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WORD OF THE DAY-LOCOVORE...the practice of eating food grown locally.
Antidesiccants, also called antitranspirants, are products that slow the loss of water from plant leaves. The best reason to apply such a product is to stop or reduce the amount of water being lost through leaves at times when roots are unable to take up sufficient water. Without the help of an antidesiccant, leaves can scorch or a plant could even die. Evergreens might find themselves in such a predicament in winter, when bright sun, wind, and air temperatures above freezing coax water from leaves yet the soil remains frozen. Even during the growing season, a plant might not be able to keep up with water lost through its leaves and could benefit from protection. Bare-rooted or balled-and-burlapped trees, for instance, lose roots during transplanting so they have trouble replacing water, even in moist soil. In a dry summer, all plants struggle for water. Plants that are susceptible to drought and cannot be watered are good candidates for antidesiccants. Antidesiccants have been known to help reduce the incidence of certain diseases, such as downy mildew on zinnias and black spot and powdery mildew on roses. The first lines of defense in fending off plant diseases, however, should be plant selection, site modification, and pruning. Antidesiccants can also help preserve the foliage on Christmas trees and on evergreen branches cut for vases. Some caution is needed when using antidesiccants. Because leaves lose water through the same pores that take in carbon dioxide for photosynthesis, antidesiccants can be toxic to plants. In addition, these products are generally more hazardous to evergreens than to deciduous plants. For example, you should never apply antidesiccants to blue spruces or other plants that have a bluish waxy coating on their leaves. That waxy coating is the plant’s own natural antidesiccant; spraying an antidesiccant washes away that wax and the blueness. You can minimize the toxic effects from antidesiccants by reading the label carefully and noting the warnings for specific plants and the directions for dilution and timing. For winter protection, spray the leaves with an antidesiccant in late fall and then again toward the end of winter. Spray only when temperatures are above freezing, and wash out the sprayer with warm, soapy water immediately after each application. It’s best to avoid plant-moisture problems in the first place by siting your plants appropriately, watering the soil as needed, and mulching to conserve soil moisture and to reduce and delay soil freezing so that roots remain active.
Analog plants; plants that are alternatives to native plants with some of the same characteristics and tolerances.They tend to be more showy.
Anthracnose; This fungus occurs worldwide. In North America it is especially troublesome in the humid eastern part of the continent. Beans develop round, black, sunken spots on pods and stems. Veins on leaf undersides turn black. Cucumber and muskmelon leaves develop yellow spots that dry up and fall out; spots on watermelon leaves are black. Infected fruits are covered with sunken spots with dark borders. Tomatoes develop sunken spots on ripe fruits, the central parts of which turn dark. Wet weather encourages the disease to spread. The fungus overwinters in plant residues in the soil.Prevention and Control
Enriching soil with compost helps plants resist attack. Obtain disease-free seed and grow resistant varieties. Don't work with plants while they are wet. Irrigate with drip vs. overhead sprinklers. Rotate crops at least yearly (a 2- to 3-year rotation is better). Keep ripening fruits out of contact with soil. Copper fungicides are effective as a preventive when applied as directed on the product label. It's best not to depend too heavily upon this method of control, as copper can build up in soil to levels toxic to earthworms and microbes.
ecological gardening-is the process of matching a plant to the appropriate site in your garden landscape...location location location...try using native plants or non-hybrid plants instead of mordern or new varieties.follow natures lead .instead of fighting nature with more formal gardens. Anthracnose:dead spots with definite margins, often with pinkish slimy spore masses, on leaves, stems, or fruit.Example: Sycamore, Oak, Maple, Dogwood.
Bacterial diseases: all types of diseases, balls, blights, a rots, leave spots, caused by bacteria. Examples: English ivy, Apple, pear, mountain ash,cotoneaster,vinca, corn, cucumber, tomato, plum, cherry.
Biological control:disease or pest control through counterbalance by microorganisms and other natural components of the envioronment.
Black Knot black, knotty enlargement of woody tissue. Example: plum, cherry.
Black leg Darkening at the base of a plant example, cabbage, cauliflower.
Black spot Dark leaf spot on a rose. Example rose. Blights General killing of leaves, flowers, stems. Example: Juniper,pachysandra , Perry Winkle, pine, tomato, tuff.
Blight: any sudden,severe, and extensive spotting discoloration,wilting,or destruction of leaves.
Cankers/Dieback localize lesions on stems or trunks, sometimes accompanied by dying back from the top. example boxwood, pine, spruce. Compost
Composting is a simple process which offers many benefits.
