If this is your very first introduction to the world of edible gardening, it's likely you'll be unfamiliar with some of the terms and phrases used in this Snippet. Like everything else in the world of edible gardening there's going to be some amount of opinion, experience, and ambiguity in a few of these terms - however they'll still help you navigate the complicated waters of the language of gardeners. I recommend doing a cursory review of this chapter before reading on and planning to return as you make your way through the rest of this Snippet.
Full Sun is considered six or more hours of direct sunlight per day.
Fertilizer is a chemical or natural substance added to soil or land to increase it's fertility. You'll find into sold in a few different forms in the world of edible gardening, but the two most common forms of organic fertilizer will be a smaller zip top bag filled with a powdery substance or a large bag similar to potting soil with a like consistancy. Consider this the food for your edible plants.
Hardiness Zone is a geographically defined area in which a specific type of plant life is capable of growing in that region's climactic conditions.
Light Shade is considered less than six or more hours of direct sunlight per day, but more than Partial Shade. Putting light shade as between four to five hours of direct sunlight per day.
Moss, usually Peat Moss, is partially decomposed sphagnum moss plants which acts like a sponge to retain moisture. It's one of the main ingredients found in any potting soil mix.
Mulch is a material made of decaying leaves, bark, and/or compost used to spread around and/or over a plant to enrich and insulate the soil.
Partial Shade is considered only two to three hours of direct sunlight per day. While most edibles will not grow well with only Partial Shade, there a small number which will.
Perlite is a form of obsidian characterized by spherlulites formed by the cracking of volcanic glass during cooling and is used in plant growth media. It is often found in potting soil mix.
pH is a measure of acidity.
Planting Soil or Mix will generally be sold in larger quantities by dirt retailers.
Potting Soil or Mix is usually found in a large bag at your local nursery or hardware store and is specially formulated for container growing. It's got a good mix of soil and other amendments to get you going without any additional work.
Vermiculite is a yellow or brown mineral found as an alternation product of mica and other minerals and is used as a moisture-retentive medium for growing plants. It is often found in potting soil mix.
Bolting occurs when plants go to seed prematurely.
Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) are organisms whose genetic material have been altered using genetic engineering.
Organic plants and seeds are produced without the use of chemical fertilizers, pesticides, or other artificial agents. Perhaps one thing that most edible gardeners will agree on - it's safer to stay with organic plants and products when growing edibles you'll be brining into your kitchen.
Seeds are a flowering plant's unit of reproduction and are capable of developing into another such plant.
Seeds are often sold in small envelopes or packets.
Seeds are usually sold in small envelopes which contain anywhere from about ten pumpkin seeds to hundreds of tiny carrot seeds.
Seedlings, also commonly known as Starters or Starts, are young plants most often raised from seed and not from a cutting. In this Snippet, we'll use the later term since it's the one used more often in the edible garden community.
Cultivators have prongs which are used to break up and mix soil as well as uprooting weeds. In edible gardening, hand cultivators are often used to care for soil in raised beds.
Spades have a sharp-edged, typically rectangular, metal blade and a long handled used for digging or turning soil in raised beds.
Trowels are small handheld tools with a curved scoop for lifting plants or soil. Often used to dig out a hole for a starter.
Trowel