PLSC 403 Exam I

Plant Variation Types

- Environmental modification - Mutations - Hybridization (artificial pollination)

Slow Release Fertilizer

Release over time Different release mechanisms Use for long-term maintenance Won't burn Less likely to leach

Hydroscopic Water

Remaining water adheres to soil particles Wilting point

C4 Turf Grasses

Warm season grasses C4 Ex - bermudagrass, zoysia grass optimum top growth at 80-90 F no photorespiration - do better in summer winter dormancy (brown) new roots each spring twice as efficient in use of water and photosynthesis as C3 plants

Capillary Water

Water held in micropore

Plant Flora

a book or other resource that describes flora and provides aids for distinguishing specific species of plants.

Oral contracts are

as binding as written contracts.

Water enters the root through _______. (2 pts.)

root hairs

Soil makeup

25% - Air 25% - Water 45% - Mineral Particles 5% - Organic Matter

Non-selective herbicide

Kill any vegetation

what are two mechanical methods for weed control?

Mowing Hand weeding

How is the concept of selectivity used in weed control? (4 pts.)

Figure out how the weed is different from the desirable plant. Annual weeds can be controlled by preventing emergence or germination (excluding light or using a preemergence herbicide). Broadleaf weeds can be controlled in lawns and grass plantings. Grassy weeds can be controlled in landscape beds with broadleaved plants.

Temperate

Having Seasons

How can clay soils be beneficial?

Hold more nutrients and small pore space holds water.

Clay soil attributes

Hold on to more nutrients Small pore space holds water - can be waterlogged

Quantum meruit- Amount merited

Homeowner has work completed but didn't agree on a price- must pay fair price for the work Contractors starts work before contract signed - homeowner must pay for value of work

Selective Herbicide

Kill one type of plant but don't injure others

Contact Herbicide

Kill only the parts of plant they touch

Systemic Herbicide

Kills the entire plant (translocated); necessary for perennials. Roundup aka glyphosate is the most popular

Why might someone in Delaware choose to plant a tall fescue blend in the lawn rather than Kentucky bluegrass? (3 pts.)

More drought tolerant and less likely to have disease problems (except brown patch)

When to Aerate and Seed for C3

September for recovery from summer: with moist soil, core aerate multiple directions, reseed and compost topdress and drag in: last 2 if resources allow

When would it be appropriate to Topdress a soil and what would you Topdress with?

September. Core aerate multiple directions, reseed and compost topdress and drag in. Topdress can include compost, fertilizer, or other material spread over the surface of turf to increase organic matter and nutrient availability.

Why should a lawn care provider calibrate their broadcast spreader yearly when applying grass seed? (3 pts.)

They should know how much seed they are applying so they don't apply too little and get a weak stand of turf or too much and waste money or have undesirable competition. Do it each year since the holes in the spreader could become larger with use over time or could become clogged.

5 requirements for legally enforceable contract

Two ir more parties - legal capacity Intend to form a contract Reach consensus - ex. Agree Consideration-something value..... ??????

Granular herbicides are

best applied when the grass is wet, so the chemical adheres to the foliage.

Soil structure

can be improved with the addition of organic matter.

Fertilize lawns primarily in the fall to

encourage root and new grass growth.

Kentucky bluegrass is a popular lawn grass because it

has a nice green color.

Water penetration into the soil

is inhibited by soil compaction.

Plant flora

is the plant life that is present, usually naturally (indigenous), in a specific area.

Water-insoluble fertilizers

reduce the potential for foliar burn.

Preparing a site for seeding always includes

removal of existing debris and establishment of a smooth final grade.

