| Apical meristem is the growing tip of any branch or twig that grows outward or upward based on the direction of the plant hormone, auxins. |
| Blue light is used by the plants during photosynthesis. It is absorbed by the plant, and is responsible for leaf growth. Blue light coming in from the top of the treeshelter is what is needed to promote straight stem growth. For more information refer to Light and Color |
| Broadleaf is a term that describes trees with "normal" leaves like oaks, maples, sycamores, etc. rather than needles or scales like spruce, cedar or pine |
| Canopy refers to all plant parts above ground; e.g. the branches and leaves that create the shade |
| Carbon dioxide (CO₂) is the gas in the earth’s atmosphere which plants use in the process of photosynthesis to create sugars for plant growth |
| Conifer refers to cone bearing trees that generally have needle or scale-like leaves |
| Cordon, a.k.a. "arms" is a trained horizontal shoot from a vine or tree |
| Cordon wire referts to the horizontal trellis wires that cordons are trained and secured to |
| Cultivars are plants that are derived from a mother plant (a.k.a. vegetative cutting) that have been selected for their specific flowering, fruiting or leaf structure qualities |
| DBH or diameter at breast height is the measurement of the tree's diameter taken on the stem, 4 ½ feet up from the ground |
| Deciduous refers to the type of tree that loses its leaves every year in our temperate climate |
| Dibble bar is a metal wedge that pries soil apart by the forward, backward action of the operator for quick planting of young, bare-rooted trees |
| Dormant/dormancy is when plant growth has stopped or been reduced naturally due to season and weather changes or due to stressful growing conditions |
| Evergreen refers to trees that hold their foliage all year long |
| Food plots are planned and planted in order to provide a reliable food source for wildlife. Click here for more information about wildlife plantings. |
| Fruiting wire refers to the horizontal trellis wire a cordon or a fruiting shoot is tied to |
Green light is reflected by plants, therefore giving us green colored plants because plants do not absorb green light. For more information refer to Light and Color |
| Hardening off generally refers to the winterizing stages a plant must go through in order to be adequately prepared for cold winter temperatures. |
| Hard mast describes wildlife food from tree fruit that is hard-shelled; e.g. hickory, walnut, acorn |
| Lateral branches are the "secondary" or minor branches that are produced from the main scaffold branches at maturity. When trees are young, all branches are considered lateral branches |
| Photosynthesis is a plant process that takes energy from the sun to combine carbon dioxide with water and converts them into sugars the plant uses to grow |
| Phototropism is growth in response to light- either away from or towards the light source |
| Plant hormones are auxins, gibberellins, cytokinins, ethylene, and abscisic acid that regulate plant growth and development along with creating cells. E.g. hormones regulate when a fruit ripens, where leaves are formed on the stem, and when leaves fall |
| Prune or pruning refers to the intentional removal of branches from a woody plant |
| Red light is used by plants during photosynthesis and is absorbed by the plant, making reddish colors a perfect blend for treeshelters. For more information refer to Light and Color |
| Saplings refer to young trees, generally 1-3 inch stem caliper in size |
| Scaffold branches are the permanent framework of a tree |
| Seedlings refer to early tree growth, usually 1-2 years following seed germination. Generally, seedlings are purchased from a vendor as bare-root plants |
| Soft mast describes wildlife food from tree fruit that are fleshy and juicy; e.g. apple, juneberry, cherry |
| Stem caliper is the measurement of the tree’s stem width at 6 inches from above the ground |
| Stoma (plural- stomata) is an opening in the plant leaf that is used for gas exchange |
| Tree bark protectors are cylinders of white plastic that are placed around sapling tree stems in order to protect the bark from lawn mower or string trimmer damage and animal rubbing or gnawing. Click here to buy our Tree bark protector |
| Tree tube/treeshelters are cylindrical plastic tubes that are placed over a young tree or seed to provide a greenhouse environment along with protection from animal damage or herbicide sprays. Click here to buy our #1 selling tree tube! |
| Training stakes can be bamboo stakes, fiberglass stakes, oak stakes or metal rods that are tied to branches to direct growth. Click here to buy bamboo stakes. |
| Variety is a term used for plants selected from a species that breeds true from sexual or seed propagation |
| Venting refers to a portion of a tree tube that has slots etched into the plastic to provide CO₂ exchange, reduce humidity build-up, and allow for natural temperature fluctuations in order for trees to enter dormancy at the right time. Click here for more information on venting |
| Veraison refers to the time in berry development that the unripe berry sweetens through lose of acidity. At this point the fruit aromas attract birds that can damage your crop so applying bird netting is critical in order to preserve your harvest |
Weed mats are placed on the soil surrounding a newly planted tree in order to inhibit the growth of weeds that compete with the tree for nutrients and water. Click here to buy our weed mats!
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1. Dirr, M.A. 1998. Manual of Woody Landscape Plants. Champaign, IL: Stipes Publishing.
2. Harris et al. 1999. Arboriculture: Integrated management of landscape trees, shrubs and vine, 3rd edition. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.
