Will knowing a few basic gardening terms make you a better gardener? I say yes, because knowing a few key terms will help you better understand how plants grow and what they need to remain healthy. What’s more, you’ll be better prepared to make smart decisions when buying plants. Here are just a few important gardening terms that even casual gardeners should add to their lexicon. I’ll feature more in the future.

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This is a key term, one you’ll likely encounter in plant descriptions. It refers to the time it takes plants to develop enough of a root mass to support the top growth. Generally, it takes a full year for most plants to become established, during which time they need extra care, especially when it comes to their watering requirements. But trees and shrubs may require two or even three years before they become established.

The key word here is tolerant, meaning that once a plant is established, it can go for longer periods without irrigation. It doesn’t mean they’ll survive without water, just that they can go for longer periods of time without it. And I’m not just talking about cacti and succulents (although they are drought tolerant). The list of drought-tolerant plants also includes ornamental grasses, dozens of perennials, Crape myrtles, junipers, and more.

Some plants -- especially healthy ones -- have natural resistance to various diseases, be they fungal, viral, or bacterial. But in others resistance is the result of selective breeding. In fact, hybridizing plants to make them more disease resistant is the primary goal of many plant breeders. Keep in mind, however, that resistance is not the same thing as immunity.

This term doesn’t actually refer to a plant’s toughness. Rather, it refers to a rating given to plants based on their ability to survive winter temperatures. The USDA Zone Map includes 13 Zones, with Zone 1 the coldest and Zone 13 the warmest. Most of Green Country is in Zone 7, and with the exception of tropicals and houseplants, the plants we sell are indeed hardy in our area.

The three numbers you see on fertilizer packaging, such as 3-4-2, refer to the percentage, by weight, of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium contained in the product, whether granular or liquid, which are essential for plant growth. Many fertilizers also contain various micronutrients as well as beneficial fungi, and they too are essential but to a lesser degree.

The relative acidity or alkalinity of soil is measured by pH, a scale that goes from 0 to 14. Anything below 7 (which is neutral) is acidic and anything above 7 is alkaline. The vast majority of plants grow best when pH is between 6.8 and 7.2, but azaleas, blueberries, hydrangeas and a few other popular plants require acidic soil with a pH of 4.5 to 5.5. The most important issue regarding pH is that if it’s too high or too low plants may not be able to absorb key nutrients, and that’s why you should measure it either with a simple test kit or a soil test available from OSU.

Collectively, organic matter refers to plants or animals (most of them teeny tiny creatures) in various stages of decomposition. Think compost. It’s a vital component of healthy soil that improves soil fertility and structure. Healthy soils typically contain between 3% and 7% organic matter, which can be measured by a soil test.

Even savvy gardeners use these terms incorrectly. It’s not a big deal, really, but it bugs me. A pollinator is a critter -- be it a bee, butterfly, moth, hummingbird, or whatever -- that transfers pollen from one plant to another. A pollinizer is a plant that’s required for cross pollination. For example, apples and pears require two different varieties for cross pollination. Otherwise, neither plant will produce fruit.

Most plants grow best in soil that drains well, meaning the soil doesn’t drain too quickly (like sand) or hold water for extended periods (like clay). Test your soil’s drainage by digging a six-inch-deep hole and filling it with water. Ideally, it should drain between one and three inches in an hour. If it drains slower or faster than that, add organic matter in the form of compost or composted soil amendments and work it into the soil.

Plants that lose their leaves in the fall or winter and go dormant are known as deciduous.

Evergreens retain their leaves year ‘round, and are classified as either broadleaf (boxwood, holly, live oak) or needleleaf (pine, spruce, yew).

Conifers are plants that produce cones. The vast majority of them are evergreen, but there are deciduous conifers as well, such as bald cypress and dawn redwood.

When plant breeders cross pollinate two different species or varieties of a plant, the resulting offspring is a hybrid, ideally one that contains the best traits of each of the parents, such as disease resistance or larger fruits or flowers. The process has occurred naturally for millions of years, but traditional hybridization offers breeders more control. And no, hybrids are not the same as GMOs, which are plants whose genetics have been altered or modified in a lab.

Typically, heirloom plants are at least 50 years old and have not been hybridized, except perhaps by natural processes. The term is used most often to describe fruits and vegetables. Tomatoes such as Brandywine and Arkansas Traveler are popular heirlooms. Also known as open-pollinated, the seeds of heirlooms will produce virtually identical offspring, whereas hybrid seeds often do not.

Crape myrtles are showing their colors right now, and there’s good news for anyone who wants to add one to their garden -- now is the perfect time to plant. And they’re on sale!