Ca, Mg, S

secondary nutrients, required in slightly smaller quantities

Coastal Plain Conditions

(95%) Sandy soils Panicum, clethra etc

Weed Summer Annuals

(crabgrass, goosegrass, knotweed, spurge) Die with the first frost Seed from when they flower will fall where they are and germinate the next April

Weed Perennials

(dandelion, clover, plantain, ground ivy, bermudagrass, nimblewill, nutsedge)

Weed Winter Annuals

(henbit, chickweed, Poa annual) Germinate through the fall, heat of june hits them and they die

Piedmont Conditions

(means foot of the mountains) (5%) (Kirkwood Hwy is the divider) Less well drained soil Mt. Cuba is the garden of the Piedmont

Root System Functions

- Anchorage - Absorption - Storage - Transport - Hormones (plant growth regulators)

Living Kindoms

- Animalia - Monera - Protista - Fungi - Plantae - Non-flowering/non-vascular

Mechanical Weed Control

- Annual mowing controls woodies - Mow during establishment - 2-3 times .... - Mow a higher cut like 4-5" so that taller weeds can be cut and will be less likely to flower - Strip mowed to keep vines out - Periodic hand weeding - Girdling to control invasive plants - trees - Prevents seeds spreading

Weed

- Any plant growing where it is not wanted Undesirable plant because of disruptive effect on aesthetic apperance , stabilizing capacity....

Preemergent Herbicides

- Chemical - Late April, early July, and September - if you really want to make sure they don't germinate. Skip the September step if you are going to be reseeding your lawn

Micronutrients

Found in the soil

Mow when dry and in alternate patterns

- Cleanest cut and no clumping - Alternate mowing patterns to reduce wear and compaction buildup

Recycle or leave clippings on lawn for natural fertilization

- Clipping contain: 1-4% N; 0.2-0.5% P and 1-2% K - Can result in providing ~30% of annual N needs per year (1 lb N/1000 sq ft)

Why poke holes in your turf?

- For aeration - Reduce compactness - If an organic matter layer has formed that helps to break up the soil and incorporate it into the soil a bit more - Should go down 3-4" into the ground - Pulling up about 2% material - Roughly 15% if you use a more expensive piece of equipment

Why is it beneficial to leave grass clippings on the lawn?

- Grass clippings can provide 30% of the annual soil nitrogen needs per year. - Leaving clippings can also improve the soil by adding organic matter. - Can reduce the need to fertilize, therefore reducing the cost to maintain a turf area.

What is a blended fertilizer in terms of N?

- Has lots of organics in it - Biosolid takes 10+ weeks to release

What are three negative responses in a lawn when grass in mowed closely? (3 pts.)

- Higher incidence of crabgrass when mowed too low. - Loss of photosynthetic tissue (CHOs) - Opening of cuticle (Water loss and entry point for diseases) - Increases tiller density at expense of root growth - Scalping

Roots

- Most roots are in top 6-12" of soil - Root hairs are the way water enters the system (absorb water and nutrients)

Mowing is routinely practiced on lawns. Name four mowing practices that will help maintain a healthy lawn? (4 pts.)

- Mow grass when dry to avoid clogging the lawn mower - Mow grass in alternate patterns - Leave the grass clippings on the lawn to recycle nutrients back to the landscape. - Mowing according to the 1/3 rule, only mow off 1/3 of leaf tissue with each mowing

Status

- Noxious weed - problematic for agriculture - Nuisance Weed

Taproot

- One main root (like a carrot) - If the root is air pruned, then it will become a fibrous

Shoot System Functions

- Photosynthesis - Reproduction - Storage - Transport - Hormones (plant growth stimulators)

What factors govern the way plants are distributed throughout the world? (3 pts.)

- Phytogeography - moisture and temperature - Human Interference - moving plants purposely or inadvertently

There are two provinces in Delaware. What are they and how do the characteristics of each province affect management of landscape plants? (5 pts.)

- Piedmont - forests, hilly, clay soils - soil often requires OM to improve drainage, forest is the climax vegetation and the easiest to manage. - Coastal Plain - sandy, flat, wetlands, can be salty - often need to improve water holding capacity and nutrient holding capacity of soil, must select salt tolerant plants or wet tolerant plants depending on specifics of site

Weed Classification

- Plant type - grasses, sedges, broadleaves - Aggressive nature/legal status - Life Cycle- annual, biennial, perennial

Cultural Weed Control

- Prevent seed production - Sawdust prevents weed germination - No light can hit the soil Self-mulching - Annual weeds don't come up through leaf mulch if till soil before - As they get no light - Plant Densely

Implications of Photosynthesis

- Taking carbon dioxide and water and creating glucose and oxygen - Result ATP (energy) relased from micocondria

Realms or Zones based on

- Temperature - Moisture

Why compost topdressing?

