down through natural bacterial or fungal action, substances made of organic matter are biodegradable.
Bolt Term used to describe a plant that has gone to seed prematurely.
Bonsai A very short or dwarfed plant.
Breaker Box Electrical circuit box having on/off switches rather than fuses.
Breathe Roots draw in or breather oxygen, stomata draw in or breathe carbon dioxide.
Bud Blight A withering condition that attacks flower buds.
Buffering The ability of a substance to reduce shock cushion against pH fluctuation.
Bulb The outer glass envelope or jacket that protects the arc tube of an HID lamp.
Bulbs Common are tulips and daffodils planted in the fall or spring blooms, or forced indoors for winter blooms.
Carbon Dioxide (CO2) A colorless, odorless, tasteless gas in the air necessary for plant life and biomass accumulation.
Carbohydrate Neutral compound of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen. Sugar, starch and cellulose are carbohydrates.
Caustic Capable of destroying, killing or eating away by chemical activity.
Cell The base structural unit that plants are made of, cells contain a nucleus, that houses its DNA.
Cellulose A complex carbohydrate that stiffens a plants tissue.
CFM Cubic Feet Per Minute.
Chelate Combining nutrients in an atomic ring that is easy for plants to absorb.
Chlorine Chemical used to purify water.
Chloroplast Containing chlorophyll.
Chlorosis The condition of a sick plant with yellowing leaves due to inadequate formation of chlorophyll. Chlorosis is caused by nutrient deficiency, usually iron or imbalanced pH.
Clay - Soil made of very fine organic mineral particles. Clay is not suitable for container gardening.
Climate The average condition of the weather in a garden room or outdoors.
Color Spectrum The band of colors (measured in NM) emitted by a light source.
Color Temperature The relative whiteness of a piece of tungsten steel heated to that temperature in degrees Kelvin.
Color Tracer A coloring agent added to many commercial fertilizers, so the horticulturist knows there is fertilizer in the solution.
Compaction Soil condition that results from tightly packing soil; compacted soil allows for only marginal aeration and root penetration.
Companion Planting Planting garlic, marigolds, etc., along with other plants to discourage insect infestation.
Compost A mixture of decayed organic matter.
Core The transformer in the ballast is referred to as the core in HID lighting systems.
Corms, Rhizomes and Tubers Dormant stems planted in the fall for spring blooms, or forced indoors for winter blooms. Common varieties are dahlias and irises.
Cotyledon Energy storage components of a seed that feed the plant before the emergence of its first true leaves.
Cross Pollinate Pollinating two plants having different ancestry.
Cubic Foot Volume measurement in feet. LWH / 1728 = Cu. Ft.
Cutting (1) Growing tip cut from a parent plant for asexual propagation. (2) clone.
Damping-Off A disease that attacks young seedlings and cuttings causing the stem to rot at the base.
Direct Current (DC) An electric current that flows only in one direction.
Deplete Exhaust soil of nutrients, making it infertile.
Desiccate Cause to dry up. Insecticidal soap desiccates its victims.
Dioecious Having distinct male and female organs on different plants within the same species.
Dome The part of the HID outer bulb opposite the neck and threads.
Dome Support The spring like brackets that mount the arc tube within the outer envelope.
Drainage Way to empty soil of excess water: with good drainage, water passes through soil evenly.
Drip Line A line around a plant directly under its outermost branch tips: roots seldom grow beyond the drip line.
Drip System A very efficient watering system that employs a main hose with small water emitters.
Dry Ice A cold, white substance formed when carbon dioxide is compressed and cooled; dry ice changes into CO2 gas at room temperature.
Electrode A conductor used to establish electrical arc or contact with non-metallic part of circuit.
Elongate Growth in length.
Envelope Outer protective bulb or jacket of a lamp.
Equinox The point at which the sun crosses the equator and day and night are each 12 hours long; the equinox occurs twice a year, in spring and fall.
Feed Deliver nutrient to the plant via roots or foliage.
Female Pistillate, ovule, seed-producing.
Fertigate To fertilize and irrigate at the same time.
Fertilizer Burn Over fertilization: first leaf tips burn (turn brown) then the leaves curl.
Flat Shallow (three inch) deep container, often 18 by 24 or 10 by 20 inches with good drainage, used to start seedlings or cuttings.
Fluorescent Lamp Electric lamp using a tube filled with fluorescent material, which has a low heat output.
Foliage The leaves or more generally the green parts of the plant.