When you turn your garden refuse and kitchen scraps into compost,
you are creating fertilizer for your plants and conserving
landfill space. Compost will improve your soil, giving it the
ability to hold moisture and drain well. Even hard clay soil
will be improved by adding compost.
Composting can be as simple or as complex as you want it to be.
Compost bins and tumblers can be purchased or you can make your
own, or simply leave your compost materials in a pile without
a bin.
To make compost, you'll need a good mix of "brown" and "green"
material. Brown materials are things like dried leaves, coffee
grounds, shredded paper and straw. Green materials are grass
clippings, fresh garden refuse and kitchen scraps. Add the brown
and green ingredients in layers,. Avoid adding bones, meat
scraps or dairy products to your compost. These items decompose
slowly and will attract animals to your compost pile.
Manure is also a good addition to compost, but manure from
meat-eating animals should be avoided. Manure contains a great
deal of nitrogen and also beneficial microbes that will help the
composting process. Manure makes a great fertilizer, but it
should be composted before adding it to the garden because fresh
manure is so strong or "hot" that it will burn tender plants.
A compost pile will heat up and cook more quickly if it is kept
moist. Compost should be as moist as a sponge that has been
wrung out. Too much or too little moisture will slow the
decomposition process. A compost pile that is cooking properly
will feel warm or hot inside the pile. If the temperature inside
the pile is no warmer than the air temperature, the pile needs
more green material and perhaps more moisture.
Air circulation is also important for a compost pile. A compost
pile that is regularly mixed or turned will decompose much faster
than one that is never turned. But given enough time, even a
compost pile that is never turned will eventually decompose.
Concerned about the smell of a compost pile or worried that it
will attract rodents? Simply bury fresh materials in the middle
of the pile or cover the smelly material with some soil. Burying
the material in the pile will add some needed air circulation,
and the addition of soil will also include some helpful microbes.
Finished compost will look like good black soil and can be added
liberally to your garden. Make you own compost for your garden
and you will soon understand why it is called black gold.
Clone:vegetatively (asexual) propagated plant or member of a group of plants derived from a single original plant.
Club root distorted swollen roots. Example, cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli. Dampening off suddenly wilting of seedlings or rotting of seeds and soil example seedlings in general.
Cultivar (abbr. cv.):a cultivated plant variety or cultural selection.
Dodder parasitic sea plant with orange tendrils.
Downy mildew's With internal mycelium, but fruiting structures protruding to form. white, gray, all violet patches. Example grape, let us, onions rose.
Ecological gardening-is the process of matching a plant to the appropriate site in your garden landscape...location location location...try using native plants or non-hybrid plants instead of mordern or new varieties.follow natures lead .instead of fighting nature with more formal gardens. Anthracnose:dead spots with definite margins, often with pinkish slimy spore masses, on leaves, stems, or fruit.Example: Sycamore, Oak, Maple, Dogwood.
Fairy Rings Mushrooms growing in circles. Example: tuff.
Forest Ecology 101:natures cycle,Insects: defoliation, pollination, decomposition. Mycorrhizal fungi: extremely beneficial microorganisms living around roots. Symbiotic relationship: Mycorrhizae aids removal of minerals and water from the soil; delivers them to the host root system in a usable form. In return the mycorrhizae consumes a portion of the host plant’s sugars.
Fungicide(adj. fungicidal):chemical or physical agent that kills or inhibits growth.
Galls Noticeable enlargements of leaves, stems, or roots. Example: azalea,euonymus, forsythia, thinker, tomato.
Girdle:to circle and cut through : to destroy vasular tissue as in canker or knife cutthat incircles the stem or tree.
Green Roof: is defined as one containing plants such as hens & chicks, sedums, and other plants that thrive in dry conditions.
Greensand: a wonderful organic product
that will improve your garden and potting soil.
Greensand is a naturally occurring mineral that is mined from
ancient sea floor deposits that has been used as a fertilizer
since the 1700s. In the U.S. greensand is found mainly in
Texas, New Jersey and Arkansas. It is completely organic and
safe to handle. It will not harm insects, pets or people and
is so safe it can be scooped up in your hands. Greensand can
be applied to the garden any time, and unlike chemical fertilizers,
it will not burn your plants if applied too heavily.
Now here's the best part: Greensand will help loosen up clay
soils and help bind sandy soils. It also retains water and will
increase the soil's ability to hold moisture. When greensand is
mixed into potting soil, less watering will be required for your
potted plants. Greensand looks much like fine beach sand that
has been tinted green, but it is able to absorb ten times more
moisture than beach sand. The dark green color of greensand is
natural, and the when greensand is applied to the soil surface,
its dark color will help absorb sunlight and help warm the soil
in early spring.