- Water holding capacity, release of nutrients, etc - Help even out the surface - 1yd^3/1000 ft^2 at $50 per x 10 = $500/lawn; supplies 1% N slow release; 1 yd^3 = ~1000 lbs = 10 lbs N/M x 10% release in yr 1 = 1 lb N/M supplied - If you were to put down about ½ in down on top of the turf, still able to see the shoots

Implications of Transpiration

- Water is taken in through the root hairs - Guard cells open, creating a pore through which water vapor can escape - Water vapor escapes through stoma mainly on the undersides of leaves - Water moves up the stem through xylem vessels which conduct ????

Conditions to Germinate

- Water: To metabolically activate the cells - Oxygen: For aerobic respiration ( need ATP in order to grow) - Warmth: FOr the optimal function of enzymes - Light (some, not all) - Fire - Freezing - Prior Animal Digestion - Washing (to remove inhibitors) - Erosion of seed coat

Preparing a Contract

- Who is involved - Agrees to do what - When- Court will impose "reasonable time" - Optional: Date it's due by, and signatures - Precise meaning is ambiguous - Implied terms (reasonable time, implied condition, site made available, less implied with computers and copy machines - Oral contracts valid but hard to prove, written contracts less risk of misrepresentation

Before deciding to use an herbicide on the lawn you should

- assess the number of weeds and determine if hand pulling is practical. - identify the weed to determine the appropriate herbicide. - learn to tolerate some weeds if the lawn is otherwise healthy.

Keep blades sharp

- dull mowers significantly increased leaf sport and reduced quality - they increased gasoline cost by 22% - more potential for disease

Festuca arundinacea (Tall Fescue) : Advantages, limitations, mowing, and culture

- mostly tillering/bunch type - very short rhizomes if present, weak sod former, coarse to medium texture - Deep rooted= good heat/drought stress, moderate shade tolerance, zones 4b to 8a - lawns, roadsides, sports fields (moderate use or unirrigated), used from just above and just below the T-Zone - low to high, cut ht. 1.5 to 4" (3-4 is best), 1 to 4 lbs N/M/YR, difficult to cut - needs sharp mower, summer quality declines due to brown patch disease

Soil test to determine P, K and micronutrient needs

-every 2-4 years - Aug for C3 - March for C4

Fruit Function

1. Protection of the seed 2. nourishment of the seed

Root Hair Function

1. Root hairs are the way water enters the system (absorb water and nutrients) 2. Conduction 3. Anchorage 4. Storage

Stems Funtions

1. Support 2. Conduction - Xylem - Phloem

Function of Leaves

1. Use for ID 2. Ornamental Value 3. Transpiration (Process of getting water taken up through the roots, up stems, out leaves, cools down plant) 4. Photosynthesis (capturing energy and turning it into food) 5. Respiration (Releasing energy, happens day and night)

You are the owner of a lawn care firm and need to put together lawn care packages for potential customers. Develop a 3-visit lawn care package for maintenance of a lawn over the course of a year for an environmentally conscious customer with sustainable expectations of lawn quality and a 5-visit lawn care package for a customer with high expectations of lawn quality. At each visit you can do a maximum of 1-2 treatments (e.g., fertilizer, herbicide, fungicide, insecticide, aeration + seeding, etc.). Give the month of each visit. The lawn is primarily tall fescue. Assume the lawn is mowed correctly and no irrigation is applied.

