Glossary S

S
Sap	A living plant transports this liquid to all parts of itself as it contains all the nutrients it needs.
Saprophyte	A plant that lives on organic decaying matter.
Scab	A diseased area which is rough and crusty.
Scarify or scarifying	Raking a lawn hard to remove dead grass and moss. To score seeds to make it easier for water to penetrate.
Scion	Shoot or bud grafted onto rootstock.
Scorch or Scorching	Damage to leaves due to: stong direct sunlight, wind, salt water, salty air, frost, pesticides and lack of nutrients.
Scoring	Propagation of bulbs by cutting into the base plate.
Scramblers	Plants that climb by pushing their shoots through the branches of others, they do not have hooks or tendrils.
Scree	Alpine plants can grow on this mixture of gravel, small stones or rocks.
Seed coat	The tough outer layer around a seed.
Seed dressing	A fine powder dusted on seeds before they are sown to protect them from pests and dieases.
Seed drill	A machine that automatically plants seeds at the right depth and distance apart.
Seedheads	Flowers that have been successfully fertilized and are now producing fruits and seeds.
Seed leaf	(syn. cotyledon) The first leaf or leaves produced by germinated seed.
Selective weedkiller	This weedkiller is formulated to kill a particular type of plant.
Self-fertile	A flower able to fertilize itself.
Self-sterile	A flower that is not able to fertilize itself.
Semi-evergreen	Part evergreen, part deciduous this plant will grow leaves throughout the year but will loose some old ones during the winter..
Sepal	The outside leaf-like structures of a flower.
Set or sets	Small bulbs or tubers used for propagation.
Sheet composting	Laying weeds, vegetable trimmings, grass cuttings etc. on top of the soil to rot down over winter and then digging in in the spring.
Shield budding	A shield shaped section of the plant which includes a bud is cut off and inserted into a slit cut into the bark of rootstock to be used.
Shoddy	Wool waste used to add organic matter to the soilt.
Shrub	A plant lasting more than three seasons with woody stems that branch out from the base.
Sideshoot	A shoot that grows out of the main stem.
Sideshooting	The removal of sideshoots.
Silt	A fine soil formed from clay.
Single	A flower with the normal number of petals.
Slip	The old name for a cutting.
Slitting	Making cuts in the lawn rather than holes for aeration.
Slow-release fertilizer	Formulated in such a way that it takes a longer period of time to break down.
Snag	A small piece of branch left after pruning has been done badly. Make sure when you prune to make the cut a clean one otherwise the wound is open to disease.
Soakaway	A pit or trench into which excess water can drain.
Soft fruit	Generally fruit grown on bushes or canes.
Softwood cutting	A cutting taken from the present years growth before it hardens.
Soil conditioner	Organic matter added to soil to improve it.
Soilless compost	Organic or in-organic matter without soil.
Soil profile	A cross-section of soil showing the layers.
Soluble fertilizer	A liquid that can be diluted down in water.
Species	A group of closely related plants within a genus.
Specimen	A plant on its own, planted for the best visual impact.
Spiking	Another alternative for aerating a lawn, using a fork.
Spit	The depth of a spade.
Spore	The reproductive body of fungus or ferns.
Sport	New varieties can occur from this , a mutation.
Spot-treat	The treatment of a specific small area of disease on a plant.
Spreader	A liquid added to another to help with distribution over a large area.
Spur	Slow-growing short shoots which bear clusters of flowers.
Stamen	The male reproductive organ producing pollen, comprising of a stalk with an anther.
Standard	A tree with a single stem with no branches standing about 5-7ft tall with a crown of branches.
Station sowing	Planting seeds by hand into the exact place where they will remain and grow.
Stigma	The female reproductive organ of the flower.
Stipule	A leaf -like sheath at the bottom of the flower where the pollen is placed.
Stomata	Minute pores in a plants leaves where gases are exchanged.
Stone fruits	Fruits with a hard stone in the centre like peaches.
Stool	The base of a bush or cane that produces new shoots.
Stool back	Pruning right back to encourage new growth for cuttings.
Stop	Pinching out the growing tip to encourage bushy growth.
Stove house	A greenhouse kept at high temperatures.
Straight fertilizer	A fertilizer containing only one nutrient.
Strain	A distinct group within a species of fungus.
Stratify	To expose seeds to winter cold to trigger germination.
Strike	To take root, generally a cutting.
Strike off	Removing excess soil from the top of a pot or seed tray.
Style	Female reproductive organ linking the stigma to the ovary.
Sub-lateral	A side-shoot growing from a lateral shoot.
Sub-shrub	The growing tips that have not had a chance to turn woody, die back in winter.
Sub-soil	The layer of soil which is lacking in nutrients below the richer top soil.
Sub-species	An intermediate category between a variety and a species.
Substrate	Any material in which plants can be grown.
Successional growing	Sowing seeds at intervals so that you have a continuous crop.
Succulent	A succulent plant has the ability to store large quantities of water in its fleshy leaves in case of drought.
Sucker	A shoot growing at around ground level.
Symbiosis	A mutually beneficial relationship between two plants, animals or insects.
Systemic	A pesticide which does not kill the plant but rather permeates the sap to kill sap sucking insects.