herbaceous final

Differentiate between hardscape and softscape in installations

Hardscape – paths, stone work, features (arbors, trellises, etc.)

Softscape is plants

Know what factors should be considered in site assessment.

Light

• Soil

• Water, and access to water

• Size of the area

• Utility lines

• Integrating principles of design

• Misc Others: Existing plants, microclimates, wind, slopes, animals, tree roots

explain how soil can be improved using tecniques like drain tile and compost

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What seasons are best for planting herbaceous plants?

Spring and fall are usually the best times to plant herbaceous plants.

It can be done in summer; however, plants will need TLC to be able to acclimate.

Steps in installation process in regard to plant layout, following designs?

• Generally, try to lay out as many plants as possible before beginning (helps to reduce errors)

• First, plant larger plants and anchors/focal points

• Next, fill in with smaller material

How can stress be minimized on transplants?

• Transplanting puts stress on plants

• Digging → Damage to feeder roots

• Containers → Substrate different from native soil

• Watering plants before reduces stress

• Overcast or cloudy days are best with little wind

Define water quality? Give ranges for pH, EC, and alkalinity.

Measures of ions, carbonates, & pathogens in water supply.

pH 5.4 - 7.0

EC 0.0 - 0.5 ms/cm

0.8-1.3 meq (40-60 ppm HCO3 -)

Explain how to correct water quality problems.

• EC = Reverse osmosis

• pH = limited impact

• Alkalinity = acid injection

• Pathogens = sanitation (chlorine, UV light, reverse osmosis)

Define substrate and its components.

Substrate = engineered medium for plant growth • 10–20% solids AND 80–90% PORES

Explain the role of pore management in herbaceous plant production.

Pore Management → water, air, nutrients

Balance important between air and water

• Too much water early on → suffocation, plant disease, death

• Plants grow → too little water → dry down, death

What are the four factors that influence pore management?

1. SUBSTRATE COMPONENTS

2. SUBSTRATE HANDLING

3. WATERING PRACTICES

4. CONTAINER

Describe the make-up of a good germination mix and a good potting mix.

Fine peat and perlite, and maybe vermiculite.

Explain why container size matters in plug production.

Smaller cells → greater chance of over/under watering • Perched water effect → effect gravity has on water (saturation zone larger in small plugs!

Describe the best methods of substrate handling.

Lightly fill pots and trays to avoid compaction

Explain how to manage watering practices based on plug size.

1. Water new at 8 and

2. Water high so plants don't die.

3. Water long their life prolong.

4. Water twice is extra nice.

Elaborate on why nutrition management is important for plant production.

Managing nutrition critical for health crop

• Minimal root zone + frequent leaching

Describe how and why to amend substrates to manipulate substrate pH.

• Peat moss pH ~ 3.5.

• 5-10 lbs limestone /yd3

• 5.4-6.6 optimum for soilless substrate (soil usually 6.2-6.8).

Describe 3 considerations for post-plant fertilization.

1. Rate & Frequency of Application

2. Fertilizer pH Effect

3. Nitrate vs Ammonium

explain how the ph of growing media can shift based on the cations and anions that a plant takes up

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explain potential acidity and bascicity

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Describe methods for assessing a plant's nutritional status.

Tissue and substrate testing.

Explain why temperature impacts plant growth.

• Air, media, and plant temp

• Average daily temperature

• DIF

• DROP (cool AM period)

• Vernalization

Calculate DIF. (difference between day and night temperatures)

86 Day temp - 57 Night temp = +29 Elongation

57 Day temp - 86 Night temp = -29 Short node space

day temp - night temp

• positive = elongation

• negative = short node space

be able to calculate and explain the role of the average daily termperature, DIF and DIP

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Define vernalization and how it impacts plant flowering.

Exposing a plant or storage organ to cool temperatures to force expression of the flowering locus.

explain why light is important for plant production

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Explain the role of daily light integral plants in crop production and how to manipulate the daily light intergral.

• Light intensity = daily light integral

• Light length = photoperiod

• Light quality can be manipulated to effect plant growth.

explain photoperiod, and how plants are long day, short day, and day neutral

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know the role that phytochrome plays in plants response to light

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Differentiate between obligate and facultative effects for photoperiod.

