__________________________________________________________ * -
Ann's Law: Just because somebody else says it is impossible doesn't mean you and I can't do it.
AeroGarden: The trade name for indoor planters manufactured by AeroGrow International.
Aeroponics: A method of growing plants without dirt. In this form of hydroponic growing some or all of the roots are exposed to air, and a nutrient rich solution is sprayed on them or circulated beneath them.
Aloe Vera: A succulent plant with healing gel that can also be used to make delicious beverages.
Amaranth: Amaranthus oleraceus (aka Amaranuthus blitum) is a tender-leafed salad green that is heat-tolerant and can be grown indoors from seed to harvest in less than a month. Sometimes called Chinese Spinach? We have bought a lovely red too, called Asia Red at Evergreen Seeds. Here is my amaranth page.
Arboretum: An Arboretum is a botanical garden that mainly features woody plants: trees, bushes, and vines. The U.S. National Arboretum now has its own herbarium.
__________________________________________________________
B
__________________________________________________________
Bacon, Francis: Sir Francis Bacon's book entitled Sylva Sylvarum was published posthumously in 1627. In it he had written about how to grow plants without soil.
Basil: Ocimum basilicum. Annual. Culinary and medicinal herb. One of the most attractive and easiest to grow plants, with many varieties. Basil is particularly well-suited for beginners to grow hydroponically.
Beans: Beans are also called pulses when they are grown for the dry bean, but legumes otherwise. The common bean, pods of which are eaten fresh, is Phaseolus vulgaris. Kidney beans are a pulse, but the same plant produces tasty snap beans. Like basil, beans, especially kidney beans, are very easy to grow hydroponically. Here is my grow log on Beans.
Begonias: Here is my grow log on Begonias .
Bee Stick: See Pollinating Stick.
Bellflower: See Campanula.
Botanical Garden: A place where collections ofliving plants are studied, collected, and in most cases, made available to the public. Many botanical gardens also have an herbarium, in which dried plant specimens, seeds, fruit, and documenation are collected. Following a tradition started by the Italians in the 16th century, botanical gardens are often connected with universities.
Bush beans: Beans that tend to grow in a compact bush shape rather than on a pole. See pole beans.
__________________________________________________________
C
__________________________________________________________
Calibrachoa: A patented heavy bloomer first collected in the wilds of South America and hybridized as Million Bells in the early 90's. Self-cleaning, compact, long-blooming, perfect for containers. Due to the patent, these are not available in seed. See also: Million Bells.
Campanula: As the name suggests this is the same as Bellflower, a perennial with edible leaves and blossoms which blooms prodigiously and can be propagated through cuttings. Here is my Bellflower Page .
Cloning: See Plant Tissue Culture.
Chloeophytum comosum: See Spider Plant.
Chlorosis: A condition where the leaves of a plant turn pale or yellow as a result of not getting enough chlorophyll. This can be from too high pH or a deficiency of iron, nitrogen, or magnesium.
Chicory: Cichorium intybus is an interesting plant to grow because the leaves, flowers, and root are all edible and are said to have various health benefits as well. I like the leaves sauted with meat or potatoes, sliced in a clear broth or vegetable tea, or, when they are young and tender, chopped in a salad. The plants can be propagated by division or grown from seed. The flowers appear on huge stalks that tower over the diminutive leaves. My chicory grow log is here.
Creeping Charlie: Plectranthus verticullatis is edible and roots easily in water. Also known as Swedish Begonia and Swedish Ivy. Not to be confused with Ground Ivy (Creeping Jenny). Many sources give the designation Plectranthus australis for this plant, but after much reading, I have concluded that to be incorrect. Apparently P. australis is a misnomer for P. parviflorus, a fuzzier leafed plant with edible tubers. My grow page is here.
Cucumber: Very easy to grow in water. Here is my Cucumber Page.
Cut and Come Again: A term to describe plants such as leaf lettuce that you can cut back and they will keep growing.
