houseplant/cloning quest Flashcards
why should you have a drainage hole in your pot?
so water can drain, no root rot
why are clay pots better than plastic?
clay pots evaporate excess moisture away, excess salt and fertilizer also wicked out of soil
what would happen if you watered your plant every day?
root rot
how should you water your plant?
every 5-7 days with room temperature water
why is hose water bad?
it may be contaminated with chlorine or other chemicals
what is the 10% rule?
only use 10% of what the fertilizer box says, more often
what time of year should you fertilize?
march-november, not december-february
what is a photoperiod?
the hours of light a plant gets, can determine if a plant goes dormant
how is a photoperiod different from light intensity?
a photoperiod is how many hours of light, vs the intensity of the light
when do plants go dormant and why?
the coldest months (dec-feb), in response to bad growing conditions
if you’re repotting your plant, how big should the new pot be?
1 thumb larger than the old pot
repotting rules
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
when pruning/pinching your plant, where should you cut?
above the node
what is the difference between potting soil and potting mix?
potting soil is a mix of peat moss and outdoor soil
potting mix is a mix of peat moss and perlite
is potting soil or potting mix better?
potting mix because outdoor soil may have bugs and disease in it
what are the main components of potting mix?
peat moss and perlite
what are two things that roots need from soil?
hold water and provide air
how should you treat common pests like mealybugs and spider mites?
mix cheap insecticidal soap and water, dunk the plant in it
what do brown leaf tips mean?
lack of humidity
what do black leaves mean?
overfertilized
what do leaves falling off at the top or tips mean?
too little water
what do leaves falling off or turning brown at the base mean?
too much water
what do leaves falling off and turning yellow mean?
need to fertilize
what does a wilting plant mean?
too dry
what is sexual reproduction in plants?
uses birds, insects, mammals, or wind for “sex”
what is asexual reproduction in plants?
cloning through cuttings, division, grafting, or layering
why are clones ideal for greenhouse/agriculture but not ideal in nature?
clone desirable specimens vs no genetic diversity
how do you use stem cuttings?
use nodes, remove lower few leaves, treat with rooting hormone, keep moist until roots develop
how do you use leaf cuttings?
use a leaf section (helps to be thick/waxy), treat with rooting hormone
how do you use ground and air layering?
a section of the stem is scraped and treated with root hormone and buried, roots grow from the buried stem
how do you use division?
roots and shoots of plants which grow in bunches are dug up and cut/separated, then the divisions are planted
how do you use grafting?
material from 2 different woody plants are directly joined, common with fruit trees
which type of plant works best with leaf cuttings?
succulents, or plants with thick, waxy leaves
which type of plant works best with grafting?
woody plants
which type of plant works best with layering?
plants that naturally reproduce that way
which type of plant works best with division?
roots and shoots
what is the function of the rooting hormone?
to stimulate root growth and make the plants roots grow faster
