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Hydroponic Glossary Of Terms
Have you ever wondered what is involved in Hydroponic gardening? In order to understand how to use hydroponics for gardening you will need to understand the terminology of the various parts. You will notice that some of these terms are similar to regular gardening as well.
Abscisic acid - Plant hormone that facilitates vegetative bud dormancy, seed maturation, & leaf abscission (leaf drop).
Acid - Any of various water-soluble compounds having a sour taste and pH below 7, and capable of turning litmus red.
Aerobic - Depending on free oxygen or air
Aeroponic - A hydroponic method that may or may not contain media which delivers the nutrient solution to the root zone via a mist or a fog.
Aeroponics - a variation of hydroponics that involves the misting of plant roots with nutrient solution.
Algae - Primitive chlorophyll-containing mainly aquatic eukaryotic organisms lacking true stems and roots and leaves
Alkaline - Relating to or containing an alkali, having a pH greater than 7.
Allele - different forms of the same gene; allele "A" may produce a tall plant, while allele "a" gives a short plant.
Amino Acid - Organic compounds containing an amino group and a carboxylic
acid group: "Proteins are composed of various proportions of about 20 common amino acids".
Ampere - The basic unit of electric current adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites; "A typical household circuit carries 15 to 50 amps".
Anerobic - Living or active in the absence of free oxygen: "Anaerobic bacteria"
Annual plant - A plant that completes its entire life cycle within the space of a year
Anther - part at the top of the male flower that produces the pollen.
Aphid - Any of various small plant-sucking insects
Apical Dominance - Understanding the principle of apical dominance is helpful when embarking upon any regimen of tree or other plant management. Plants form new tissue in an area called the meristem, located near the tips of roots and shoots, where active cell division takes place. Meristem growth is aimed at ensuring that leaves are quickly elevated into sunlight, and that roots are able to penetrate deeply into the soil. Once adequate height and length are achieved by the stems and roots, they will begin to thicken to give support to the plant. On the shoots, these growing tips of the plant are known as apical buds. The apical bud (or tip) produces the growth, which not only promotes cell division, but also diffuses downwards and inhibits the development of lateral bud growth ("Side shoots"), which would otherwise compete with the apical tip for light and nutrients. Removing the apical tip and its suppressive hormone, allows the lower dormant lateral buds to develop, and the buds between the leaf stalk and stem produce new shoots, which compete to become the lead growth. Manipulating this natural response to damage (known as the principle of apical dominance) by processes such as pruning allows the horticulturist to determine the shape, size, and productivity of many fruiting trees and bushes.
Apical Meristem - (See Apical Dominance)
Aquaponics - the integration of aquaculture (the raising of marine animals, such as fish) with hydroponics; the waste products from the fish are treated and then used to fertilize hydroponically growing plants.
Asexual reproduction - The propagation of a plant by cutting, division, layers, grafts, or other vegetative means, rather than by seeds. Used to produce plants that will be like their parent, and is sometimes called cloning.
Auxin - A hormone found in plants that induces growth and fructification even if the plant hasn't been pollinated (seedless watermelon is an example); also the predominate hormone used when rooting cuttings: example IBA & NAA.
Axillary - In reference to an axillary bud. When a leaf attaches to the main trunk, an angle is formed between the stem & leaf. This angle is called the axil. A vegetative/reproductive bud may be present between this angle; this vegetative/reproductive bud is called an axillary bud.
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