Foliar Feeding Misting fertilizer solution which is absorbed by the foliage. Best to do when first turning on your lights.
Foot-Candle The unit is defined as the amount of illumination that the surface of an imaginary 1-foot radius sphere would be receiving if there were a uniform point source of one candle in the exact center of the sphere. The foot-candle is equal to one lumen per square food. Foot-candle is a derived unit of illuminance from Lux. One foot-candle is equal to 10.76 Lux.
Fungistat A product that inhibits fungus keeping it in check.
Fungus A lower plant lacking chlorophyll which may attach green plants; mold, rust, mildew.
Fuse Electrical safety device consisting of a metal that melts and interrupts the circuit when circuit is overloaded.
Fuse Box Box containing fuses that control electric circuits.
GPM Gallons per minute.
Gene Part of a chromosome that influences the development of plant; genes are inherited through sexual propagation.
Genetic Make Up The set of genes inherited from parent plants.
Halide Binary compound of a (Halogens) with an electropositive elements.
Hermaphrodite One plant having both male and female organs; the breeding of hermaphrodites is hard to control.
Hertz (HZ) A unit of frequency that cycles one time each second. A home with 60 hertz AC current cycles 60 times per second.
HID High intensity discharge.
Honey Dew A sticky, honey like substance secreted into foliage by aphids, scale and mealy bugs.
Hood Reflective cover of an HID lamp.
Hor The abbreviation stamped on some HID bulbs meaning they must be burned in a horizontal position.
Horizontal Parallel to the horizon, ground or floor.
Hormone Chemical substance that controls the growth and development of a plant. Root-inducing hormones help cuttings root.
Alternating Current (AC) - An electric current that reverses its direction at regular occurring intervals. Homes have AC.
Acid - An acid of sour substance has a pH below 7.0.
Aeration - Supplying soil and roots with air or oxygen.
Aeroponics - Growing plants by misting roots suspended in air.
Alkaline - Refers to a substance with high pH; any pH over 7.0 is considered alkaline.
All Purpose (General Purpose) Fertilizer - A balanced blend of N-P-k, all purpose fertilizer is used by most growers.
Amendment - Fortifying soil by adding organic mineral substances in order to improve texture, nutrient content or biological activity.
Ampere (amp) - The unit used to measure the strength of an electric current.
Annual - A plant that normally completes its entire life cycle in one year or less, tomatoes are examples of annual plants.
Arc - Luminous discharge of electricity (light) between two electrodes.
Arc Tube - A quartz container for luminous gases also houses the arc in HID lights.
Auxin - Classification of plant hormones; auxins are responsible for foliage and root elongation.
Bacteria - Very small, one-celled organisms.
Beneficial Insect A good insect that eats bad flower and vegetable munching insects.
Biodegradable Able to decompose or break down through natural bacterial or fungal action, substances made of organic matter are biodegradable.
Bolt Term used to describe a plant that has gone to seed prematurely.
Bonsai A very short or dwarfed plant.
Breaker Box Electrical circuit box having on/off switches rather than fuses.
Breathe Roots draw in or breather oxygen, stomata draw in or breathe carbon dioxide.
Bud Blight A withering condition that attacks flower buds.
Buffering The ability of a substance to reduce shock cushion against pH fluctuation.
Bulb The outer glass envelope or jacket that protects the arc tube of an HID lamp.
Bulbs Common are tulips and daffodils planted in the fall or spring blooms, or forced indoors for winter blooms.
Carbon Dioxide (CO2) A colorless, odorless, tasteless gas in the air necessary for plant life and biomass accumulation.
Carbohydrate Neutral compound of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen. Sugar, starch and cellulose are carbohydrates.
Caustic Capable of destroying, killing or eating away by chemical activity.
Cell The base structural unit that plants are made of, cells contain a nucleus, that houses its DNA.
Cellulose A complex carbohydrate that stiffens a plants tissue.
CFM Cubic Feet Per Minute.
Chelate Combining nutrients in an atomic ring that is easy for plants to absorb.
Chlorine Chemical used to purify water.
Chloroplast Containing chlorophyll.
Chlorosis The condition of a sick plant with yellowing leaves due to inadequate formation of chlorophyll. Chlorosis is caused by nutrient deficiency, usually iron or imbalanced pH.
Clay - Soil made of very fine organic mineral particles. Clay is not suitable for container gardening.
Climate The average condition of the weather in a garden room or outdoors.
