Gardening Glossary

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fallow

To keep part of a garden unplanted or in a cover crop during the growing season.

family

A broad group of plants with common characteristics.

fasciation

Distortion of a plant that results in thin, flattened, and sometimes curved shoots.

feeder roots

Fine roots and root branches with a large absorbing area (root hairs). Responsible for taking up the majority of a plant's water and nutrients from the soil.

fermentation

The partial breakdown of food molecules to yield ethyl alcohol, carbon dioxide, and energy. Fermentation occurs in the absence of oxygen.

fertility (soil)

The presence of minerals necessary for plant life.

fertilization

(1) The fusion of male and female germ cells following pollination. (2) The addition of plant nutrients to the environment around a plant.

fertilizer

A natural or synthetic product added to the soil or sprayed on plants to supply nutrients.

fertilizer analysis

The amount of nitrogen (N), phosphorous (as P₂O₅), and potassium (as K₂O) in a fertilizer, expressed as a percentage of total fertilizer weight. On the N-P-K fertilizer label, the percentage by weight of nitrogen (N) is always listed first, phosphorous (P) second, and potassium (K) third.

fiber

A long, thick-walled cell that dies at maturity.

fibrous root

A root system that branches in all directions, often directly from the plant's crown, rather than branching in a hierarchical fashion from a central root. See taproot.

filament

The stalk supporting a flower's anthers.

flagging

Loss of turgor and drooping of plant parts, usually as a result of water stress.

floricane

Second-year growth of caneberries. Produces fruit on laterals.

flower

The reproductive branch or structure of an angiosperm plant.

foliar fertilization, foliar feeding

Fertilization of a plant by applying diluted soluble fertilizer, such as fish emulsion or kelp, directly to the leaves.

food

An organic substance that provides energy and body-building materials, especially carbohydrates, fats, and proteins.

force

To bring a plant into early growth, generally by raising the temperature or transplanting it to a warmer situation. Tulips and paperwhites are examples of plants that often are forced.

form

(1) A naturally-occurring characteristic different from other plants in the same population. (2) The growth habit (shape) of a plant.

formal

(1) A garden that is laid out in precise symmetrical patterns. (2) A flower, such as some camellias, that consist of layers of regularly overlapping petals.

frond

Specifically, the foliage of ferns, but often applied to any foliage that looks fern-like, such as palm leaves.

fruit

The edible portion of a plant that is closely associated with a flower. Botanically, a fruit is a ripened, mature ovary.

fruiting habit

The location and manner in which a fruit is borne on woody plants.

fungicide

Any material capable of killing fungi. Sulfur and copper sulfate are two common mineral fungicides.

fungus

A plant organism that lacks chlorophyll, reproduces via spores, and usually has filamentous growth. Examples are molds, yeasts, and mushrooms.