Unit 3 Study Guide: Landscape Planning, Maintenance, and Sustainable Practices

Vocabulary flashcards covering core topics in Unit 3, including landscape planning, lawn care and turf management, commercial chrysanthemum production, plant diseases, IPM, and sustainable horticultural practices.

Greenscaping

An environmentally friendly, sustainable approach to landscaping designed to conserve water and energy, reduce waste, and eliminate unnecessary chemical applications.

Heeling In

A temporary holding technique where bare root trees or shrubs are placed in a shallow trench and their roots are covered with soil or mulch to prevent them from drying out prior to permanent planting.

Bare Root

A method of purchasing dormant trees or shrubs supplied without soil around the roots, offering lower cost but requiring immediate planting or heeling in to prevent root desiccation.

Pollarding

A pruning technique in which the upper branches of a tree are repeatedly cut back to the main stem or trunk, which can result in dense clusters of weak, rapid regrowth.

Stale Seedbed Technique

A weed management practice where a seedbed is prepared in advance, weeds are allowed to germinate, and then killed without disturbing the soil before planting grass seed.

Selective Herbicide

A chemical designed to target and kill specific weed species while leaving the desirable lawn or plant material unharmed.

Nonselective Herbicide

A chemical that kills or damages all plant tissue and green vegetation with which it comes into contact.

Cool Season Grass

Turfgrass varieties, such as Fescue, that grow most actively during the cooler temperatures of autumn and spring and are best seeded in early fall.

Warm Season Grass

Turfgrass varieties, such as Bermuda and Zoysia, that thrive and actively grow during high summer heat and enter dormancy during cold winter months.

Aeration

The lawn maintenance practice of mechanically coring or pulling plugs of soil from turf to relieve soil compaction and improve the penetration of air, water, and nutrients.

Dethatching

The process of mechanically removing the interwoven layer of dead and living stems, roots, and organic matter (thatch) that forms between green grass blades and the soil surface.

Photoperiod

The relative duration of light and dark exposure in a 24-hour cycle that controls flowering and seasonal behavior in crops like chrysanthemums.

Pinching

The commercial growing practice of removing the growing terminal tip of a plant shoot to stimulate lateral branching and produce a fuller plant with more bloom sites.

Disbudding

The selective removal of competing side flower buds to concentrate plant energy and maximize flower size on the remaining central terminal bud.

Winterkill (Burning)

Desiccation damage and browning of evergreen foliage during winter, occurring when dry winds remove moisture from foliage while frozen ground prevents root water uptake.

Signal Word

A standardized alert word required on a pesticide label (e.g., Caution, Warning, Danger) that indicates the relative level of acute toxicity and hazard of the product.

Integrated Pest Management (IPM)

A comprehensive, ecosystem-based strategy that combines biological, cultural, mechanical, and chemical tactics to suppress pest populations below economically damaging levels while minimizing environmental harm.

Biological Control

An IPM control measure that utilizes living natural enemies, such as predatory insects, parasites, or pathogens, to regulate pest populations.

Cultural Control

An IPM practice that modifies plant management and growing practices (such as crop spacing, sanitation, and irrigation adjustments) to make the environment unfavorable to pests.

Mechanical Control

Physical techniques and equipment used in IPM to exclude, disrupt, or directly eliminate pests, such as hand-picking, traps, or barriers.

Companion Planting

The sustainable practice of growing different plant species in close proximity to provide mutual benefits, including natural pest suppression, pollination attraction, and nutrient enhancement.

Trap Crop

A companion plant intentionally grown to attract insect pests away from the primary valuable crop.

Repellent Crop

A companion plant with strong aromas, volatile oils, or defensive compounds that actively deter or confuse unwanted pests to protect adjacent plantings.

Composting

The controlled biological decomposition of organic waste into dark, nutrient-rich soil matter, requiring an optimal balance of carbon, nitrogen, moisture, and oxygen.