houseplant/cloning quest Flashcards

1
Q

why should you have a drainage hole in your pot?

A

so water can drain, no root rot

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2
Q

why are clay pots better than plastic?

A

clay pots evaporate excess moisture away, excess salt and fertilizer also wicked out of soil

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3
Q

what would happen if you watered your plant every day?

A

root rot

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4
Q

how should you water your plant?

A

every 5-7 days with room temperature water

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5
Q

why is hose water bad?

A

it may be contaminated with chlorine or other chemicals

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6
Q

what is the 10% rule?

A

only use 10% of what the fertilizer box says, more often

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7
Q

what time of year should you fertilize?

A

march-november, not december-february

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8
Q

what is a photoperiod?

A

the hours of light a plant gets, can determine if a plant goes dormant

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9
Q

how is a photoperiod different from light intensity?

A

a photoperiod is how many hours of light, vs the intensity of the light

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10
Q

when do plants go dormant and why?

A

the coldest months (dec-feb), in response to bad growing conditions

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11
Q

if you’re repotting your plant, how big should the new pot be?

A

1 thumb larger than the old pot

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12
Q

repotting rules

A

1) if the plant dries out too quickly
2) when plant gets root bound
3) when you see roots coming out the bottom of the pot

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13
Q

when pruning/pinching your plant, where should you cut?

A

above the node

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14
Q

what is the difference between potting soil and potting mix?

A

potting soil is a mix of peat moss and outdoor soil
potting mix is a mix of peat moss and perlite

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15
Q

is potting soil or potting mix better?

A

potting mix because outdoor soil may have bugs and disease in it

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16
Q

what are the main components of potting mix?

A

peat moss and perlite

17
Q

what are two things that roots need from soil?

A

hold water and provide air

18
Q

how should you treat common pests like mealybugs and spider mites?

A

mix cheap insecticidal soap and water, dunk the plant in it

19
Q

what do brown leaf tips mean?

A

lack of humidity

20
Q

what do black leaves mean?

A

overfertilized

21
Q

what do leaves falling off at the top or tips mean?

A

too little water

22
Q

what do leaves falling off or turning brown at the base mean?

A

too much water

23
Q

what do leaves falling off and turning yellow mean?

A

need to fertilize

24
Q

what does a wilting plant mean?

A

too dry

25
Q

what is sexual reproduction in plants?

A

uses birds, insects, mammals, or wind for “sex”

26
Q

what is asexual reproduction in plants?

A

cloning through cuttings, division, grafting, or layering

27
Q

why are clones ideal for greenhouse/agriculture but not ideal in nature?

A

clone desirable specimens vs no genetic diversity

28
Q

how do you use stem cuttings?

A

use nodes, remove lower few leaves, treat with rooting hormone, keep moist until roots develop

29
Q

how do you use leaf cuttings?

A

use a leaf section (helps to be thick/waxy), treat with rooting hormone

30
Q

how do you use ground and air layering?

A

a section of the stem is scraped and treated with root hormone and buried, roots grow from the buried stem

31
Q

how do you use division?

A

roots and shoots of plants which grow in bunches are dug up and cut/separated, then the divisions are planted

32
Q

how do you use grafting?

A

material from 2 different woody plants are directly joined, common with fruit trees

33
Q

which type of plant works best with leaf cuttings?

A

succulents, or plants with thick, waxy leaves

34
Q

which type of plant works best with grafting?

A

woody plants

35
Q

which type of plant works best with layering?

A

plants that naturally reproduce that way

36
Q

which type of plant works best with division?

A

roots and shoots

37
Q

what is the function of the rooting hormone?

A

to stimulate root growth and make the plants roots grow faster