Ivydene Gardens Offbeat Glossary: A

This Offbeat Glossary shows in tabular form an alphabetical list of terms commonly encountered in writings about gardening, which exclude agrochemicals, together with some offbeat but interesting ideas.

TERM

DEFINITION

Accumulator plants

Accumulator plants are those that have the ability to collect trace minerals from the soil. These must be allowed to decompose, either by digging in or in the compost heap, and be returned to the soil before other plants can use the trace elements ( See reference 1 ).

Alfalfa

A legume, which fixes Nitrogen, iron, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium and trace minerals.

Amaranth
(Amaranthus retroflexus)

Rough pigweed collects iron.

Black Locust
(Robinia pseudacacia)

Nitrogen

Borage

Potassium and calcium

Bristly locust (Robinia hispida)

Nitrogen

Buckwheat

Calcium

Bulbous buttercup

Potassium

Bush vetch

Cobalt

Chicory

Potassium

Clover

Accumulates Nitrogen. Red Clover for acid soils

Comfrey

Calcium, potassium and phosphorus. Russian Comfrey has a carbon-nitrogen ratio similar to barnyard manure.

Dandelion

Potassium

Nitrogen

Horsetail

Cobalt and Silica

Ilex verticellata 'Christmas Cheer'

Adds Nitrogen to the soil.

Indigo bush (Amorpha fruticosa)

Nitrogen

Nitrogen

Kentucky coffee tree (Gymnocladus dioicus)

Nitrogen

Kudzu

Nitrogen

Lespedeza

Nitrogen

Lupin

Lupinus collects calcium. Use to reclaim sandy soils.

Melon

Calcium

Mesquite (Prosopis juliflora)

Nitrogen

Pea

A legume, which accumulates Nitrogen.

Peanut

Nitrogen

Redbud (Cercis canadensis)

Nitrogen

Ribwort

Cobalt - this is not usually required by plants.

Russian thistle (Salsola pestifera)

Potassium

Salad burnet

Magnesium

Sainfoin

Nitrogen

Sea aster

Aster tripolium collects salt and soda.

Sheep sorrel

Stinging Nettle

Nitrogen and Iron

Scotch Broom (Cytisus scoparius)

A legume, which accumulates Calcium.

Tansy

Potassium

Thistle

Copper

Tobacco

Potassium

Valerian

Winter Vetch (hairy)

Nitrogen

Woad waxen (Genista tinctoria)

Nitrogen

Yellowwood (Cladrastis lutea)

Nitrogen

allelochemics

study of chemical interactions between species.

Allomones

These will cause a plant, insect or animal to perform a function beneficial to itself.

Kairomones

These form part of the language between species, but are detrimental in their purpose.

Xerophytic

Xerophytic ( arid-climate loving ) plants release terpene from their leaves into the surrounding air. The soil absorbs the terpene to inhibit the germination and growth of other plants in the surrounding area:-

Camphor
Rosin, Natural rubber and Turpentine.

Pheromones

Chemical messengers used for communication between individual organisms of the same species.

Vegetable allium are:-

chives,

garlic,

leek,

onion and shallot.

Auxins

Hormones that stimulate plant growth.