Obligate plants will only flower under specific conditions, and facultative will flower regardless of photoperiod.

explain how to manipulate photoperiod

• artifical lights

• blackou curtains

• timed light cycles

describe how to manipulate or enhance light quality for plants

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describe the 2 methods of plant propagation

1. sexual - seed

2. asexual - grafting, cutting, layering

describe and differentiation between scarification and stratification for seed germination

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The four stages of seed germination.

1. Observance of radical emergence

2. Radical elongation

3. Cotyledon open and flatten

4. Emergence of true leaves

differentiate between stock and ordering cuttings and potential problems that may occur

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Field Grown Cut-Flowers….

Pros: Low Investment, No Heating Costs, No size restrictions.

Cons: Limited Weather Control, Only Grown During Season, No Rain Protection.

Low Tunnel Cut-Flowers….

Pros: Extends Season, Cool Season Crops, Low Cost, Rain Protection.

Cons: Summer Heat, Limited Enviromental Controls

Greenhouse Cut-Flowers pros and cons

Pros: Year-Round Production, Weather Protection

Cons: Very Expensive

Rules of Thumb For Harvesting….

1. Look for 1/3 Flowers Open or Color in Buds

2. Harvest Early In The Morning

3. Have 5 gal Buckets With Fresh Water

Three Aspects of a Floral Solution to Maintain Healthy Cut Flowers

1. Sugar Source- Helps Continue Floral Development

2. Acidifier - 3.0 - 3.5 pH to Help Uptake & Reduce Bacteria

3. Bactericide

Name 3 Flowers that would work well in east Texas.

Zinnias, Celosia, Marigolds

describe three reasons that cut flowers are beneficial for farmers to grow

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explain the process of growing cut flowers including weed management and supporting their growth and why these practices matter

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know how to appropriately harvest cut flowers

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describe a plant mix and how many species hsould be present

• plant mixes- mixtures of plants with specific percentages

• no more than 20-30 species, too much and too busy a planting

Describe the steps when designing a planting.

1. analyze site- soil, water, trees, buildings, hardscape, etc.

2. user analysis- uses, walking, viewing, access

3. combine into single plan

4. identify plant “Walls, ceilings, and floors”

5. choose the plants

Know the roles of designing for the ceiling, walls, and floor.

• celings- reprent the overhead elements that create shade or a sense of enclosure

• walls- refers to vertical elements/ structure

• floors- ground leel plantings that act as a foundation.

Elaborate on each step in the flow method for herbaceous plant design

Forces

Layers

Order

Wave

forces

• plant choice

• consider archetype (grassland, woodland, forest, edge)

• consider water requirements

• also soil, ph

• condider socianility

• plant structural type

Differentiate between the different plant types for forces

PLANT TYPES: anchors, matrix, satellites, free floaters

1. anchors- primary plants; strong structural elements » small trees, shrubs, tall perennials, grasses

   • typically small numbers and arranged using an S curve

2. matrix- functional lower layer in plantng that other species arise out of

   • typically grasses or groundcover species in large numbers

3. satellites- coalesce around anchor and set the theme or character of a planting

   • provide main visual interest via color, form or texture. plant in 3’s and 1 outlier

4. free floaters- ruderal species that fill holes and provide seed bank in case of disturbance

free floaters

ruderal species that fill holes and provide seed bank in case of distubrance

satellites

come together around anchor and set the theme or character of a planting

• provide main visual interest via color, form or texture. plant in 3’s and 1 outlier

matrix (definition)

functional lower layer in planting that other species arise out of

• typically grasses or groundcover species in large numbers

anchor (definition)

primary plants; strong structural elements » small trees, shrubs, tall perennials, grasses

• typically small numbers and arranged using an S curve

Describe Hogarth’s line of beauty and it’s role in planting design.

the S curve (hogarth’s line of beauty)

• sinuous line conveys flow and moves the eye through plants

know what should be considered for layers in herbacous plant design

• plant height

• sequence of flowers

• rule of 3- best to have up to 3 visually attractive plants

• taking advantage of time

• can have 20-30 species in an area

describe order and legibility

• legibility- the immediate ability to read order and organization in a planting

• external order- occur outside planting, often provide strong contrast to naturalistic design; lines do wonders

differentiate between the two types of order

• external order- occur outside planting, often provide strong contrast to naturalistic design; lines do wonders

• internal order- harmony, repetition, and color (more to come!)

