Are there gardening sayings that confuse you? Or you just simply don’t know what to say at the home improvement store? This post is for you!
Walking into a home improvement store for the first time can be somewhat intimidating. Specifically, what do you ask? Do you just say you need a bag of dirt? Look no further! You will get some help in this post.
This post is all about gardening sayings you need to know as a beginner gardener.
I’m new, help!
Starting anything new is overwhelming! Going into a humongous gardening department is no small feat therefore, you have to be prepared. Surely, you have heard of the saying “you don’t know what you don’t know”. So, basically, you can’t ask questions about something you don’t know anything about. You can start here!
Well, you will need to learn some basic terminology that can get you into the right section of the store.
Beginner Gardening Terms
{RELATED POST: What Does Deadheading Flowers Mean?}
Here are 10 gardening terms and definitions that will build your confidence accordingly as you peruse the aisles of your garden center:
- Annual: An annual is a plant that completes its entire life cycle from seed to flower to seed again in one growing season. You will need to plant annuals every year because they do not automatically come back!
- Perennial: A perennial is a plant that lives for more than two years and typically dies back to the ground in the fall and returns the following spring. You can plant these and forget them!
- Germination: Germination is the process by which a seed begins to grow and sprout.
- Transplanting: Transplanting is the process of moving a plant from one location to another. For example, some gardeners will start elephant ear bulbs indoors in the winter and transplant them to their desired location once conditions are sustainable.
- Mulch: Mulch is a layer of organic or inorganic material applied to the surface of the soil. It can retain moisture, reduce erosion and suppress weed growth. This is the chunky stuff you see in a lot of flower beds throughout the growing season.
There’s More
- Compost: Compost is a mixture of organic materials such as leaves, grass clippings, and food scraps. Basically, it breaks down microorganisms and creates a nutrient-rich soil amendment.
- Fertilizer: Fertilizer is a substance added to soil, and it provides plants with the nutrients they need to grow. Fertilizer is not explicitly necessary, so check your plant tags to see the suggested care instructions.
- Pruning: Pruning is the process of cutting back or removing parts of a plant to promote healthy growth and shape. Meanwhile, you feel like you are destroying your plant/tree but think of it more like a haircut…that’s really needed!
- Deadheading: Deadheading is the process of removing spent flowers to encourage reblooming.
- Soil pH: Soil pH is a measure of the acidity or alkalinity of the soil. Compost is measured on a scale of 0 to 14, with 7 being neutral.
This is not a complete list of terms you need to know. But, these terms are a good starting point for a beginner gardener. Happy gardening!
This post was all about gardening sayings and the terms you need to know to navigate starting your first garden.
