R2112 Exam questions Flashcards
Describe the routine pruning carried out on a NAMED shrub to enhance its winter interest. (6 marks)
Cornus alba ‘Sibirica’
Hard annual pruning produces the best display of colourful winter stems, but this is at the expense of flowering growth. Just before growth commences in early to mid-spring coppice the shrub by pruning all shoots to wtihin about 5 – 8 cm (2 – 3 in) of ground level, or within two buds of the previous year’s growth. It may be preferable to vary the height to which stems are cut back to avoid a rigid, uniform appearance. Then apply a quick-release fertilizer and mulch liberally, covering a circle of 60cm radius around the shrub.
Pruning is also an effective way of removing dead or damaged shoots. Cut shoots back to an outward facing bud on healthy, undamaged wood. A new shoot will replace the pruned stem. The new shoot will grow in the direction the bud is facing, so cutting to an outward-facing bud will help to create a bushy shrub; while an inward-facing bud will encourage the shoot to grow towards the centre of the shrub. Spring is a good time for this sort of pruning.
When pruning it is important to use the appropriate tool for the task, and to ensure that it is sharp so that it cuts cleanly, easily and safely.
a. Name two ground work (infill) plants & two bulbs for a spring bedding.
b. State planting distances for the two plants above.
c. Name two distinct pest and disease that can be a problem in spring bedding.
a. Bergenia cordafolia & Bellis perennis. Galanthus nivalis & Narcissus ‘Tete a tete’.
b. 5-10cm & 2.5cm.
c. Slugs, aphids, bulb eel worm. Grey mould, powdery mildew.
a. Describe how to plant a bare root plant into an herbaceous border.
b. Name four herbaceous perennials suitable for growing as ground cover.
a. Protect plant from drying out by wrapping roots in plastic, and soak in water prior to planting. Prepare a whole slightly wider than the roots and to a similar depth. if required organic matter can be added to the bottom of the planting hole. Place plant in centre of the whole, with roots spread out, the soil is back filled and firmed in. Plant can be well watered and mulched if required.
b. Ajuga reptans, Persicaria affinis ‘Darjeeling red’, Alchamillis mollis, Bergenia cordifolia, Stachys byzantina, Geranium macrorrhizum.
a. State one pruning task which may be carried out on any shrub.
b. Describe how to prune three shrubs for seasonal interest.
a. Removal of Dead, Disease, and Damaged materials.
b. Spring - Forsythia intermedia ‘Lynnwood variety’ - remove ⅓ of old stem from base, and side shoots to maintain shape.
Summer - Rosa ‘Hot chocolate’ - 3 D’s, strongest remaining shoots 10-15cm. Cut out 3yr old growth.
Winter - Cornus alba ‘Sibirica’ - All stems reduced to 5cm
a. Describe four tasks carried out on rock garden.
b. Name two alpine/rock garden plants.
a. Weeding - hand pull or carefully hoe. Trimming - dead head, clip spreading growth. Mulching - top up each autumn 2-5cm with gravel. Winter protection - cloche or open cover, tender plants lifted and put in greenhouse.
b. Pulsatilla vulgaris, Sedum rupestre, Sempervivum arachnoideum, Dianthus alpinus.
a. Name four planting groups, for different situations for a pond.
b. Describe the maintenance tasks that should be carried out on a pond for each of the following.
i) summer water level. ii) ice formation. iii) netting methods
a. Surface/floating - Lemna minor. Marginal - Mentha aquatica. Deep water - Nymphaea ‘Sunrise’. Bog - Gunnera manicarta.
b. i) topped up due to evaporation, with rain water. ii) Hot saucepan to melt some ice, an object/ball left to maintain a whole for gas exchange. iii) fine mesh pulled taught and pegged, or metal frame just under water surface.
a. Describe how to mow a fine lawn.
b. State two symptoms of a fairy ring.
c. State an ideal moth for controlling each of the following.
i) Leatherjackets. ii) Moles. iii) Fusarium patch
a. Cut with cylinder mower, to 1-2cm in summer, 3-5cm in autumn, no more than ½ removed. Headland mown first, then alternating to create stripes. collect all cut grass.
b. Ring of grey/brown toadstools. Dead or dying grass inside ring.
c. i) Aug-Oct. ii) Feb-Jun. iii) Sept-Feb
a. Describe what is meant by the term groundwork (infill) with reference to a summer bedding scheme.
b. Describe two maintenance tasks for summer bedding display.
c. Name four distinct plants suitable for summer bedding display.
