If this is your 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. Just like everything else in this world, 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.
Aeroponics is the process of growing plants without soil and in an air or mist environment.
Bioponics pares hydroponic methods of growing plants with biologically active microbes and nutrients.
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 its fertility. You'll it find 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 consistency. 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.
Hydroponics is a method of growing plants without soil in water using mineral nutrient solutions.
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 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 are a number which will.
Perlite is a form of obsidian characterized by spherulites formed by the cracking of volcanic glass during cooling and used in plant growth mediums. It is often found in potting soil mix.
pH is a measure of acidity.
Planting Mix most often refers to two different substances; a mix of amendments to be added to soil when filling a raised bed or a mixture of amendments and soil generally sold in larger quantities by dirt retailers.
Potting Mix or Soil 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 used as a moisture-retentive medium for growing plants. It is often found in potting soil mix.
Annuals are plants which complete their life cycles in one year. They germinate, produce seed(s), and die within one year.
Bolting occurs when plants go to seed prematurely.
Listen to Rolf Hokansson explain bolting.
Listen to Rolf Hokansson explain bolting.
A forest of bolted collard greens.
A forest of bolted collard greens.
Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) are organisms whose genetic material have been altered using genetic engineering.
Perennials are plants which live for more than two years.
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 bringing 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.
Starters or Starts, also called Seedlings, are young plants most often raised from seed and not from a cutting. In this Snippet, we'll use the former term since it's the one used more often in the edible garden community I've been a part of all these years.
Cultivators have prongs which are used to break up and mix soil as well as to uproot weeds. Hand cultivators also 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.
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Since we've covered the basic terms you'll need to know, let's get started with a few things to consider.