Papers 6/16

Question 1

Horticultural use of greenhouse

Answer 1

Growing main season salad crops eg. Tomatoes
Propagation of young plants on a mist bench.
Growing a flowering or foliage plant on a fixed bench

Question 2

Horticultural use of a cold frame:

Answer 2

Propagation of crops from cuttings and seed.
Hardening off bedding plants.
Raising young vegetable crops eg. Courgettes

Question 3

Horticultural use of walk in polythene tunnel

Answer 3

Growing salad crops eg. Lettuce
Overwintering crops
Propagation of plants

Question 4

Horticultural use of cloche

Answer 4

Covering row crops eg.lettuces or strawberries.
Advanced warming of soil to achieve early cropping.
Early covering of tall crops eg. Beans for establishment, then removing cloche for remainder of plants life.

Question 5

Horticultural use of conservatory.

Answer 5

Display of tender foliage and flowering plants.

Propagation and hardening off of plants.

Question 6

Repotting a fern.

Answer 6

Must take place at correct stage of ferns development.
Use terracotta container and growing media high in organic matter content and moisture retentive.
Half fill new pot with growing media.
Remove Fern from old pot and place in centre of new pot.
Fill with growing media no higher than the top of the root ball.
No fronds should be buried.
Firm.

Question 7

Watering a Fern

Answer 7

Moisture level should be maintained.
Periods of drought should be prevented.
Best achieved by watering the Fern from below using capillary action.
Avoid wetting fronds especially where there is direct ultra violet radiation.

Question 8

Pest of Fern

Answer 8

Scale insects
Flat, tiny, reddish-brown in colour.
Sap sucking.
Leave sticky residue.
Usually attached to the stems and backs of leaves, along central vein.
Affected area will be yellow and weak.

Question 9

Tomatoes.

Pest and Disease when grown in protected environment.

Answer 9

Aphids, whitefly, glasshouse red spider mite and slugs.

Botrytis, tomato mosaic virus, verticillium wilt, root rot, stem canker and tomato blight.

Question 10

Tomatoes

Affects of air temperature

Answer 10

Low air temperature will slow growth

Low air temperature will result in poor fruit set

Question 11

Tomatoes

Affect of humidity

Answer 11

High humidity will create a habitat for disease

High humidity will result in reduced water and nutrient uptake by the plant.

Question 12

Tomatoes

Affect of natural light

Answer 12

Low natural light levels can cause weak, spindly growth.

Poor natural light levels will make plants more susceptible to pest and diseases.

Question 13

Tomatoes

Affect of low carbon dioxide

Answer 13

Low levels of carbon dioxide will result in a reduced rate of photosynthesis and reduced growth.
Low levels of carbon dioxide will result in. Reduced yield of tomatoes.

Question 14

Cladding material

Definition as used for protective structures.

Answer 14

Material used to cover the framework of the structure so that it is suitable for production of protected crops.

Question 15

Types of cladding

Answer 15

Glass, polythene sheeting, twin walled polycarbonate , acrylic, shade netting and horticultural fleece.

Question 16

Horticultural glass

Benefit and limitation

Answer 16

Good light transmission

Very heavy; difficult to handle

Question 17

Polythene film

Advantages and limitations.

Answer 17

Versatile, can be pulled over curved framework.

Short life-span approx 3 to 5 years.

Question 18

Twin walled polycarbonate.

Advantages and limitations.

Answer 18

Good insulation qualities as air is trapped between the two skins.

Light transmission reduces by up to 75% over time.

Question 19

Methods of changing relative humidity within a protected environment.

Answer 19

To increase humidity:
Damping down paths in glasshouse to encourage surface evaporation.
Misting, overhead irrigation and lowering the air temperature.

Reducing relative humidity:
Increase air temperature.
Increase ventilation including forced ventelation.
Use of low level irrigation.

Question 20

Essential characteristics of growing media used for production of plants in protected environment.

Answer 20

Provide anchorage for plants.
Maintains a reservoir of water for plant.
Provides essential nutrients for plant.
Well aerated to ensure aerobic respiration can take place.
Free draining so that water logging does not occur.

Question 21

Selecting a container for crop production.

Answer 21

Good drainage to avoid waterlogging.
Light in weight so that they can be moved easily.
If container is robust it can be reused which will reduce costs and waste.

Question 22

Selecting a container for interior display.

Answer 22

Look aesthetically pleasing.
Be made from appropriate material for the area it is going to be displayed in.
If it will need to be moved regularly then the weight will be important.
Container will need to be watertight.