Glossary | CANNA Gardening USA

A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | L | M | N | O | P | R | S | T

A

Absorption #: The uptake of a substance (gases, liquids, or ions) into another substance (for example: plants) forming a product within another product such as the action of a sponge.
Adsorption #: A process in which molecules of gas or liquids attach themselves to a surface.
Adult #: The tissue, or stage of a plant that is capable of forming flowering tissues.
Antiseptics #: Micro-organism inhibiting substances that are applied to living tissue to reduce the chance of infection.

B

Blooming phase #: The period when a plant produces flowers.
Buffering #: Minimizing extreme variation of pH in a solution.
Buffering agent or solution #: A water based or liquid solution that contains both a weak acid and its conjugate (opposite but similar) base, or a weak base and its conjugate acid. Used to lessen the affects of acids and bases added to the solution lessening pH movement.

C

Capillary action #: The power of fibres to soak up water, defying gravity. A suction, if you will.
Carbohydrate synthesis #: The process whereby Carbon is captured from the air and converted into all the various forms of Carbohydrates, or hydrates of Carbon, based on the number of Carbon atoms each hydrate contains.
Cell #: The smallest part of a living organism which can live independently.
Chelate #: Organic structure that contains a loosely bound metal element and preventing it from oxidating. If for example iron oxylates, it can no longer be taken up by plants.
Chelating agents #: A specialized molecule that bonds with a metal to form a loosely bound product which is, basically, a package that loosely ties up the metal from outside influence. It is usually organic.
Chlorophyll #: The green pigment that is found in almost any plant. It is essential to photosynthesis by capturing the photon of light and transferring this energy to a chemical reaction.
Clay pellets #: An inert growing medium made from small hard baked clay balls.
Closed hydroponic system #: A hydroponic system in which the drainage water doesn't flow away but is re-used.
Clone #: The resulting propagule, or new plant, arising from asexually produced cells that have not changed into specific tissue types (known as an undifferentiated callus source) typically from a single cell. (Not to be confused with a micro-cutting)
Coco coir #: The natural fiber from the husk of a coconut.
COGr #: Substrate made from coconut granulates.
Combination Day Plants #: Usually referring to floral initiation, a plant that requires a certain amount of time exposed to short day conditions and long day conditions in a particular order to induce flowering such as lettuce, mustard and others, that induces flowers to form.
Cutting #: Asexual propagation of plants taken from the tip containing a meristem as either a terminal or axillary bud.

D

Day Neutral Plants #: Usually referring to floral initiation, a plant that has no specific need for a difference in exposure or non-exposure to light basing the change on development of the tissue only, that induces flowers to form.
Dilution #: The process of making a solution, such as nutrients weaker or less concentrated by adding additional solvent (ie. Water).
DNA #: A protein structure, stored in every cell, containing the characteristics of a living organism.
Drainage #: The removal of a substance such as water from another substance by natural (gravity) or other means.
Drip irrigation/feedings #: The application of water or fertilizer solution at a very slow rate that allows for the total absorption of solution into the root medium of plants, usually accomplished through very small tubes that branch off of larger pipes.

E

Ebb and flow #: A form of hydroponics in which the hydroponic solution floods the system and is allowed to ebb away.
EC #: Electric conductivity. The speed of electrons through a material. Can be used to indicate ion concentration (for example, the concentration of salt) in a given sample of water.
Ecologic nutrients #: Nutrients bind to an organic structure, which comes direct from living forms.
Enzyme #: Protein molecules of a very specific function, produced by and usually found in, living cells, that act on specific substrates (molecules specific to that particular enzyme molecule) to change or produce specific products (based on where the molecules are cut or new molecules/ atoms attached); a catalyst for biochemical reactions.
Enzyme System #: All enzyme-induced reactions in a plant. Can also relate to a group of enzymes composed of many different enzyme molecules that act in sequence to reduce a complex molecule such as cellulose to a simple component such as the basic glucose molecule, or to build new molecules, unzip DNA for copying, re-zip DNA, or any other repeated changes that occur inside cells.

F

Fertigation #: The application of fertility, nutrients, or other water-soluble products through an irrigation system.
Floral Phase #: The phase where a plant is putting on floral structures.
Fructification #: The formation of fruits.

G

Granulates #: A size of material that is a bit larger than powder, for example sugar, there is powdered sugar used for confections, and granular sugar that is found in the sugar bowl.
Growing phase #: The period when a plant grows. In most cases this is before the flowering phase.

H

Hormone #: A substance that acts on specific systems, organs, or cells to affect growth or change such as Auxin that causes cells to elongate or change forms.
Humic and fulvic acids #: Specific organic acids
Hydroponics #: The science of growing plants in nutrient rich solutions or inert material, instead of in soil.