Cuttings: One way to reproduce a plant without having to grow it from a seed, is to cuttings, frequently by cutting off a stem from the parent plant and simply sticking it back into a glass of water, with or without adding a little root tone powder or gel. Not all plants can be reproduced in this way, so here is a page on which I am starting a list of all of the different kinds of plants that I have successfully rooted from stem cuttings in water (and some that I have not!) and the results: Plants I Have Rooted from Stem Cuttings. Some of the plants I have rooted from stem cuttings are ones that others have said cannot be rooted in water.
Here is a page detailing plants other people have claimed can be rooted from stem cuttings, but I either haven't tried it yet (or haven't moved it to the other page yet): Plants Said to Root from Stem Cuttings. It is also possible to propagate plants by taking root cuttings, by division, and by other methods, but soft stem cuttings are my favorite way.
__________________________________________________________
D __________________________________________________________
Determinate: A term used to describe the varieties of tomato plants, usually bushy as opposed to vining, that tend to produce all their fruit within a short time and then the harvest is over. See Indeterminate.
Division: Making new plants by dividing a parent plant. This is my preferred method of propagating Upland Cress and other brassicas such as Komatsuna kojisan.
__________________________________________________________
E
Esperanza: Another sun-loving, heat tolerant plant.
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
F
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
G
Gardenia: This fragrant plant requires a specific temperature range to form blossoms, but Gardenia jasminoides still makes a lovely houseplant even after it is done blooming. It roots easily from stem cuttings.
Gladiolus: Gladiolus communis is a bulbous perennial with huge sword-like stems of fragrant showy flowers. It is propagated by dividing the cormlets, which grow off from the parent corm underground. The following link explains the difference between corms and bulbs: Planting Flower Bulbs.
Gericke, William: William Gericke introduced the American public to the word hydroponics after his first successful experiments growing tomatoes and other plants in a liquid nutrient solution.
__________________________________________________________
H
__________________________________________________________
Herbacious Stem Cuttings: See Slips
Herbarium: An herbarium is a collection of flowering plants and their preserved fruits and seeds. One of my favorite online resources is provided by the University of Wisconsin's Robert W. Freckmann Herbarium. It is an illustrated database which can be searched by genus and species as well as by common names: Search for Vascular Plants
Hyrangea: I have started a page on the Hydrangea (Hortensia) here :
Hydroculture: Growing easy plants without soil in a nutrient solution. Passive Hydroponics. While fancy equipment and special techniques may be necessary for high output food production, there are many useful plants which can be grown dirt-free quite easily, with great expense or preparation. See Water Roots
Hydroponics: When Gericke brought the term into usage he meant for it to apply to growing plants in a liquid nutrient solution without any soil-free medium. However today the term is more broadly used and can refer to growing in clay pellets, sand or just about any inert substance. The phrase "passive hydroponics" refers to Hydroculture. See Aeroponics. See Wikipedia article on Hydroponics.
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
I
__________________________________________________________
In Vitro means "under glass" or essentially grown in a test tube under sanitary conditions. See Plant Tissue Culture or Micropropagation.
Indeterminate: A term used to describe tomato plants, usually vining, that continue to bear fruit as long as growing conditions allow rather than having to be harvested all at once. See determinate.
__________________________________________________________
J
Jasmine. A shrub or vine related to the olive, Jasminium Officionale has fragrant flowers that open only in the evening, but they can be picked early in the morning and brought inside to open indoors at night. The name means "Gift from God." Also see Madagascar Jasmine.
__________________________________________________________
K
Kalanchoe blossfeldiana. A perenniel herbacious plant from Madagascar, commonly named Flaming Katy and easily rooted from stem cuttings.
Komatsuna kojisan. A beautiful and delicious fast-growing and heat-tolerant spinach substitute, well suited to hydroponic growing. Here is my Komatsuna Grow Log .
__________________________________________________________
Knop, Wilhelm:
Wilhelm Knop was the 19th century German botanist who, along with Julius von Sachs, perfected liquid nutrients, thus paving the way for modern hydroponic gardening.
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
L
Lambsquarters is one of the common names for Chenopodium. The kind we grow is Chenopodium giganteum, also known as Magenta Spreen. Here is my page on Lambsquarters.
Lantana: A dought-hardy, sun-loving bush of the family Verbenaceae, also called shrub verbena or Spanish Flag (Lantana camara), because of its vivid red and yellow colors. Lantana can be propagated from cuttings. Here is my page on Spanish Flag.
