abdomen—the posterior portion of the body.
acid soil—soil with a pH reading below 7. Can also be called sour soil.
aeration—a mechanical process that either punches holes or breaks up the soil to allow oxygen in and relieve the effects of soil compaction.
aerobic—anything that requires oxygen.
alkaline soil—soil with a pH reading above 7. Can also be called sweet soil.
amendment—a material that is added to soil to improve its condition or nutrient value.
annual—a plant that completes its life cycle in one growing season.
Bacillus thuringiensis—a bacterium known as Bt, it is the most widely used microbial biological control measure on the market today. There are more than thirty-five varieties, several of which are available to home gardeners. It is selective—only affecting the insects described on the label. It comes in many forms including liquid, powder, dust, and granules.
bacteria—microscopic organisms that can be parasitic or beneficial, and have round, rod, spiral, or filament-shaped cell bodies.
beneficial—a term used to describe a plant or animal that contributes to the well-being of people or nature.
beneficial insects—insects that control other harmful insects, or increase the productivity or fertility of plants.
biennial—a plant that requires two growing seasons to complete its life cycle.
biological control (biocontrol)—any living thing or biologically derived substance that controls or reduces the number of parasites, weeds, or other pests.
brassica—a member of the cabbage family of plants, which includes broccoli, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, collards, and kale.
broadcast—to scatter seeds or spread fertilizer evenly over a wide area.
broad-leafed plant—a plant that has a wide, flat leaf as opposed to the needlelike leaves of conifers.
bulb—a swollen underground stem where food is stored for the plant’s period of dormancy.
calcareous—a term used to describe alkaline soils that contain limestone.
cane—a thin woody stem from such plants as bamboo and blackberries.
carnivore—an organism that feeds on the flesh of other organisms.
castings—worm manure or excrement.
caterpillar—the larval form of a butterfly or moth.
chemical control—to reduce the populations of pests by using chemical solutions.
chlorosis—a condition in plants that causes a loss of chlorophyll, generally caused by a lack of nutrients, especially iron. Characterized by yellowing foliage.
clay soil—a soil that is heavy with lots of clay particles in it. It is often easily compacted and slow-draining.
cold-blooded—describing an animal that has a body temperature that is regulated by its surroundings instead of its body.
compaction—the pressing together of soil particles, which in turn makes the soil hard.
companion planting—planting different plants together that are considered to have a beneficial effect on one another.
complete metamorphosis—complete change in form in the maturing process of certain insects, which involves four stages: egg, larva, pupa, adult.
composite flower—members of the daisy or composite family that have many small flowers packed tightly together to form a single flower head.
compost—nutrient-rich organic matter that is created by the decomposition of plants and animal wastes. Often used as a soil amendment.
composting—the process that occurs when organic matter is broken down by decomposer organisms into a nutrient-rich soil or humus.
cross-pollinate—to apply pollen of a male flower to the stigma or female part of another flower.
cucurbit—a member of the gourd family, which includes squash, cucumbers, and melons.
cultivar—a name given to a plant that has been selected from the wild or garden and cultivated to preserve certain characteristics.
cutting—a leaf, shoot, root, stem, or bud that has been cut off a plant to be used for propagation.
deadheading—the removal of faded flowers to discourage the formation of seeds and encourage more blooming.
deciduous—nonevergreen trees and shrubs that lose their leaves at the end of their growing season and grow new ones at the start of their next growing season.
decomposers—organisms that digest and break down the organic matter in the dead bodies of animals and other plants into simpler compounds.
decomposition—the process of breaking down organic matter into its basic compounds and elements, including nutrients needed for plant growth.
dividing—the process of separating a plant in order to propagate more plants from it.
dolomitic limestone—a form of limestone that contains small amounts of magnesium.
dormancy—the period of time a plant rests.
dormant oil—an oil used to smother overwintering insects such as scales on plants and trees.
drench—the application of water with or without added ingredients to the roots of a plant.
earthworm—a segmented worm that belongs to the phylum Annelida.
evergreen—a plant that has leaves the entire year.
family—a group of plant or animal genera having overall similar characteristics.
fertilizer—a substance that is added to the soil to supply one or more plant nutrients; it can be either natural or man-made.
fish emulsion—a liquid fertilizer made from fish.
floating row cover—a lightweight fabric that is placed over planted rows as a protection against frost or pests.
food wastes—food scraps; generally refers to uncooked fruit and vegetable scraps.
friable soil—easily crumbled soil.
fungicide—substance used to kill or inhibit fungi growth.
gall—an abnormal growth on a plant that is caused by insects, mites, or fungi.
genus—a like group of plants or animals within a family that has one or more species. It is the first word in the scientific Latin name of a plant or animal.
