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Gardeners' glossary A-Z

Ff

Use our easy-to-understand guide to help out with all those confusing gardening terms. From Acicular to Zebrinus, Annual to Zinc, you'll find a simple explanation below.

Flea beetle

Of the leaf beetle family, flea beetles are small, jumping insects, which feed mainly on root vegetable crops and brassicas.

Flexuous

Pliable, bending in opposite directions, wavy.

Floccose

Woolly, covered in soft hairs that may be easily rubbed off.

Flore-pleno

A term used to describe an extreme double flower.

Floriferous

To be flower bearing. It is sometimes misused to describe an abundance of flowers.

Flower

Also known as bloom or blossom, the flower is the reproductive structure of a plant, bearing the male and female organs. It's often brightly coloured to attract fertilising insects.

Forcing

The artificial inducing of plant growth by the control of heat and light. In some cases light is increased to encourage early flowering, while in others, light is excluded to encourage earlier production and more tender growth.

Form/forma

The lowest subdivision of a species, ranking after variety. Often used to denote a trivial variation in a plant, eg, flower or leaf colour, size, etc.

Friable

Describes soil that's loose, crumbly and easily cultivable. Perfect for sowing and planting.

Froghopper

The insect that produces cuckoo spit.

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