I

Inert medium #: A medium that doesn't add or take nutrient elements from the nutrient solution.
Ion #: Element solved in a solution (water) with an electrical load, mostly made out of (feeding) salts.
Irrigation #: The artificial application of water to the land or soil.

J

Juvenile #: The tissue, or stage of a plant that is incapable of changing to a flowering form of tissue.

L

Long Day Plants #: Usually referring to floral initiation, a plant that requires a certain length of time with no light that is shorter than the amount of time it is exposed to light, that induces flowers to form.

M

Macro-nutrient #: Specific atoms known as nutrients required by living components in large numbers such as Nitrogen, Phosphorous, Potassium, Calcium, and Magnesium, which includes non-mineral nutrients Carbon, Oxygen and Hydrogen, and measured as a percent of the overall.
Metabolism #: The set of biochemical processes that take place in cells of organisms to sustain life.
Metabolites (secondary) #: Products of cellular metabolism that a formed after the main metabolites are formed, from the breaking down or utilization of the main metabolites or from the "left-overs" of the production of the main metabolites in specific systems.
Micro-nutrient #: Specific atoms known as nutrients that are needed in very small amounts such as Iron, Chlorine, and Molybdenum and measured in ppm (parts per million).
Micro Organisms #: An organism which do not belong to animals or plants, like yeast, fungi and bacteria.
Mineral #: A naturally occurring, homogeneous inorganic solid substance having a definite chemical composition and characteristic structure. In agriculture, An inorganic element, such as calcium, iron, potassium, sodium, or zinc, that is essential to the nutrition of humans, animals, and plants.
Mycorrhiza #: A group of symbiotic fungi (fungi that interact with different biological species) that forms plant specific relationships with the root cells of a plant, facilitating uptake of water and nutrients.
mS/cm #: A measuring unit of EC, (milli Siemens per centimeter); the current or flow rate of electrons in solution.

N

NFT #: Nutrient Film Technique. A hydroponic technique wherein there is a shallow stream of water containing all dissolved nutrients required for the plant's growth.

O

Oligosaccharide #: A relatively small number (2 - 10) of linked monosaccharides, or simple sugars, forming a polymer, or chain of similar molecules.
Organic nutrients #: Nutrients bind to an organic structure made of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen.

P

Perlite #: An inert substrate made of lime rock produced by a heating process into popcorn granulates.
pH #: Measures the acidity or basicity of a solution and is the negative decimal log (a scale used to keep the numbers understandable and small where each increase of 1 point is actually an increase of 10 times or more) of the hydrogen ion (a hydrogen atom that will bond with other atoms) activity in a solution. Scale is 1-14. 1 is acidic, 14 is basic, and 7 is neutral.
Photoperiod #: The amount of time a plant is exposed to light, or not exposed to light, that regulates functions and forms of the living tissue.
Photosynthesis #: A light driven chemical process that converts carbon dioxide and water into the very basic organic compounds and energy storing molecules used by plants and simple bacteria to form carbohydrates and drive the multitude of cellular activities at the basic molecular level.
Potting mix #: The medium in which roots of container grown plants are anchored consisting of a blend of organic and inorganic materials
Potting soil #: The medium in which roots of container grown plants are anchored consisting of a blend of organic and inorganic materials. However, literally 'soil' is the Earth's untreated soil.
Propagation medium #: A special potting mix for seedlings or cuttings.

R

Reverse Osmosis #: A process in which a very fine filter stops minerals of specific sizes from passing through. This process removes salts from the water.
R.H.P. #: Richtlijn Hollandse Potgronden. A Dutch quality mark and knowledge center for growing on organic substrates.
Recirculating system #: A system in which water is returned to the plant's root system after draining.
Rockwool #: An inert substrate made of basaltic rock produced by a melting process into fibres.
Run-to-waste #: A system in which the drain water is not re-used, but flows away.

S

Short Day Plants #: Usually referring to floral initiation, a plant that requires a certain length of time with no light that is longer than the amount of time it is exposed to light, that induces flowers to form.
Soilless growing medium #: A medium without mineral soil but displaying properties similar to mineral soils, being organic based, and being conducive to plant growth and development.
Substrate #: A medium in which roots can grow and the plant is able to stand up.

T

TERRA #: See Potting mix
Trace element #: An element that has to be present in the nutrients of an organism for growth and functioning, but only a very small quantity of it is required usually expressed in parts per million (ppm).
Trichoderma #: A group of related fungus. Most Trichoderma protect the plant against harmful fungi. This is because they eat other fungi. There are also 'bad' Trichoderma that eat beneficial fungi.