TAMPING: Pressing the soil around a plant that has just been planted making sure soil is secure and firm around the roots.

TAP ROOT: A stout, tapering primary root that has limited side branching or fine roots.

TENDER: An indoor plant which requires a minimum temperature of 60°F.

TENDER PLANTS: Plants which are unable to endure frost or freezing temperatures.

TENDRIL: The twisting, clinging, slender growth on many vines, which allows the plant to attach themselves to a support or trellis.

TERMINAL: The uppermost bud or flower on a stem.

TERRA COTTA: Clay pots that are unglazed and excellent for growing most plant material. They do dry out quickly and salts will bleed through the porous surfaces.

TERRARIUM: A partly or entirely closed glass container used to house a collection of indoor plants.

TERRESTRIAL: A plant which grows in soil.

THATCH: An intertwined layer of dead and living roots, stems and blades of grass plants. It holds water, pesticides and fertilizer like a sponge, preventing them from reaching the roots.

THICKET: Any area that has a lot of miscellaneous undergrowth, usually made up of small shrubs, bushes, and vines.

THIN: To remove the weakest seedlings and allow remaining plants to reach full maturity and potential size.

THINNING: Removing excess seedlings, to allow sufficient room for the remaining plants to grow.

THRIPS: Insects that feed on all parts of the plant: leaves, flowers, buds, and stems.

THUG: Thugs are invasive plants.

TILL: To work the soil by cultivating or digging and turning it - by hand or machine.

TIP CUTTING: A cutting taken from the top end of a shoot.

TIRED SOIL: A term referring to a piece of land that has been exhausted of its nutrient value.

TISSUE CULTURE: A very sterile practice of propagating plants from the mother plant.

TOP-DRESSING: A process that means to apply on the top surface of the soil.

TOPIARY: The art of clipping and training woody plants to form geometric shapes or intricate patterns.

TOPSOIL: The top layer of native soil. This term may also apply to good quality soil.

TRACE ELEMENTS: Chemical elements present in exceedingly small quantities.

TRAILING: Any plant that grows long stems and will grow along the ground and will root as it goes along.

TRANSPIRATION: The loss of water from plant tissues in the form of vapor.

TRANSPLANTING: The process of digging up a plant and moving it to another location.

TREATED SEEDS: Seeds that have been protected against diseases. They are toxic.

TREE: A woody plant with a distinct central trunk.

TROPICAL PLANT: A plant that grows in tropic zones.

TRUE LEAVES: The first hardy leaves, usually the second pair, on a new plant.

TUBER: An enlarged, underground stem that stores food.