Garden Glossary - H
Here you will find a glossary of garden terms that start with the letter H.
- Habit - the growth pattern of a plant.
- Habitat - the area that a plant grows in; is native to.
- Half hardy - an indoor plant that requires a minimum growing temperature of 50-55 fahrenheit.
- Harden off - to acclimate a plant to harsher conditions.
- Hardiness - the ability to withstand harsh environmental conditions.
- Hardiness zone - an index relating to geographic regions, having to do with winter temperatures a plant can grow in. Directly related to the length of a growing season.
- Hardpan - a hard, compacted, often clay layer of soil through which roots cannot grow.
- Hardscape - this includes any garden feature that is not a plant; ie: fences, trellaces, benches, sidewalks, patios, birdbaths, etc.
- Hardwood - deciduous trees having leaves that are broad, flat and green during the growing season.
- Hardwood cutting - a mature piece of a woody plant that is removed to asexualy propogate a new individual plant.
- Hardy annual - a plant whose seeds can withstand freezing temperatures, and whose seedlings can withstand Spring frosts.
- Hardy perennial - a herbaceous perennial plant that can withstand freezing temperatures.
- Harvest - removal of a desirable plant part.
- Head - the top part of a plant.
- Heading back - to cut an older branch or stem to a twig or stub.
- Healing - the process of a plant wound or graft union closing.
- Heave - the partial lifting of a plant out of the soil as result of alternating freezing and thawing of the soil.
- Heavy metals - the heavy metals of concern to gardeners are lead, zinc, nickel, arsenic, copper and cadmium. These metals can be toxic to plants when they accumulate to high levels in the soil.
- Hedge - a row of trees or shrubs planted close together so that the branches intertwine to form a living fence, for a windbreak or privacy.
- Hedge row - a row of plants that are suitable for hedging.
- Heel - the part of a stem that joins to the main stem.
- Heeling in - covering the roots of dormant plants with soil or mulch for shot periods.
- Heirloom plants - cultivars that were popular a generation or more ago.
- Herb - a plant that is grown for its medicinal, aromatic or culinary purposes.
- Herbaceous - a nonwoody plant.
- Herbarium - a building that holds a collection of pressed and dried plant specimens for research purposes.
- Herbicide - an agent that stops plant growth or kills a plant.
- Herbivore - a plant-eating animal.
- Hill planting - grouping plants in a cluster, not necessarily on an elevated mound.
- Holdfast - a part of a plant that clings to a flat surface.
- Honeydew - a sugary substance secreted by aphids and other juice-sucking, plant-feeding insects.
- Hormone rooting powder - a chemical in liquid or powder form that aids in root growth of a plant cutting.
- Horticultural oil - an oil used to smother eggs and developing insects on trees and ornamentals. Usually applied in early Spring.
- Horticulture - the art and science of gardening.
- Hortus - a botanical latin term meaning 'garden'.
- Hotbed - a bed of soil enclosed by a structure with a top of glass, heated, often by manure, for forcing or raising seedlings.
- Houseplants - plants that are grown indoors, inside containers.
- Humidity - the amount of moisture in the air.
- Hummingbird garden - a garden designed to attract hummingbirds.
- Humus - brown or black, partially decomposed plant or animal material that forms the organic portion of soil.
- Hybrid - a first generation cross between two genetically diverse plants.
- Hydroculture - the long-term growing of plants in water-based nutrient solutions.
- Hydroponics - the science of growing plants in water containing dilute nutrients instead of in soil.
- Hygrometer - an instrument used to measure the relative humidity in the air; used in greenhouses, sunrooms and arboretums.
- Hyphae - pl. of hypha; the threads making up the mycelium of a fungus.
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