3-visit: late Aug/early Sept: core aerate + seed, apply 1 lb. N (or N from compost topdressing) to promote recovery growth of existing grass, relieve compaction, promote rooting and new seedling growth to recover density from summer stress mid-October-early Nov: apply 1 lb. N and broadleaf herbicide if unacceptable level of broadleaf weeds are present. Mid-Apr to early May: apply 0.5 lb. N alone or on a granule with a preemergent herbicide to prevent crabgrass if lawn had unacceptable crabgrass pressure last season. 5-visit: late Aug/early Sept: core aerate + seed, apply 1 lb. N (or N from compost topdressing) to promote recovery growth of existing grass, relieve compaction, promote rooting and new seedling growth to recover density from summer stress mid-October-early Nov: apply 1 lb. N and broadleaf herbicide if unacceptable level of broadleaf weeds are present. Mid-Apr to early May: apply 0.5 lb. N alone or on a granule with a preemergent herbicide to prevent crabgrass if lawn had unacceptable crabgrass pressure last season. 4 and 5: all acceptable options below: June: apply broadleaf herbicide or second preemergent July: apply fungicide to prevent or cure brown patch or a grub insecticide to prevent grub damage Aug: apply fungicide to prevent or cure brown patch or a grub insecticide to prevent grub damage

Soil pH - Neutral

7

Soil pH - Acidic

<7 (add lime)

Soil pH - Basic

>7 (add sulfur)

Postemergent Herbicide

Applied after weeds have appeared above

How did the release of new Callery pear cultivars (Chanticleer, Aristocrat, etc.) result in the rapid spread of Callery pear seedlings throughout roadsides and disturbed areas in the mid-Atlantic? (4 pts.)

Bradford pears were almost sterile, but the new cultivars allowed cross pollination, so fruit and seeds developed with many of the newer cultivars planted in the landscape allowing seedlings to develop in many disturbed areas.

What is the primary disease that effects tall fescue in the summer, and how can it be controlled?

Brown Patch, water early in the morning and avoid high levels of nitrogen

Nitrogen maintenance fertilizer applications done during seasons of optimum growth/rain

C3: late Aug to Nov, then mid-Apr through May C4: Late May through April N rates: 0.5 lb to 1.5 lb per 1000 sq ft (=M) per application

What is the difference between a contact and a systemic herbicide and give an example of an appropriate time to use each one? (4 pts.)

Contact herbicide kills just the vegetation it touches, and a systemic herbicide is translocated throughout the plant to kill the entire plant. Contact herbicides can be used to burn back foliage in pavement or to treat vegetation encroaching on the roadway without entirely killing the tree. Systemic herbicides are used to kill the entire plant.

C3 Turf Grasses

Cool season grasses C3 Ex - tall fescue, Ky bluegrass, perennial ryegrass, red fescue, bentgrass optimum top growth at 60-75 F optimum root growth at 40-60 F photorespiration - summer decline little or no winter dormancy continuously active root system unless the soil is frozen

How can soil structure affect a landscape?

Depending on the type of soil, it may be a sandy soil, clayey soil, loamy or silty soil, this will determine how well the soil will be able to intake water and nutrients. Organic matter will fill the pores and empty spaces within the soil structure, and fill them with nutrients and moisture.

What is the major priority for the users of STAR campus? How does that pertain to landscape management? (4 pts.)

Development of community. They want outdoor spaces that people can use and that will promote interaction. Landscape management must keep these spaces attractive but not necessarily manicured in a formal way. People need "friendly" spaces to occupy. This is much more important than decoration of the building.

Postemergent Herbicides

Different herbicides that are selective for: Broadleaf weeds Annual grasses (graminicides) Perennial grasses Sedges (often have to apply 3-4 times a year) Non-selectives (glyphosate, diquat) Have to pay attention to the active ingredients in name brand products

Gravitational Water

Drains right through

Phosphorus is a cation, so it is held by the soil. How does phosphorus get into surface water and cause pollution? (4 pts.)

Erosion of soil and movement of plant debris into surface water.

advantages of late season N on C3 lawns

Greener lawns for longer periods of time (greener into the fall)

What do you need to add to the soil if the soil Ph is to high, and alternatively is the soil Ph is to low, what do you add to the soil?

If the pH is too high you should add organic matter/ compost/sulfur onto the soil, make sure it mixes in with the top soil, to make sure the nutrients are getting past the first layer of vegetation/soil. If the pH is too low, one should add lime to the soil.

