- Lateral bud
- A bud borne in the axil of a leaf or branch; not terminal.
- Latex
- Milky sap which exudes from cut surfaces of a few house plants, such as Ficus elastica decora and Euphorbia.
- Layering
- A method of propagation in which a stem is induced to send out roots by surrounding it with soil.
- Leaching
- A similar concept to making tea which leaches out the flavor of the tea leaves. This concept regards how water will rinse bad substances (like salt) or good ones (like nutrients) down deep into the soil or as runoff.
- Leader
- The primary or top stem of a plant.
- Leaf margin
- The edge of a leaf.
- Leaf mould
- Partially decayed leaves used in some potting mixtures. It must be sieved and sterilized before use.
- Leggy
- Abnormally tall and spindly growth .
- Limbing up
- The removal of the lower limbs of a tree to allow a person to walk underneath it.
- Lime
- A rock powder consisting primarily of calcium carbonate that is used to raise the pH (that is, to decrease the acidity) of acid soils; not recommended for already alkaline soils like those found in the front range.
- Loam
- Good quality soil used in preparing compost. Adequate supplies of clay, sand and fiber must be present.
