Greenhouse

It is a building with glass walls and roof; for the cultivation and exhibition of plants under controlled conditions or it can relate to the greenhouse effect

Glossary of greenhouse

• agronomists – specialists in soil and crop sciences

• amendment – any material, such as peat moss, processed bark, and sand, added to a growing medium to improve its ability to support plant growth

• auxiliary bud – the bud that forms in the angle that the leaf makes with the main stem

• bagasse - the plant residue from sugarcane left after the juice has been extracted; used as a nonwood fiber

• binomial nomenclature – a two-part name

• botanists – scientists who study plants

• bulb – any underground stem consisting of layers of fleshy scales that overlap each other

• capillary action – the movement of water through a growing medium because of the adhesion of water molecules to the medium

• cation-exchange capacity – the ability of the growing medium to attract and hold nutrients

• cellular respiration – the controlled breaking down of glucose that releases energy for plant growth, absorption, translocation, and other metabolic processes

• coldframe – an unheated outdoor growing structure covered with a transparent glazing material

• complete fertilizer – a fertilizer containing nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium

• condensation – moisture colder than air that is on leaves

• corm – a specialized stem that is a solid, fleshy, scale-covered enlargement

• creeper stems - vines that grow on the ground without additional support

• cultivar – a subcategory within a species that is developed by botanists and agronomists, (not occurring in the wild); usually capitalized and written with single quotation marks or it precedes the species’ name and is abbreviated as ‘cv’

• cuttings – a method of vegetative propagation in which plant pieces are “cut” from the parent plant and rooted to form new plants

• day-neutral plant – a species that flowers regardless of the light/dark ratio

• dolomitic limestone – limestone with a high magnesium content

• dormancy – the resting stage of seeds

• enzymes – large, complex proteins that activate chemical reactions within cells

• epigeous germination – growing aboveground

• evapotranspiration – the combined loss of moisture from evaporation and transpiration

• fertigation – applying fertilizer through an irrigation system

• floriculture – a specialty of horticulture that deals with producing, cultivating, and managing ornamental plants and flowers

• fungicide – chemical pesticide directed at fungi

• growing medium – a material used for growing plants; may contain peat moss, sand, perlite, soil, or other ingredients (plural: growing media)

• herbicide – a chemical pesticide directed at weeds

• horticulture – the cultivation, processing, and sale of fruits, nuts, vegetable, ornamental plants, and flowers

• hotbed – an outdoor growing structure similar to a coldframe but heated by a source besides the sun

• hydroponics – growing plants in a nutrient solution, not soil

• hypogeus germination – growing underground

• imperfect flower – flower that contains male or female parts, not both

• incomplete flower – flower missing one or more of the main parts of the flower: sepals, petals, stamens, or pistils

• infiltration – the rate of water absorption into the roots through the pores

• infrared – wavelengths longer than red light

• insecticide – chemical pesticide directed at insects

• internodes – parts of the stem or other plant parts that are located between two nodes (regions of the stem where one or more leaves are attached)

• landscape horticulture – raising ornamentals for outside use

• layering – a vegetative method of propagating plants by rooting a new plant while the stem is still attached to the parent plant

• leaching – washing important nutrients from the soil

• long-day plant – a species that flowers only in a day length of critical duration

• macronutrient – one of six essential elements needed in relatively large amounts for plant growth: nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium, and sulfur

• meristem tissue – tissues that actively divide to form new growth

• micronutrient – one of eight essential nutrients needed in tiny quantities for plant growth: iron, copper, zinc, boron, molybdenum, chlorine, manganese, and cobalt

• nematodes – tiny round worms that attack plant roots

• nodes - swollen areas at the joints of stems where buds and leaves originate

• osmosis – the movement of water across a semipermeable membrane from a higher concentration to a lower concentration

• ozones – compounds found above the Earth’s surface that filter out harmful ultraviolet rays

• pasteurization – a process that kills harmful organisms and preserves beneficial organisms

• perfect flower – a flower that has both male and female parts

• permeability – the ability to transport water into the plant

• pesticide – a chemical used to control an undesirable organism

• petiole – the stem of a leaf

• pH – a measurement of the level of alkalinity/acidity

• phloem – part of the vascular system that transports carbohydrates from the photosynthesizing cells to the rest of the plant

• photoperiod – the light/dark ratio in a day

• photoperiodism – the influence of day length vs. night length on plant growth

• photosynthesis – process by which green, living plants convert carbon dioxide and water to simple sugar in the presence of light

• phototropism – a plant’s bending toward the source of light

• phytotoxic – poisonous to plants

• pinching – removing the terminal bud of a plant to promote branching

• plumule – first shoot of a developing plant; also known as the coleoptile

• porosity – the pore space (tiny openings) between solid particles

• propagation – plant reproduction by sexual or vegetative methods

• propagation bed – a special location within the greenhouse that is used to allow cuttings to root

• quality of light – the spectrum of color (wavelength) that is measured in nanometers

• rhizome – an underground stem that produces roots on the lower surface and extends leaves and flowering shoots above the ground

• scarification - scratching or modifying the seed coat in order to increase water absorption

• scion – unrooted, upper part of plant used for grafting

• seed dormancy – resting stage of the seed that prevents the seed from germinating until environmental conditions are favorable

• seed germination – a process in which a seed changes into a developing seedling

• short-day plant – a species that flowers only in a daily dark period of critical duration

• stolon – a stem that grows horizontally above the soil surface

• stomata – specialized pores in the epidermis of the leaf used to exchange gas

• stratification – a rest period for seeds before germination can occur; seeds are placed in moist growing medium at 32-50 oF for a certain period of time

• succulents – plants with thick, fleshy leaves that store water, e.g., cacti and jade plants

• taxonomy – the science of identifying, naming, and classifying plants

• topography – the shape of the land, e.g., hilly, flat, steep, rocky

• translocation – the movement of minerals, water, carbohydrates, and other materials within the vascular system of a plant

• transpiration – the loss of water by evaporation primarily from the leaf surface through specialized pores called “stomata”

• tuber – a short, thick underground stem that serves primarily as a food storage area

• ultraviolet – wavelengths shorter than violet light

• vascular system – the system that moves carbohydrates, water, and minerals throughout the plant; includes xylem and phloem cells

• viability – the ability of seeds to germinate

• water-holding capacity – the ability of a growing medium to retain water

• xeromorphic foliage – leaves adapted for plants that grow in arid conditions

• xylem – part of the vascular system that transports water and minerals upward from the roots to the photosynthesizing cells

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