Quick Release Fertilizer

Immediately available Uses for quick response Inexpensive

How do you properly measure the amount of sprayer fluid discharged from a backpack sprayer?

In a measured area, time how long it takes to spray the area and spray for the same amount of time in a measuring cup. By using the 1/128th rule you can do a small area and figure out how much you need for that small area, and then easily scale up to know how much sprayer fluid would be needed in a large scale property

Biological Weed Control

Introduce insects - Purple loosestrife

When to Aerate and Seed for C4

June, usually no seeding necessary, but compost topdressing if possible

When is the best time to fertilize a cool season lawn in Delaware? Why? (4 pts.)

Late August to mid-October. This is when plants put energy into growing roots, rather than top growth. Also, there are fewer weeds fertilized in the fall. Plants need to store energy over the winter for leaf out in the spring.

Where does photosynthesis occur in the plant? Why is that important for managing plants in the landscape? Provide an example. (4 pts.)

Leaves and stems - any green tissue. Must maintain leaf surface area to produce food and stimulate growth. Don't prune the tops of newly transplanted trees - they need leaves to grow roots. Don't cut grass too low or it won't grow healthy roots.

What are the benefits provided by core aerating the lawn? (3 pts.)

Loosen compacted soil. By pulling out plugs you increase oxygen getting to roots Improve decomposition. Plugs deposited on the surface will help decompose thatch from the surface and the sides of the hole where the plug is removed. Thatch build up occurs when the grass grows faster than decomposition either due to excess fertilizer or due to an inactive population of microorganisms (could be due to low pH or to overuse of pesticides).

1/3 Rule

Never remove more than a ⅓ of the height of the grass plant at one time Root growth slows, then stops quicker and quicker till there is no root growth Desired height = 4 inches, divide 4/2 = 2; add 2 + 4 = 6 Therefore: mow when lawn reaches a 6-inch height (2/6 = 0.33)

Organic fertilizer is good for the lawn or landscape and synthetic fertilizer is bad. Defend or refute this statement. Be sure to explain your reasoning.

Not necessarily true. What is important is the amount of nitrogen and readily available the nitrogen is in the form present. Poultry manure is organic but has a lot of readily available nitrogen that could burn plants or leach from the soil into surface water. Cow manure is an organic fertilizer that is slow release and won't leach or burn plants. Synthetic slow release fertilizers can be manufactured to release nitrogen through weathering or a coating or by microbial activity on a particle of fertilizer. One benefit of synthetic fertilizer is you know the exact amount of nitrogen present. With most organic products it is hard to know how much nitrogen is present.

What is overseeding, what does it help with, and when should you do it?

Overseeding is the act of adding a copious amount of seeds in a small area, it is usually used to cover up brown patches or "bald spots" of a lawn. It needs to be done a month before the first frost/snowfall, usually mid-late September. Overseeding is great to repair the damage and thicken certain areas

Why is it important to not over apply Phosphorous to a lawn?

Phosphorus is needed for good healthy lawn, but it is important not to add too much as it will affect how the soil intakes nutrients and how it absorbs water. The phosphorus will also follow runoff if it is added to the soil in large quantities which will contaminate the local waterways.

How can cultural control and mechanical control be used to prevent weeds from establishing in landscape beds? (4 pts.)

Plant a ground layer of desirable plants to provide plant density and outcompete weeds. Exclude light with a layer of mulch. Hand pull weeds to prevent existing weeds from going to seed. Use a mow strip behind a bed to keep weeds from encroaching.

How do nurseries encourage tap rooted plants to develop a fibrous root system? (3 pts.)

Root pruning. When the taproot is cut many fibrous roots are initiated right behind the cut.

What are some of the advantages of sod or seed, and when may it be appropriate to use one method over the other?

Sod gives the appearance of instant establishment without the amount of work that seeding would require. This will make it more expensive and more likely to be used in commercial public spaces. Seed allows you to use seed blends that are more readily available and cost effective and would be used in lawns or individual properties.

Preemergent Herbicide

Soil applied before weeds germinate; creates toxic barrier

Describe the benefits of soil testing and the main factors to look out for. What might they indicate about what needs to happen with a lawn?