At first glance, greensand may not look like much of a fertilizer.
It has an N-P-K rating of only 0-0-0.1 to 0-0-3 which means it
contains no nitrogen or phosphorus and only a slight amount of
potash. But it is the trace minerals present in greensand that
prove its worth. While plants need only tiny amounts of these
trace elements, they are essential to a plant's growth. Greensand
will provide calcium, manganese, and over thirty more trace
elements for your plants.
An application of greensand will improve the soil and thereby
improve the health of your plants. Greensand will make roses
bloom longer and it will make tomato plants produce tastier fruit.
If your garden soil is heavy with clay or sandy and weak, a dose
of greensand will make it more suitable for your plants.
Whether you buy Jersey greensand, Texas glittergreen greensand
or Arkansas greensand, always check the label for instructions
before applying this amendment to your garden. Application
rates can vary from 5 to 80 pounds per 100 square feet, depending
on the specific needs of the soil.
Greensand can be found at garden centers and in some gardening
catalogs. If your local garden center doesn't offer greensand,
ask them if they can order it in for you. Your garden will
appreciate it.
Incubation period: the the time between infection by a pathogen and the he appearances of any of symptoms.
Invasive Plants are: Non-native species, often introduced for ecological or horticultural purposes. Not always harmful, many upset natural ecological balance by out-competing local species.
Larva: juvenile stage of nematode between the embryo and the adult;juvenile stage of an insect.
Non-parasitic diseases due to environmental conditions, rather than specific organisms. Plants in general. speacial thanks to Cornell coperative extension of suffolk county.
osmotic pressure:fertilizer salts which are inorganic draw water from native plant roots.
Pathogen: a living organism that causes disease. They can be spread by wind, insects, birds, soil, humans, and rain.
Plant disease: a condition of abnormal growth or function.
Powdery mildew's : superficial white powdery growth on leaves and flowers. Example lilac, rose, oak, Sycamore, Apple, grape. Choose one, cucumbers, or squash.
Protectant:agent,usually a chemical,applied to a plant surface in advance of a pathogen to prevent infection.
Rots: soft or hard decay or disintegration of plant tissues. Example: Apple, peach, grape, tomato, potato, squash.
Rusts: with reddish or Rust colored spore masses. Example Apple Cedar Hawthorn aster, snapdragon, turf.
Scab: raised or crust like lesions on leaves or fruit. Example: Apple, pair.
Scurf: flaky or scaly lesions. Example potato.
Slime molds: found in lawns, example serve. Smuts: White city black spore masses. Example corn.
Snow mold: light patches in turf, especially early spring. Examples turf.
Sp. (pl. spp.) species(sp. used after a genus name refers to several species without naming them individually)
Spore: reproductive body of fungi and other lower plants containing one or more cells ; a bacterial cell modified to survive an adverse environment.
Spot Anthracnose: light spots with raised talker borders or scanty lesions caused by Elsinoe species. Example dog would, grape, raspberry.
Sustainability: is often defined as meeting current human needs without endangering our descendants.Start with designing a dazzling garden that conserves natural resources, eschews toxic chemicals, and encourages a diversity of plant and animal life.
Toxin: poisonous substance of biological origin. Virus diseases: mosaics, ring spots, yellows, will close by viruses. Example ornamentals, fruits and vegetables in general.
Tree Cookie : cross section of a tree composed of: Outer Bark: Dry dead cells which protect the rest of the stem. Inner Bark (phloem): A live spongy layer just inside the outer bark that moves sugars and other substances from the leaves to the stem, roots, and other places where they are needed. Eventually grows out to form part of the outer bark. Cambium: Just inside the bark (but outside the wood), is a single layer of cells. It repeatedly divides to form all of the new wood and bark. Sapwood (xylem): Makes up everything living beyond the cambium in the tree trunk, branches, twigs, and woody roots. This wood is made up of fibers which add strength & hollow tubes of different sizes. These tubes are like straws that conduct water & minerals from the roots to the leaves. Growth Ring: The cambium produces a new layer of wood in diameter around the tree each year. In the late spring/early summer it grows rapidly (the light portion-called early wood) and during the late summer/early fall it grows more slowly (the dark portion-called late wood). Heartwood: As a stem ages and grows, eventually some of the wood in the center dies and becomes heartwood. It is a darker in color than the Sapwood and supports the tree.
