Hort 100 Flashcards
Macronutrients
are required in larger amounts and often supplied through fertilizers.
What are the primary macronutrients
Nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium.
What are the secondary macronutrients?
Sulfur, calcium, and magnesium
Micronutrients
Required in small amounts, present in adequate amounts via fertilization, and is applied less often.
What are organic fertilizers?
Manure, compost, plant and animal derived fertilizers
what does soil pH affect?
the nutrient availability
Chlorosis
the abnormal yellowing of leaves in plants
Why use soil amendments?
Increase fertility
Enhance nutrient retention, storage and exchange
Porosity
Water and air movement
What is considered soil amendments?
Organic matter, fertilizers, sand, lime and gymsum (fertilizers), inoculants and stimulants.
Surface Irrigation
Over soil surface, gravity, traditional method, has high evaporation rate.
Sprinkler Irrigation
Overhead, like rainfall. More efficient, more issues with diseases
Drip/trickle Irrigation
Low volume, slow. Very efficient, standard for horticulture production
Subsurface Irrigation
Applied at root zone, involves drip type, capillary action.
Most efficient
Subsurface Irrigation
What factors influence choice of irrigation type of growers?
Soil type, crop and cost
The affect of very (low acidic or high pH levels can cause what?
Aluminum to become soluable
What substrates have higher nutrient value
Clay, loam and highly organic soils.
Pros of Synthetic fertilizers
Easily applied,readily available, cost effective, predictable and reliable response
Cons of synthetic fertilizers
Negatively affect soils, not certified organic, leach into water, large carbon footprint.
Pros of animal manures
Excellent source of organic matter and nutrients for soil
Stabilizes the nitrogen
Reduces vitality of weed seeds
Reduces disease pathogens
Ornamental Horticulture
the use of plants for their beauty (landscape and floriculture.
Landscape horticulture
production of plants to beautify environment
Landscape designs
practice of creating a plan for best use of space in an an attractive way
Landscape construction
installation of landscapes
Nursery production
production of plants for landscape
Landscape maintenance
maintaining of plants in landscapeses
What is hardscaping?
Retaining walls fences terraces patios walkways drives pools
What are factors that influence landscapes?
terrain climate home buildings structures intended use clients wants
Knowledge of a landscape designer
Plant identification
cultural requirements of plants
construction practices
principles of designs
What are the steps in landscape designs?
Assemble base plan
conduct a site analysis (existing vegetation, hardscapes)
Client evaluation (assess family needs and desires)
Develop a bubble diagram (locate private, public, service, and utility areas
Design landscape plan (pencil drawing, then color
Plant selection and placement
What is included in landscape maintenance?
care of landscape after installation mowing grass pruning plants pest control cultivating soil planting and weeding applying mulch removing leaves
Landscape construction
take design plans and create a landscape with it
How many types of nursery production is there?
- Bare product
Balled and burlap
Containerized plants
Bare Root
sold without soil and is less expensive to ship but only sold in early spring, requires more skill in planting/ care/.
Balled and Burlap
Grown in a field for 2-5 years
Hardiness zones
Allow you to select varieties and species that are more likely to survive that area.
garden microclimates?
Expands hardiness zones.
Examples of microclimates
South or west exposure
protected from wind
rocks (for thermal masks or mass)
good drainage
What is clilling/ frost/ freezing tolerance?
The ability to acclimate to and become winter dormant to allow plant to survive cold to extremely cold temperatures.
Chilling
injury that occurs below 32 degrees Farenheit. Freezing injury can occur in absence of frost.
What is soil?
Sand, salt, and clay - along with organic matter, soil, microbes and other soil fauna.
What are the advantages of using soil?
it exists, inexepensive, “natural”, vital to life, holds substantial nutrients, retains water, provides healthy root environment.
Disadvantages of using soil?
increases potential for disease,insects, weeds,difficult to manipulate growth,heavy, compaction, salinity.
What is soil health?
the capacity of a soil to function within an ecosystem and land use boundaries to sustain biological productivity, main environmental quality, promote plant, animal, and human health.
Problem with using soil in horticulture?
low porosity poor root growth (compacted) too wet, slow to warm in spring requires tillage (to loosen) poor drainage unhealthy roots, poor growth Rocks/gravel pH too low (acidic), too high (basic) fertility temperatures pathogens, insects, weeds
What is a healthy soil?
High porosity drains well good air exchange healthy root growth reduces chances of diseases utilization of soil nutrients
The problem of soil compaction?
Reduce soil health particles are pushed together air space is decreased roots can penetrate soil reduce gas exchange reduced nutrient/water uptake lower yields susceptible to disease
Importance of water:
balance of plants
required for photosynthesis
Water makes up how much of a cell is water?
80-90%
How much water is in a carrot?
85-95%
How much water is in wood?
35-75%
How much water is in seeds?