germinate—to begin to grow or to sprout from seed.
glauconite—an iron potassium silicate present in greensand.
grafted root stock—roots from one plant that have been combined, or grafted, with the top part of another plant. Generally root stocks are used because the root system from the top plant has a problem or the root stock itself is superior in some way.
green manure—plants used or grown to produce fertilizers, such as nitrogen, for the soil.
greensand—a sediment composed of grains of glauconite mixed with clay or sand and used as an organic fertilizer.
grub—the larval form of some beetles.
guano—the dried droppings of birds or bats.
habitat—a place where an organism normally lives.
heap—an unenclosed compost pile.
herbicide—a substance used to kill weeds or other plants.
hibernation—dormancy during the winter.
honeydew—a sweet liquid that is secreted onto the leaves of plants by aphids and other insects.
humus—finished compost, which has undergone a high degree of decomposition through the breakdown of plant and animal matter. It is stable, dark in color, and has a high water absorption and swelling capability.
incomplete metamorphosis—a gradual change in form from egg to adult in some insects. The stages are called molts, and there is no caterpillar or pupal form: the insect goes from egg to nymph to adult.
integrated pest management (IPM)—a pest management strategy that examines all aspects of pest management and comes up with a comprehensive analysis of the problem, in order to produce the maximum crop yield and the minimum adverse effects to man and the environment.
larva—the immature stage between the egg and pupa in insects that undergo complete metamorphosis.
leaf litter—the uppermost organic materials that are partly or not at all decomposed, on the surface of the soil.
macroorganisms—organisms that can be seen without magnification.
maggot—a legless fly larva that does not have a well-developed head.
manure—a term that usually refers to animal dung but is also used to describe plants grown as fertilizers for other plants (green manure).
microorganisms—organisms that are extremely small and cannot be seen without magnification.
migrate—to move from one location to another for food or reproduction.
mulch—a layer of partially decomposed plant materials that is placed on top of garden beds and around plants and shrubs to hold in moisture. Some even repel pests.
nectar—a sweet liquid secreted by plants.
nematode—an unsegmented roundworm belonging to the phylum Nematoda; these worms have a straight digestive tract that lies loose within a fluid-filled body space.
nitrogen fixation—ability of plants or other organisms to convert nitrogen from the air into a biologically usable form.
nymph—a stage in incomplete metamorphosis. Nymphs are immature insects that resemble tiny adults.
organic matter—any organic material derived from plants or animals that is in a more or less advanced stage of decomposition.
overwinter—the ability to live through or survive the winter.
parasite—an animal or plant that lives in or on the body of another living organism (host) for at least part of its life.
pest—an organism (either insect or animal) that is either harmful or annoying to humans or plants.
pesticide—a chemical used to control or kill pests, most commonly insect pests.
pH—the degree of alkalinity or acidity; it is measured numerically on a scale from 0 to 14.
pheromone—a substance produced by one organism that influences the behavior or physiology of another organism of the same species.
pheromone traps—artificial scent lures that imitate the sex attractant hormones of a certain insect species.
plant hormones—specific chemicals produced by plants that control certain growth aspects like flowering. Also called growth regulators.
proboscis—an extended mouthpart, which in insects can be beaklike or tubelike. Adult butterflies have a proboscis.
pupa—the stage between the larva and the adult form in insects with complete metamorphosis. This stage is nonfeeding and inactive.
rhizome—a below-ground-level stem that is capable of producing a new plant.
scarification—the process of nicking or chemically inducing a hard seed coat to open for quicker germination.
soil—an ecological system consisting of inorganic minerals, organic matter, and living organisms.
species—a group of individuals that are similar in structure and physiology and when mated are capable of reproducing fertile offspring.
stolon—a stem that runs along the ground in some plants, such as Bermuda grass, that forms roots and new plants at intervals along its length.
stomata—pores on the underside of leaves that gases can easily move through.
stratification—to expose seeds to cold to improve or speed germination.
thatch—a layer of organic material that develops between the soil and the base of plants. Often associated with lawn clippings that are matted on the soil surface, as well as shallow roots.
thorax—the body region in insects between the head and the abdomen; it has the walking legs and the wings.
true bugs—insects in the order Hemiptera. They have beaks or piercing mouthparts, wings that are thick at the base and membranous at the ends, and a metathorax that forms a triangular plate between the wing bases. Some examples of true bugs are stink bugs, assassin bugs, and waterboatmen.
vermicompost—the end product from composting with worms. Vermicompost contains worm castings, broken-down organic matter, bedding, worm cocoons, worms, and other organisms.
warm-blooded—describing an animal that has its body temperature regulated from within its body.
wilt—the discoloration and usually drooping of leaves caused by either excessively dry or excessively wet conditions.