Leaf Cuttings: A way to propagate new plants without using seeds. A method often used for African Violets and begonias in which instead of rooting an herbacious stem cutting, new plants are started from just one leaf.
Lemon Grass: A disinfectant and mosquito repelling plant, Cymboopogon citratus has fragrant leaves that are wonderful to smell when brushing against them in the garden, although contact with the plant can be irritating to the skin. Used fresh or powdered, this plant has the smell of lemon without the tartness.
__________________________________________________________
M
Madagascar Jasmine: Also known as Bridal Wreath, Stephanotis jasminoides is not related to Jasminium Officionale. Easily propagated by cuttings.
Mandevilla: Also known as Scarlet Pimpernel, the red flowering Mandevilla splendens is a beautiful vine with trumpet shaped flowers that only open when the sun shines (or in the presence of artificial light). The pink ones are commonly called Red Riding Hood.
Mint:
See spearmint.
Million Bells -- See Calibrachoa.
Micropropagation is another name for Plant Tissue Culture. Here is a very interesting article on Micropropagation. If this topic really interests you, check these out: Photo and Kits
Moonflower: Although several other plants are commonly called moonflower, here I refer to the Moonflower Vine or Moon Vine Ipomoea alba. This fast-growing vine bears gloriously fragrant flowers that open in the afternoon. It goes well with morning glories, which open early in the day and close about the time the moonflowers open. My moonflower grow log is here.
Morning Glory is one of many plants in the Convolvulaceae family, typically those of the genus Ipomoea, which also includes the sweet potato. If you live in Arizona or Arkansas it is illegal to grow these for the stated reason that they are invasive, but since Kudzu (the plant that ate the South) is not prohibited, I suspect it is because the unwary might ingest them as they said are hallucinogenic, along with salvia and other common decorative plants. See Moonflower. Here is my morning glory grow log.
Moss Rose is a common name for Portulaca grandiflora, a plant that thrives in hot dry climates. Related to purslane, one of my favorite soup and salad herbs, moss roses are also well-suited to hydroponic growing. Here is my moss rose grow log.
_____________________________________
N
Nasturtium is one of my favorite plants. Here is my Nasturtium Grow Log.
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
O
__________________________________________________________
P
Peppers: In the same family as tomatoes and tobacco, peppers adapt wonderfully to hydroponic growing. Here is my pepper page.
__________________________________________________________
Papilionaceous flowers: As the name would suggest, these are flowers shaped somewhat like butterflies. They are found on peas, beans, and other legumes.
Peas: A pulse. Here is my Pea Grow Log
Petunias: Heat-loving summer flowers with showy trumpet shaped blooms. Petunias are in the same family as tomatoes: Solanaceae, but they have their own genus. Here is my Petunia Grow Log.
Plumbago: Hardy shrub that roots easily from cuttings with beautiful long lasting flowers. Here is my Plumbago Grow Log.
Polyploidy Plants: To be added soon.
Pollinating Stick: Also called a bee stick, this device can be nothing more than a toothpick with the thorax of a dead bee glued to one end. Fastplants.org provides this useful sketch, courtesy of the University of Wisconsin. See Pollination Wand.
Pollination Wand: Commercially available pollination wands can be found .
Pole beans: Beans that tend to grow in a compact bush shape rather than on a pole. See pole beans.
Purslane: Also known as verdolagas, Purslane used to be valued as an English pot herb. It is rich in Omega-3 nutrients and tasty too. Here is my Purslane Grow Log
Pulses: Beans, peas, lentils, vetch, and a few other plants in the Fabaceae family, also known as legumes. Peanuts are in this family as well.
Purple Plates: There are many devices on the market that purport to make your plants grow better for one reason or another. One such contraption is the Nikola Tesla Purple Plate, which is billed as a free-energy device. This is a detail of the authenticity stamp EIP puts on their products.
Whether or not they "do" anything, the 12" purple plates make very attractive plant coasters.
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
Q
__________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________
R
Ranunculus: To be added soon.
Root Cuttings: Sections cut out of the root of a parent plant and used to start new plants without seeds.
Rosemary: There is an excellent article on rosemary here.
