The phrase "vegetative phase" is correct and can be used in written English.
It is used to describe a period in the life cycle of a plant when it is not flowering or producing fruit, but it is receiving energy from photosynthesis and focusing on growth, both above and below the soil. Example: The apple tree was in its vegetative phase, with its branches and leaves reaching out to the sun.
Li, H., Freeling, M. & Lisch, D. Epigenetic reprogramming during vegetative phase change in maize.
Vegetative phase frost incidence was more frequent at high altitude, while minimum, mean, and maximum temperatures were lower.
Solstice uses 1,000W high intensity discharge lamps (HID), which easily compare to LEDs for the vegetative phase, where roots and leaves are developed.
The vegetative phase is the sum of the duration of individual-level vegetative events that occur before and after the reproductive phase.
VP, vegetative phase; RP, reproductive phase; LO, leafing-out; PFL, post-fruiting leaf; LC, leaf colouring; FB, fruit bud; FL, flowering; FR, fruit-set/seeding.
All P values were <0.0001 except vegetative phase for Kh, Cs, Pn and Pp under warming, which were 0.031, 0.727, 0.002 and 0.101, respectively.
However, cooler temperatures do not simply have the opposite effect of warmer temperatures on the duration of individual life history events, especially within the vegetative phase.
Li, G. et al. Imitation Switch chromatin remodeling factors and their interacting RINGLET proteins act together in controlling the plant vegetative phase in Arabidopsis.
Similarly, in this study, LD condition disrupts energy metabolism and photosynthesis and further enhances carbohydrate synthesis in NIL-cml juvenile vegetative phase.
The panels include the vegetative phase (a), reproductive phase (b), activity period (c) and their ratios of reproduction to activity period (d) under warming and cooling conditions.
For the upper hierarchies of the activity period, reproductive phase and vegetative phase, it appears that opposite responses are indeed observed under warming versus cooling (longer versus shorter).
