 |
Tomato Gardening Tips for Organic Growers
|
 |
|
TOMATO GARDENING History of Tomatoes Getting Started Selecting Plants Starting from Seed Planting General Care Harvesting & Storage Pests & Disease Useful Sites & Sources  This site is brought to you by www.PlanetNatural.com |
 |
|
 |
Tomato Gardening Glossary Acidic Soil: A soil with a pH between 0 and 7.0 is considered acidic.Alkaline Soil: A soil with a pH between 7.0 and 14 is considered alkaline. Beneficial Insect: Refers to any insect that benefits your garden in some way. For example, insect pest predators and parasitoids and pollinating insects. Biological Pest Control: Using live organisms such as beneficial insects to control garden pests. Chlorosis: Yellowing of the leaves due to inadequate formation of chlorophyll. Chlorosis is caused by a nutrient deficiency, usually iron or nitrogen. Companion Planting: Growing two or more plants together, or in close proximity, to improve each other's quality. Compost: The rich organic material that results from the natural process of decomposition of organic wastes, including food wastes, paper and yard wastes. Container Gardening: Growing plants in pots and planters instead of in the ground. Crop Rotation: The planting of a specific crop in a site different from the previous year. Crop rotation helps prevent insect and disease problems and allows different nutrients to be used. Determinate: Tomato variety that produces most of their fruit all at once and grows to a limited size. Also known as bush tomatoes. Direct Seeding: To seed directly in the soil instead of starting in flats. Fertilizer: An organic or inorganic material that is applied to the soil or a plant to improve the quality or quantity of plant growth. Foliar Fertilizer: A fertilizer applied as a spray to a plant's foliage so that the plant can absorb the nutrients through its leaves. Frost Date: The average last day in the spring that you might have a killing frost. Fungal Disease: A large group of primitive, plant-like organisms that attack plants. Affected plants often show signs of mold, rotted tissue, wilting, rusts, scabs and blotches. Hardening Off: The gradual process of acclimating a plant to an outdoor environment. A seedling must be hardened off before planting outside. Heavy Soil: A soil that drains slowly and contains a high proportion of clay. Heirloom: Seed with desirable qualities that have a history of being passed down over many years and many generations. Hybrid: Seed produced by artificially cross-pollinating two different varieties. Indeterminate: Tomato variety that continues to grow and set fruit throughout the growing season. Also known as vining tomatoes. Integrated Pest Management (IPM): An environmentally sensitive approach to controlling pests in which least toxic methods are applied first and often in combination with other control methods. Macronutrients: The primary nutrients, nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium (N-P-K), identified as absolutely necessary for plant growth - or the secondary nutrients magnesium and calcium. Micronutrients: Nutrients that are required by plants in small amounts. These include boron, copper, zinc, and others. Also known as trace elements. Mulch: A natural or artificial layer placed on the soil and around plants to protect them from drought, weeds, and extreme temperatures. Mulches also provide food for soil microbes. Nitrogen (N): A macronutrient used by plants to promote rapid vegetative growth. Organic: Being composed of, or containing matter related to living organisms. Organic Gardening: A method of gardening that does not utilize chemical pesticides or chemical fertilizers. pH: The degree of acidity or alkalinity of soil. pH is expressed as a scale that reads from 0 to 14, 0 indicates extreme acidic soil and 14 extreme alkaline soil. A pH of 7 is neutral. Phosphorus (P): A macronutrient, or major nutrient, used to stimulate root systems and flowering. Potassium (K): Used to promote overall plant vigor and development of healthy stems. Potassium is a macronutrient. Season Extender: Gardening equipment (greenhouses, cold frames, row covers, Wall O' Water®) and techniques that help extend the growing season in spring and fall. Soil Amendment: Any material added to the soil to improve plant growth and health. Examples include, compost, peat moss and animal manure. Soil Test: Analysis of a soil sample to determine nutrient content, composition and other characteristics. Tests often detect deficiencies that need to be fixed. Staking: Using a rod, stick or stake to support a plants stem. Sucker: A secondary shoot that sprouts from the roots, stem or trunk of a plant and drains its energy. Tilth: The physical condition of a soil. Soil that has good physical qualities and is easily worked is said to be in good tilth. Top-dressing: Applying soil amendments or fertilizers on top of the soil around the base of plants after they have been planted. Transplanting: The process of moving a plant from one location and planting it in a new location. Zone: Plant hardiness regions determined by the average annual minimum temperature. Worm Casting: The nutrient-rich, organic material excreted by redworms. Worm Castings help build the soil and release nutrients in a form that is easily used by plants. |
|
|
||
|
A division of Sparky Boy Enterprises Copyright © 2006. All rights reserved. |
||