Needless confusion results when words are used improperly. This is as true in gardening as in law or chemistry.
In gardening, the one word most often misused is sour, meaning acid. However, acid soil is not necessarily a sour one.
A sour soil is so poorly drained that it is often water-logged. In addition, it may be acidic and is quite generally poor in nutrients.
In any event, it is poor soil to try to grow almost any plant. On the other hand, acidic soil may well grow many fine plants.
Acidity Of The Plants’ Soil
Rhododendrons, including azaleas, camellias, blueberries, and many other plants, require a considerable acidity in their soils.
Roses grow best on mildly acid soil, with a pH of about 6.0, as do most ornamental plants.
Of course, some plants do poorly on even the best acid soils. Lilacs, delphiniums, and clovers are representatives of these.
What Is Hardiness?
Another commonly abused word is hardy. Some people even confuse it with hearty.
Hardiness generally refers to the ability of a plant to withstand the winter at any given location.
The extreme temperatures in the billing country of New Hampshire will kill English hollies. Therefore, they are not hardy at that location.
To a lesser degree, hardiness refers to the ability of a plant to grow and flourish under summer conditions. This is, however, not a normal use of the word.
The common error is equating hardiness with vigor. It has nothing specific to do with the robustness of growth.
Using The Word Dirt For Soil
Still, another common choice of the wrong word is the use of dirt for soil. Dirt is “any foul substance, as excrement, mud, dust and so forth” (Webster).
Despite of Webster’s second meaning, “loose or packed soil,” I maintain that this is unacceptable, at least within the realm of gardening and farming.
Some professors of soil science will fail any student who writes or says dirt when he means soil. It is a punishment that fits the crime!
Actually, the soil is not made entirely of particles of partially decomposed rock (sand if the particles are large; clay if they are very small).
In addition to this mineral base, there is humus in varying proportions, a sail atmosphere containing oxygen and other gases, moisture, and much animal life including, fungi and bacteria.
In other words, we take care of dirt in the laundry or in-house cleaning.
Soil is something we treat lovingly in the garden so that we may increase the beauty around us.
Just a bit of thought as to the precise meaning of words will help end confusion in the minds of many.
It will also, especially in the proper use of the word dirt, add to the dignity of gardening.
44659 by Dr. Fred J. Nisbet