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Glossary
A thru C, D thru G,
H thru L, M thru O, P thru R, S thru Z
acid soil
Soil with a pH measure below 7, also called sour soil. Most soils in the eastern third of the United States and Canada and along the West Coast are naturally acid.
aeration
(Also called core cultivation or aerifying) Introduction of air to compacted soil by mechanically removing plugs of topsoil. Aeration helps oxygen, water, fertilizer, and organic matter to reach roots.
alkaline soil
Soil with a pH measure above 7, also called sweet soil. Many central and western states have alkaline soils.
amendments
Organic or mineral materials, such as peat moss, compost, or perlite, that are used to improve the soil.
annual
A plant that germinates, grows, flowers, produces seeds, and dies in the course of a single growing season. Annual grasses are sometimes used as nurse crops, to protect slower-growing seed, or to overseed warm-season grasses, during their dormancy.
compost
Humus made by decomposing vegetative matter in a compost bin or pile.
cool-season grasses
Grasses that thrive in northern areas, including Canada, and in high elevations in the South.
crown
The part of a plant where the roots and stem meet, usually at soil level.
cultivar
A cultivated variety of a plant, often bred for a desirable trait, such as pest- or disease-resistance.
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drainage
The movement of water through the soil. With good drainage, water disappears from a planting hole in less than a few hours. If water remains standing overnight, drainage is poor.
edging
A shallow trench or physical barrier of metal, wood, brick or synthetic material used to define the border between lawn turf and another area, such as paving or a flower bed.
endophytes
Fungi that live in some grasses (called endophytic) and make them harmful or deadly to a variety of above-ground grass-eating insects.
exposure
The intensity, duration, and variation in sun, wind, and temperature that characterize any particular lawn or planting site.
frost heave
A disturbance or uplift of soil, pavement, or plants caused by moisture in the soil freezing and expanding.
full shade
A site that receives no direct sun during the growing season.
full sun
A site that receives at least eight hours of direct sun each day during the growing season.
grade
The degree and direction of slope on an area of ground.
ground cover
A plant such as an ivy, liriope, or juniper, used to cover the soil and form a continuous low mass of foliage. Often used as a substitute for turf grass.
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hardiness
A plant's ability to survive the winter without protection from the cold.
hardiness zone
A region where the coldest temperature in an average winter falls within a certain range, such as between 0 and -10 degrees Farenheit.
heat zone
A region determined by the average annual number of days its temperature climbs above 86 degrees Farenheit.
herbicide
A chemical used to kill plants. Preemergent herbicides are used to kill weed seeds as they sprout and thus to prevent weed growth. Postemergent herbicides kill plants that are already growing.
humus
Thoroughly decayed organic matter. Added to lawns, it will increase a soil's water-holding capacity, improve aeration, and support beneficial microbial life in the soil.
invasive
A plant that spreads quickly, usually by runners, and mixes with or dominates adjacent plants.
landscape fabric
A synthetic fabric that is usually water-permeable, it is spread under paths or mulch to serve as a weed barrier.
lawn restoration
Improving a lawn without killing or removing all the existing turf.
lime or limestone
A white or grayish mineral compound used to combat soil acidity and supply calcium for plant growth.
loam
An ideal soil type for growing, loam contains an equal balance of sand, silt, and clay.
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mass planting
Filling an area with one or a few kinds of plants, such as ground covers, spaced closely together. Often planted to create a bold, dramatic effect or to reduce lawn maintenance.
microclimate
Conditions of sun, shade, exposure, wind, drainage, and other factors that affect plant growth at any particular site.
mowing strip
A row of bricks or paving stones set flush with the soil around the edge of a lawn area and wide enough to support the wheels on one side of a lawn mower.
mulch
A layer of bark, peat moss, compost, shredded leaves, hay or straw, lawn clippings, gravel, paper, plastic, or other material spread over the soil around the base of plants. During the growing season, mulch can help retard evaporation, inhibit weeds, and moderate soil temperature. In the winter, a mulch of evergreen boughs, coarse hay, or leaves is used to protect plants from freezing.
native
A plant that occurs naturally in a particular region and was not introduced from some other area.
node
A joint in grass plants from which leaves emerge.
nurse grasses
Annual grasses used to protect perennial grasses from excess wind and sun while they are becoming established.
nutrients
Nitrogen, phosphorous, potassium, calcium, magnesium, sulfur, iron, and other elements needed by growing plants and supplied by minerals and organic matter in soil and by fertilizers.
organic matter
Plant and animal residues such as leaves, trimmings, and manure in various stages of decomposition.
overseeding
Spreading seed over established turf that has been prepared for restoration.
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perennial grasses
Grasses that persist year after year, given the right conditions.
plugs
Small round or square pieces of sod that can be planted to establish new lawns.
pressure-treated lumber
Lumber treated with chemicals that protect it from decay.
retaining wall
A wall built to stabilize a slope and keep soil from sliding or eroding downhill.
rhizomes
Underground runners of some types of plants that extend laterally to create new plants.
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selective pruning
Using pruning shears to remove or cut back the branches of woody plants, usually to give the lawn greater sun exposure.
sod
Carpetlike sheets of turf about 3/4 inch thick, 1 1/2 feet wide, and 6 feet long. Strips may be laid over prepared soil to establish new lawns.
sprigs
Cut up lengths of rhizomes or stolons (above- and underground runners) that can be broadcast and pressed into the soil to establish new lawns.
stolons
Aboveground runners from which some grasses, particularly warm-season varieties, spread.
subsoil
A light-colored soil layer usually found beneath the topsoil. It contains little or no humus.
thatch
A matlike buildup of grass roots and stems (but not of grass blade clippings) that if too thick can inhibit healthy growth.
tillers
Aboveground sideshoots of some types of grass plants. Bunch grasses spread (enlarge) through growth of tillers.
warm-season grasses
Grasses that grow best in southern regions, thriving in the heat of summer.
weed
Any undesirable plant or grass species.
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