Soil testing can be used as a valuable tool in turf management and overall landscape management. By submitting a soil sample to the soil testing laboratory, one will find out the specific levels of nutrients their property is lacking, exceeding in or is at an equilibrium. The main takeaways from the soil testing is the acidity of the soil, indicates whether or not you need to add lime if it is too acidic, it also provides you with levels of phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, calcium, organic matter. Through these numbers, one can determine how much nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium one should add to the soil. The lab report will also usually give suggestions such as the specific amount of fertilizer and contents for it, and describe when to apply said fertilizer and how often

In respiration, plants convert

Sugar to energy

Seasonal Growth Patterns: Cool- Season Turfgrasses.

Take advantage of the Windows of Opportunity. Fall is preferred time for aggressive nitrogen fertilization programs on cool-season grasses

You can change soil structure by not soil texture. Explain this sentence and describe how you would change the structure of a soil? (4 pts.)

Texture is the particle size of the mineral component of soil and it can't be changed short of bringing in an entirely new soil. But soil structure is the way the soil aggregates. By adding organic matter, you fill in the pores of a sandy soil and improve drainage and nutrient holding capacity. By adding organic matter to a clay soil, you "glue" small particles together making larger aggregates that have larger pore spaces between them allowing better drainage and more oxygen to reach the roots

Why should the soil pH be in the range of 6.0 to 6.5 for most plants? (3 pts.)

That is the range in which nutrients are available, they are not toxic, and microorganisms thrive at that pH.

Why is it important to Mow frequently enough so that you do not break the 1/3 rule? 1/3 rule = never remove more than 1/3 of the height of the grass plant in one mowing

The higher the mowing height, the stronger your roots will be. Weak roots could result in possible disease(brown path) and the growth of unwanted vegetation. The roots will be stronger because there is more leaf tissue available to photosynthesize, which is how plants get food and are able to grow. Also taller grass shade the soil and fewer competitive weeds can develop.

A problem with paying for work as it occurs (more in the growing season) is

a fixed amount each month better matches the customers' income.

A "Freedom Lawn" is

a lawn that is managed only by periodic mowing.

Soil pH

affects the availability of nutrients.

Soil Structure

aggregation and this impacts the pore size Improved by organic matter - no matter the soil type, fills in the spaces to hold nutrients and moisture

In order to get free plants ($50 gift certificate) through the Livable Lawns program, you need to

apply phosphorus only if recommended on your soil test results.

Summer annual grasses

are best controlled with a preemergent herbicide.

Variations within plants species

include environmental modifications, mutations and combinations

Soil is comprised of

inorganic matter and organic matter. air and water. living microorganisms.

The EPA considers stormwater runoff from yards, streets, parking lots and other areas to be

one of the most significant sources of contamination in our country's waters.

Cultural practices to encourage a healthy lawn include

overseed bare spots to provide competition for weeds.

Common law of negligence requires which elements of liability

people are liable for harm. people must cause harm to others. people must have duty not to harm others.

N, P, K

primary nutrients - required in larger quantities (nitrogen is -ve charged so isn't held in the soil as the soil is -ve charge)

When you return clippings to the lawn while mowing you

provide significant nitrogen for turfgrass growth.

C, H, O

supplied by air

Plant stems function to provide

support, conduction and storage

Phytogeography

the way plants are distributed around the world

Which of the following is NOT a way landscape maintenance contracts differ from other contracts

they do not vary in complexity.

Photosynthesis occurs only in

tiny sub-cellular structures, green tissue of leaves and stems chloroplasts

Nitrogen Management Reccommendations

• Apply frequent, light applications of liquid fertilizer • Irrigate moderately immediately following application • Use slow-release fertilizers • Avoid Compaction • Amend soil with organic matter

Phosphorus Management Reccommendations

• minimize bare spots (to reduce erosion) • test soils and avoid P if excessive • Water fertilizer into turf with light irrigation • Collect organic debris and make compost • recycle clippings (cutting frequently enough) • Sweep paved surfaces and collect leaves