Color Spectrum The band of colors (measured in NM) emitted by a light source.
Color Temperature The relative whiteness of a piece of tungsten steel heated to that temperature in degrees Kelvin.
Color Tracer A coloring agent added to many commercial fertilizers, so the horticulturist knows there is fertilizer in the solution.
Compaction Soil condition that results from tightly packing soil; compacted soil allows for only marginal aeration and root penetration.
Companion Planting Planting garlic, marigolds, etc., along with other plants to discourage insect infestation.
Compost A mixture of decayed organic matter.
Core The transformer in the ballast is referred to as the core in HID lighting systems.
Corms, Rhizomes and Tubers Dormant stems planted in the fall for spring blooms, or forced indoors for winter blooms. Common varieties are dahlias and irises.
Cotyledon Energy storage components of a seed that feed the plant before the emergence of its first true leaves.
Cross Pollinate Pollinating two plants having different ancestry.
Cubic Foot Volume measurement in feet. LWH / 1728 = Cu. Ft.
Cutting (1) Growing tip cut from a parent plant for asexual propagation. (2) clone.
Damping-Off A disease that attacks young seedlings and cuttings causing the stem to rot at the base.
Direct Current (DC) An electric current that flows only in one direction.
Deplete Exhaust soil of nutrients, making it infertile.
Desiccate Cause to dry up. Insecticidal soap desiccates its victims.
Dioecious Having distinct male and female organs on different plants within the same species.
Dome The part of the HID outer bulb opposite the neck and threads.
Dome Support The spring like brackets that mount the arc tube within the outer envelope.
Drainage Way to empty soil of excess water: with good drainage, water passes through soil evenly.
Drip Line A line around a plant directly under its outermost branch tips: roots seldom grow beyond the drip line.
Drip System A very efficient watering system that employs a main hose with small water emitters.
Dry Ice A cold, white substance formed when carbon dioxide is compressed and cooled; dry ice changes into CO2 gas at room temperature.
Electrode A conductor used to establish electrical arc or contact with non-metallic part of circuit.
Elongate Growth in length.
Envelope Outer protective bulb or jacket of a lamp.
Equinox The point at which the sun crosses the equator and day and night are each 12 hours long; the equinox occurs twice a year, in spring and fall.
Feed Deliver nutrient to the plant via roots or foliage.
Female Pistillate, ovule, seed-producing.
Fertigate To fertilize and irrigate at the same time.
Fertilizer Burn Over fertilization: first leaf tips burn (turn brown) then the leaves curl.
Flat Shallow (three inch) deep container, often 18 by 24 or 10 by 20 inches with good drainage, used to start seedlings or cuttings.
Fluorescent Lamp Electric lamp using a tube filled with fluorescent material, which has a low heat output.
Foliage The leaves or more generally the green parts of the plant.
Foliar Feeding Misting fertilizer solution which is absorbed by the foliage. Best to do when first turning on your lights.
Foot-Candle The unit is defined as the amount of illumination that the surface of an imaginary 1-foot radius sphere would be receiving if there were a uniform point source of one candle in the exact center of the sphere. The foot-candle is equal to one lumen per square food. Foot-candle is a derived unit of illuminance from Lux. One foot-candle is equal to 10.76 Lux.
Fungistat A product that inhibits fungus keeping it in check.
Fungus A lower plant lacking chlorophyll which may attach green plants; mold, rust, mildew.
Fuse Electrical safety device consisting of a metal that melts and interrupts the circuit when circuit is overloaded.
Fuse Box Box containing fuses that control electric circuits.
GPM Gallons per minute.
Gene Part of a chromosome that influences the development of plant; genes are inherited through sexual propagation.
Genetic Make Up The set of genes inherited from parent plants.
Halide Binary compound of a (Halogens) with an electropositive elements.
Hermaphrodite One plant having both male and female organs; the breeding of hermaphrodites is hard to control.
Hertz (HZ) A unit of frequency that cycles one time each second. A home with 60 hertz AC current cycles 60 times per second.
HID High intensity discharge.
Honey Dew A sticky, honey like substance secreted into foliage by aphids, scale and mealy bugs.
Hood Reflective cover of an HID lamp.
Hor The abbreviation stamped on some HID bulbs meaning they must be burned in a horizontal position.
Horizontal Parallel to the horizon, ground or floor.
Hormone Chemical substance that controls the growth and development of a plant. Root-inducing hormones help cuttings root.