Glossary R

R
Radicle	The first root of a seedling.
Rambler	Roses producing long, flexible canes that can be trained up anything.
Reaction	The pH scale is measured by the degree of alkalinity or acidity in the soil or in compost.
Recurrent flowering	A succesession of flowers throughout the season on one plant.
Recurved petals	These are petals that curve upwards or downwards.
Reflexed	Sharply curving petals on a flower.
Regulatory pruning	Keeping a tree or shrub tidy with the pruning of branches that cross each other or are overcrowded.
Remontant	Flowering and or fruiting more than once in a season.
Renewal pruning	Pruning to ensure a constant supply of new shoots.
Repotting	The compost around a plant in a pot can become stale, perhaps also the roots need more space to grow. A new pot one size bigger or maybe just replacing the soil with some new.
Residual	Herbicides that stay active in the soil for a given period.
Resistant	A plant that can overcome and survive an attack by a pest or disease. A pest or disease that can overcome and survive a chemical (pesticides) attack.
Reversion	A disease that attacks blackcurrents. Also a variegated plant that starts to change back to all one colour leaves, they should be pruned or cut off.
Rhizome	A large storage organ below ground which grows roots and stems.
Rhizomorph	Fungi have the ability to spread through the soil with this root mass of fungal threads.
Riddle	Sieving soil.
Ridging	Making long mounds of soil with trenches either side, as you would for potatoes.
Ring culture	Pots without bottoms but full of soil are placed over a gravel or sand bed. The plant takes in nutrients from the soil and also has a good supply of water from below.
Ring pattern	Circular areas of chlorosis on a leaf, the centre of each remaining green, it could mean a virus.
Ripe wood	A young shoot that is hardening.
Rod	The main stem of a vine.
Rogue	A plant that is not following normal genetic patterns.
Rogueing	Taking out the rogues from your seedlings as they grow.
Root ball	The roots, soil and compost that form a solid mass.
Root cutting	Propagation with a small peice of root that has been cut away from the main part.
Rooting compound	A liquid or powder applied to a cutting before it is placed in soil.
Rooted tips	The shoots of some plants fall to the ground and when they come into contact with soil produce roots from which a new plant grows ie: blackberries.
Rootstock	A plant chosen for its disease resistance and strength onto which another plant is budded or grafted.
Root hairs	Tiny hairs on the roots through which water and nutrients are taken.
Root-pruning	Cutting the roots usually to contain the size of the plant.
Root-run	The area where roots grow.
Rose	An attachment for a watering can or hose that gives a fine spray.
Rosette	Overlapping leaves in a cluster close to the ground.
Rotation	A way of cultivating edible crops without depleting the soils nutrients.
Runner	A shoot which grows on top of the ground but stops and produces roots for a new plant ie: strawberries.
Run-off	Water which is not required as the soil is already saturated, so it disperses.