5-15%
Transpiration
when water is lost through leaves
Turgor pressure
pressure created by water inside the cell against the cell
What is the driving force for water from the soil to the plant to the atmosphere?
Differences in:
H2o vapor
water potential
hydro static pressure
What are specialized cells in the stomata?
Guard cells
What happens to stomata when water is limited?
Stomata will open less or remain closed on sunny morning, stomata resistance.
Transpiration ratio:
The effectiveness of controlling water loss and allowing CO2 uptake for photosynthesis
Co2 diffusion rate
1.6 times slower than water
Photosynthesis
6 CO2 + 6H20+ sunlight—>C6H12O6+6O2
Carbon dioxide + water + energy —->glucose + oxygeny
Cellular respiration
C6 H12 O6 +6O2 —> 6CO2 + 6H2O +38 ATP
glucose + oxygen —> carbon dioxide + water + energy
What does photosynthesis do?
Produces carbohydrates stores energy occurs in chloroplasts releases energy uses water and carbon dioxide occurs in sunlight
What does respiration do?
Uses carbohydrates releases energy occurs in all cells uses oxygen produces carbon dioxide and water occurs in darkness and light
How does photosynthesis differ from solar cells?
light energy stored:
sugars
coal, oil
3-6% of light energy is converted to carbohydrates
Which is more efficient (photosynthesis or solar cell)
Photosynthetic cells are 12-17% more efficient
Vapotranspiration
water is transferred from the land to the atmosphere by evaporation from the soil and other surfaces and by transpiration from plants.
What affects the rate of transpiration?
Wind (increases)
Light (increases)
Temperature (increases)
humidity (decreases)
Translocation
The movement of materials within a plant: sugars, sources and sinks that move through the phloem (bidirectional).
What factors affect photosynthesis?
Light quality and intensity, temperature, carbon dioxide and water availability.
Light quality
wavelengths that favor photosynthesis
Light intensity
shade, clouds, indoor/outdoor; duration
Temperature
heat/cold can affect photosynthesis rate and ability of reactions to occur (peak then decrease)
Carbon dioxide (Co2) concentration
increasing CO2 concentration increases photosynthesis
Water availability
water needed for photosynthesis; affects stomatal opening/ closing
Why do plants look green?
red/blue wavelengths are best for driving photosynthesis
C3 photosynthesis
cool season plants, photorespiration is a problem
C4 photosynthesis
warm season/ tropical plants no photorespiration
CAM photosynthesis
cacti/ succulents, CO2 converted to malic acid
Photorespiration
favored bu constant high temperatures (>8), long days. bright sunlight, poor air movement and drought stress
Where does carbon fixation occur in C4 leaves?
In bundles sheath cells where O2 concentration is lower
What plants are less efficient
C3 plants are 50% less efficient at CO2 fixation than C4
What does CAM stand for?
Crassulacean Acid Metabolism
what is a greenhouse?
a structure that is covered with a transparent material that allow sufficient sunlight to enter for the purpose of growing plants.
Why use a greenhouse?
to grow crops out of season
grow crops not adapted
to speed up growth of crops
Types of commercial greenhouse production
fresh flowers. flowering, foliage plants, vegetable production, woody ornamentals and bedding plants
Fresh flowers
flowers which are cut from the plant prior to sale (roses, mums, carnations)
Flowering plants
flowering plants that are sold in containers (chysanthemum)
Foliage plants
potted plants valued for foliage rather than flowers (ivies, ficus. ferns)
Bedding plants
young plants sold for planting around building ( vegetables, impatiens, marigold)
Vegetable production
Vegetables grown to maturity (tomatoes, lettuce)
Woody ornamental plant propogation
cuttings etc
Even span
two roof slopes of equal width and pitch
Gothic arch
pointed no trusses
Quonset
semicircle structure
Ridge and furrow
connected around eaves
lean to
attached to existing building
cold frame
no heating or cooling
trusses
composed of rafters, chords, and or struts that support the roof
Glass covering
good light transmission, but breakable and most expensive
Flexible plastic film
mostly polyethylene, inexpensive and easily built, but not durable
Rigid plastic sheets
fiberglass, acryllic, polycarbonate: lightweight and durable but more expensive
Types of heating systems used in greenhouse?
Boilers
unit heaters
Radiant or infrared heaters
What does Btu mean and do?
British thermal units: and is the measurement of heat required to raise one pound of water one degree F also used to measure/ compare heating systems.
What is the optimum temperature for greenhouses?
60-80 F
Cooling and ventilation types used in greenhouses?
No cooling natural ventilation fan and shutter cooling evaporative cooling shade cloth
Con of not using/having cooling system?
Temperature can exceed 140 degrees F killing plants
Fan and shutter cooling
outdoor air is introduced through motorized shutters, exhaust fans push out hot air, temperature is maintained within 10 degrees F of outdoors
Who grows the most flowers?
Netherlands (hydrophonic greenhouses)
