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Index : Miscellaneous Gardening Topics
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- 22. Understanding Difficult Gardening Lingo - Top
- When your reading gardening pamphlets, books and magazines, visiting the local garden stores or watching gardening programs on HGTV you may see or hear some terms your not familiar with. Here are definitions of some of the most commonly encountered and least understood terms, products and materials in home gardening.
Terms:
Xeriscape: a landscape designed with water conservation in mind. It is derived from the word Xeric, meaning dry or requiring a small amount of water. There are 7 principles of Xeriscaping. They include; appropriate planning and design, limited turf areas, efficient irrigation, soil improvements, mulches, low water use plants and appropriate maintenance. Many people mispronounce this term calling it ‘Zeroscape’, with a vastly different meaning!
Legume: a plant belonging to the family ‘Leguminosae’ that fixes it’s own nitrogen from bacteria containing nodules on the roots. The bacteria converts atmospheric nitrogen that penetrates the soil pours to ammonia (NH3) that converts to ammonium (NH4) which can be used by the plant. Many desert plants are legumes, including Mesquites, Palo Verdes, and Acacias.
Hydroponics: a method of growing plants in water. Nutrient solutions are added to the water to provide plants the elements they need for growth. Large acreage of hydroponically grown tomatoes are produced in greenhouses in Arizona and are sold throughout the U.S. under the Eurofresh label. Many people confuse hydroponically grown with organically grown. Although hydroponic culture often includes aspects of organic growing, it may not be totally organic.
IPM: is the abbreviation of Integrated Pest Management. This is an approach to control, not eradicate, pest organisms (insects, diseases and weeds). IPM utilizes organic, biological, bio-rational (soaps & oils) and finally when needed, chemicals. Mechanical control, such as using window screens to keep out mosquitos and cultivation to control weeds, is the first line of defense in IPM programs.
Products and Materials:
DG: is the abbreviation for Decomposed Granite, the most commonly sold mulch covering for landscapes here in the desert Southwest. DG is dug from the desert. It resembles shale, but is harder and less water absorbent. Small flakes of it accumulate from the erosion of hard granite rock. Depending on the grade, or size, DG can include particles so small as to resemble soil. Other granite material is crushed and screened according to size and does not contain the fine, soil-like particles. The various colors that DG comes in is determined by the natural color of rock and the area from which it has been mined.
BT: is the abbreviation for Bacillus Thuringiensis, an organic control for caterpillars and mosquito larvae. BT is a bacteria that, in the case of leaf feeding caterpillars, is sprayed on the leaves. As the leaves are ingested, the bacteria spreads in the gut of the worm, resulting in an almost immediate cessation of feeding. Although the caterpillars infected by BT will live on for a few days, they eventually starve to death. BT has no harmful effects on people, pets or wildlife. A form sold for mosquito larvae control, subspecies israelensis, can be put into water without harming fish, reptiles or aquatic plants. Here is the desert Southwest, BT is commonly used for the control of cabbage loopers, tomato hornworm, citrus orangedog, and Texas mountain laurel caterpillar. BT is available everywhere garden products are sold.
Diatomaceous Earth: mineralized "shells" of one-cell aquatic plants called diatoms. Over millions of years, these diatoms died and settled to the bottoms of bodies of water. Now, these diatom "skeletons" are mined or dug to yield diatomaceous earth. These tiny mineralized shells are very sharp. They’re used to control insect pests and act by cutting the water-repelling insect exoskeleton, resulting in "dehydration," causing the insect's death. Diatomaceous earth is used to control cockroaches, fleas, carpet beetles, centipedes, crickets, earwigs, grasshoppers, ticks, millipedes, scorpions, slugs, and silverfish.
Perlite & Vermiculite: soil amendment that are common components of potting soils. Perlite is a white crusty substance that’s made by super-heating volcanic rock. Perlite is an inert material that improves soil drainage and aeration. Vermiculite is a light brown, flaky substance that’s made by heating and expanding mica. It’s used to add water and nutrient absorbing properties to and improve the structure of potting soils. Both can be purchased as separate ingredients at local garden and home supply stores.
Milorganite: sewage sludge produced from municipal waste (originating in Milwaukee, Wisconsin) and used as an organic fertilizer. Milorganite was the first commercially marketed, bagged sewage sludge for use as a fertilizer. Because sewage sludges including Milorganite can contain heavy metals, they should not be used to fertilize vegetables, fruits and other edible plants.
Written by John Begeman, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, the University of Arizona, 520-626-5161. - Updated: December 19, 2004
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