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
S
Scallions: -- Green onions. You can cut the tops off store-bought scallions and then regenerate them to eat again, and again. They will grow in water, anchored in hydroton rocks, gravel, or whatever, with just a little nutrient solution. They are a pretty addition to any window sill and tasty sliced over morning eggs, in a salad, soup or casserole. Here is my (unfinished) Scallion page.
Self incompatible describes a plant that may have perfect flowers and thus be self-fertilizing, but it takes more than one plant to produces fruit and seeds because the flowers on one plant will not fertilize other flowers on the same plant.
Slip: -- A soft stem cutting taken for the purpose of "cloning" or propagating a plant vegetatively. See cuttings.
Sows thistle: -- Also known as Hares Thistle, Sonchus oleraceus is an edible plant resembling dandelion and having some of the same nutritious value. My Sows thistle grow log is here.
Stock: -- 1) Any "mother" plant used to take cuttings is called a "stock plant."
2) The common name for Matthiola incana. Stock is a cool weather plant. My stock grow log is here.
Spanish Flag: -- Another name for the Lantana camara bush, not to be confused with the vine, which is Ipomoea versicolor, cousin to the morning glory (see also ipomoea carnea or morning glory tree)
Spearmint is very easy to root in water, and can be grown from seeds, but it takes a while to get established. Here is my Spearmint Page.
Spider Plant: See Chloeophytum comosum
Stem Cuttings: See cuttings.
Squash is related to ... Here is my Squash Grow Log .
Sweet Pea: Toxic, but beautiful, this vine is highly ornamental and smells heavenly, but please don't eat it.
Sweet Potato: Related to the morning glory, this vine makes a lovely edible hydroponic plant for indoors or on the balcony.
Swiss Chard: Faster growing and more heat-tolerant than spinach, Swiss Chard, a variety of beet grown for the leaves rather than the root, is a Chenopod, like amaranth and lambsquarters. Popular in Mediterranian cooking, it is also called perpetual spinach, or silverbeet.
__________________________________________________________
T
Thai Basil: There are several varieties of Thai basil, but the one most commonly encountered is Sweet Thai Basil (O. basilicum) also called Anise Basil or Licorice Basil because of its spicy taste. There is also Thai Holy Basil (Ocimum tenuiflorum) which is not the same as Tulsi (or Tulasi) which we also call Holy Basil. It is the latter that is said to have remarkable medicinal qualities. My Thai Basil grow log is COMING, but I blogged about it here.
Tissue Culture: Plant Tissue Culture or Micropropagation refers to growing plants at the cellular level. A small part of the plant you wish to reproduce is reproduced by cellular division and then multiplied to produce an exact replica or clone. Although hydronic seed starters are often called cloning machines, real cloning is when you take a single cell and use it to make a whole plant.
Tomato: A perennial related to peppers and eggplant, this member of the deadly nightshade family is powerfully nutritious. The botanical name is Solanum lycopersicum after an antioxidant present in the fruit called lycopene. Although raw tomatoes are nutritious and delicious, to benefit from the lycopene, we must process the tomato with heat. Tomatoes root easily from cuttings.
Here is my tomato grow log: Tasty Tomatoes
Tomatillos are Physalis ixocarpa or Physalis philadelphica, etc. Like tomatoes and peppers, these are members of the nightshade family. Their flowers are perfect so when grown indoors you can hand-pollinate them by shaking the stems. Although they are often called husk tomatoes, there are other kinds of husk tomatoes such as the ground cherry and cape gooseberry that are different species of Physalis. Some insist tomatillos are self-incompatible and others say that is nonsense. Presumably it depends on the species. My tomatillo grow log is HERE.
Tulsi: Tulsi or Tulasi is also called Holy Basil. See Thai Basil.
__________________________________________________________
U
__________________________________________________________
V
__________________________________________________________
Von Sachs: Julius von Sachs was a 19th century German botanist who studied the role of chlorophyll in the metabolism of plants and took a particular interest in water-culture. __________________________________________________________
W
Watercress: Information about watercress is on my Watercress Grow Log ____________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________<
__________________________________________________________
John Woodward:
X
Y
__________________________________________________________ Z
_____ _____________________________________________________