a. Ground work is the mass planting, forming the central part of the border. Plants are positioned behind the edging plants and around the dot plants. Plants are 20-40cm high and at spacing of 20-35cm.
b. Irrigation applied via seep hose or pop-up sprinkler system to ensure that a good soaking is provided eg to a depth 150mm. Weeding, hoe off seedling weeds and allow to dry out on soil surface, hand pull weeds and remove. Deadheading spent flowers are removed by snapping out or snipping out to the next leaf node.
c. Petunia ‘Night sky’, Salvia splendens, Tagetes patula, Lobeilia erinus, Antirrhinum majus. Impatiens wallerianna
a. Describe three methods of staking herbaceous perennial plants in a border.
b. Name four herbaceous perennial plants suitable for growing in a shady planting situation.
a. i) Using a single bamboo cane and soft twine in a figure eight knot to support single stem flower eg Delephinium. ii) Hazel brushwood can be woven together to create a form which can be placed over the emerging plants early in the year. iii) Metal grids, or hoop stakes can be placed around plants in early stages of growth to aid being hiden by foliage.
b. Ajuga reptans, Brunnera macrophylla, Hosta fortunei, Bergenia cordifolia
a. List six materials or pieces of equipment used for planting of a tree. (not including tools)
b. Name four distinct lime-hating trees and/or shrubs.
a. Softwood stake, plastic buckle tie and spacer, rabbit guard, bonemeal, chipped bark mulch, planting board,
b. Arbutus unedo, Calluna vulgaris, Magnolia ‘Star Wars’, Skimmia japonica, Pieris japonica
a. State two benefits of selecting F1 hybrid plants for summer bedding display.
b. Name three examples of F1 hybrid plants.
c. Describe the soil prep for summer bedding display.
a. Hybrids vigour. Uniform flower colour/size/form. Disease resistance.
b. Petunia, Dianthus, Pelargonium.
c. Removal of weeds, single or double digging, incorporate organic matter, roughly break up large clods, roughly rake soil level, carefully consolidate soil, application of suitable fertiliser, creating tilth suitable for planting.
a. Name four bulbs suitable for containers.
b. State four maintenance tasks carried out when growing bulbs in containers.
c. Name two disease of bulbs.
a. Narcissus ‘Tete a tete’, Tulipa ‘Queen of the night’, Galanthus nivalis, Allium hollandicum.
b. Water container when dry, feed bulbs liquid feed, weed container regularly as weeds appear, dead head by pinching out dead flowers, cut back dead growth with secateurs, lift and store in cool dry shed at end of growing season.
c. Grey mould, powdery mildew, bulb rot.
a. Name four distinct trees suitable for small garden.
b. State four maintenance tasks carried out out to ensure the establishment of a newly planted tree.
c. State two symptoms of honey fungus on trees.
a. Acer griseum, Cercis canadensis, Malus domestica M27 root stock, Acer palmatum ‘Blood good’, Olea euorpea.
b. Loosen or retting tree tie, thorough soaking with water to ensure it reaches roots, replenish mulch (chipped bark) to 5-10cm thickness, keep up to 1m around tree weed free by hoeing or forking
c. White fungal mycelium found between bark and tree, Black ‘bootlaces’ extending up to 10m from tree, cluster of honey coloured mushrooms near base.
a. Explain what is meant by each of the following
i) true alpine plants ii) rock garden plants
b. State two methods of providing winter protection for alpine plants.
c. Name two distinct alpine or rock garden plants for each of the following.
i) spring display ii) summer display
a. i) Tue alpine plants growing the alps in mountainous regions above the tree line (1830m+). ii) Rack garden plants are compact low growing, can be alpine, which look appropriate in a rock garden.
b. Constructing a frame covered with polycarb sheeting or glass over alpine bed. Placing open ended cloche over alpine. Placing alpine plants in an unheated alpine glasshouse.
c. i) Saxifraga oppositifolia, Primula auricula. ii) Dianthus alpinus, Sedum repestre.
a. Describe how to plant a named deep water aquatic plant (not including potting)
b. State five maintenance tasks carried out on marginal plants in a garden pool.
a. Nyphaea alba. Newly planted containers may need to be raised on bricks, containers are lowered in stages until appropriate depth reached, foliage should be able to float on surface of water, string can be used by two people to lower safely.
b. Control of weeds pulling by hand, lifting dividing repotting, top up of mulch grit/stones, trimming removal dead foliage, deadheading spent flowers.