Vasular: pertaining to conductive tissues(xylem and pholem)
Vector: agent that transmits inoculum and is capable of disseminating disease.
Vermicompost; Let worms eat your organic waste! They will happily turn it into some of the best fertilizer on earth - worm compost, otherwise known as “worm castings” or “vermicompost.” A fascinating, fun and easy way to recycle your organic kitchen wastes, vermiculture:http://earth911.com/blog/2007/04/02/composting-with-worms/
TRANSPLANTING: Here are a few tips that will insure success when
planting or transplanting trees and shrubs in your yard.
Know the rules about transplanting. The transplanting
season is short. In the colder states the transplanting
season begins around Thanksgiving and usually ends
around the third week of April. In warmer states the
time frame is about the same, but a little shorter on
both ends.
In other words, transplanting is winter sport!
When you transplant (dig out) a tree or shrub you cut
some roots. When the plant is sleeping this will not harm
the plant, but if the plant is awake it can be very traumatic and could even kill the plant.
It's like doing surgery on a human being. It has to be
done while we are in deep sleep.
So once your plants produce leaves in the spring, the transplanting season is over, so schedule your yard work in such a way that you get all of the transplanting done early.
How far out around the plant should you dig when
transplanting? With trees for every one inch of stem
caliper you should allow for 12" of root ball diameter. With shrubs the rule is the same, but you have to estimate because most shrubs have multiple stems.
If your plant comes out bare root that's fine, but you must
get it re-planted in it's new location immediately. Make sure the soil you use to back fill around the plant is nice and loose and you work it in and around the roots so there are no air pockets around the roots. Air on the root of a plant will kill that root.
Do not re-install the plant any deeper than it was growing in its original location. Burying plants too deeply in the ground is certain death, the roots need to breath. Even though they can not be exposed to the air for long, they still need to be able to transfer oxygen through the soil.
Vertical Gardening
Having only a small amount of growing space doesn't have to mean
you can't grow much. With a little creativity, you can grow a
lot more by gardening vertically.
With just a little help, many flowers and vegetable plants can
be grown vertically. Vining plants are especially suited to
vertical gardening and they will readily climb a trellis or fence.
Cages, poles, arbors, fences and even walls can be used to grow
plants vertically. Hanging baskets are another form of vertical
gardening, with the plants growing downward rather than upward.
If you want to grow cherry tomatoes this summer but don't have
room for a garden, you might try growing them in hanging baskets
on your patio or balcony.
Tomato plants will be easier to care for if they are trellised
or grown in cages. The fruit will stay clean if the plants
aren't left to sprawl on the ground, and the improved air
circulation will help deter fungal diseases.
Fragile pepper plants also benefit from growing in cages that
will protect their fragile stems from breaking under a heavy
load of peppers.
Cucumber plants grown in a cage or on a trellis will produce
nice, straight fruit. Squash, melons and gourds can also be
trained to grow on a fence or trellis, although you may have to
create slings to support the heavier fruit as it matures. Mini
pumpkins would be very attractive growing on a fence, but you
might want to keep your giant pumpkins on the ground. Their
heavy weight could pull down a fence or trellis.
Teepees for pole beans, vining peas or morning glories can be
made by lashing the tops together on three or more long bamboo
poles. Pole beans will also happily climb up corn stalks or
tall sunflowers, or up strings secured to a low roof or second- floor balcony.
When you plant vertically, keep in mind that the vertical
planting will also cast a shadow. Give careful thought to what
will grow on the shady side of the vertical planting. This would
be a good spot for growing cool-season plants that would benefit
from a little shade, such as lettuce.
A vertical garden can be used to block an unattractive view, and
a vertical garden can also be more accessible to gardeners with
disabilities.
Wilts: systemic diseases, with wilting, death of leaves, and branches. Example Elm, Maple.
Witch's-broom: disease sympton characterized by an abnormal,massed, brushlike developement of many weak shoots arising at or close to the same point.
footnote;David clement version 2, 1993 diane Karasevicz modification 1/95.
Zone Maps? Gardeners need a way to compare their garden climates with the climate where a plant is known to grow well. That's why climate zone maps were created. Zone maps are tools that show where various permanent landscape plants can adapt. If you want a shrub, perennial, or tree to survive and grow year after year, the plant must tolerate year-round conditions in your area, such as the lowest and highest temperatures and the amount and distribution of rainfall. Long island is mostly zone 7 and 6B according to most updated zone maps..
A weeds is a flower in the wrong place..
PRACTICING ecological sustainable gardening will help ensure the health of our planet for the next generation...
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