explain how to use waves in planting design

• management (not maintenance!) of a planting over time

• accept that plantings are dynamic and will change

• keep diversity with succession and competition will rule

• stress is an asset

• diversity can increase weeds so managing matrix is important

Describe the different perspectives used when designing herbaceous plants

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what are the 3 dimensions of color

1. hue- pure olor, containing no white, black or gray

2. value- the color’s luminosity, or the light reflected back from it

   1. shades- contain more black so lower value

   2. tines- contains more white so higher value

3. saturation/ intensity- the brightness of a color

saturation/ intensity

the brightness of a color

tints

contain more white so higher value

shades

contain more black so lower value

value (of color)

the color’s luminosity, or the light reflected back from it

hue

purest form of a color, containing no white, black or gray

monochromatic/ color echo

plants share the same hue, usually with similar value and intensity

analogous colors

colors NEXT TO each other on the color wheel

• ex) red and orange

complementary/ contrasting colors

colors that are opposite on the color wheel that provide high contrast

ex) purple and yellow

color warmth

term used to convey the emotions that colors evoke

warm colors

red, orange, yellow

• energizing, lively, etc

cool colors

blue, purple, peach, mauve

• soften a landscape, slow down

neutral colors

green, brown, white, black, gray/silber

• can be paired with either warm or cool

explain the different effects on color that values have

• light on subject increases the value

• shade on subject decreases the value

• contrast between light and shadow creates interest

describe how depth can be influenced by manipulating intensity

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explain how color can be influenced by other factors

1. lighting- natural vs arificial lights affect color tone and intensity

2. surrounding colors- adjacent blues can alter how colors are perceived (simultaneous contrast)

explain texture and describe ow to visualize it

texture (plant shapes)- refers to the surface quality of an object. to visualize, turn color photo into black and white

explain how texture is used in design and how to combine different textures

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naturalistic planting

man made assemblage of plants inspired by nature where species have similar habitat requirements and have compatible survival strategies

explain why naturalistic planting is increasing in use

1. increasing urbanization

2. loss of nature

3. greening of cities

4. environmental concerns

5. low management

elaborate on the 5 principles of mixed plantings

1. related populations, not isolated individuals

2. stress is an asset

3. cover the ground densely by layering plants

4. attractive and legible

5. management instead of maintenance

be able to differentiate, desrbe and draw the 3 methods of mixed planting design styles

1. randomized mix: plants appear randomly, usally seed based

   1. plants will then find where they like to grow

2. modular design: small design is repeated over an entire area

   1. can change plants as habitats shift

3. designed intermingling: every plant is purposefully placed in the deisgn, though it appears random

   1. plays off combining neighbors and for overall effect

designed intermingling

every plant is purposefully placed in design though it appears random

• plays of combining neighbors and for overall effect

modular design

small design is repeated over an entire area

• can change plants as habitats shift

randomized mix

plants appear randomly, usually seed based

• plants will then find where they like to grow

green infrastructure

ecological systems, that act as living infrastructure and help manage stormwater issues while creating social, economic, and environmental benefits

green roof

vegetated rooftops that are comprised of

1. waterproof membrane,

2. growing media, and

3. vegetation

describe green roof layers in order

1. roof

2. waterproof barrier

3. drainage

4. filtration

5. growing medium

6. vegetation

3 classifications of green roofs

1. extensive- thi layer of media (3-6in) and drought resistant herbaceous plants

2. semi intensive- deeper and herbaceuos

3. intensive- thicker layer of media (>6 in) and perennnials, shrubs, and even trees

benefits and problems that occur with greenroofs

benefits

• captures 50-90% of rainfall

• extends roof longevity from 10 to 0 years

• 10-4% decrease in energy use over winter

• ~60F cooler on green roofs than exposed roofs

• runoff may have less pollutants

problems

• high initial cost

• weight

  • extensive adds 15-50lbs/sq ft

  • intensive adds up to 150 lbs/sq ft

why green roof plant evaluation is important and why plants truggle in the south

• unique plants can survive in these conditions so think survival strategies

• C3 plants struggle in south due to high heat, drought, and light in summer

rain garden

• shallow depression (bowl shaped)

• planted with vegetation that

• collects and slowly releases storm runoff from impervious surfaces

• and removes pollutants

• usually drains within 24-48 hrs

how a rain garden works for water and pollution management

• holding water on property allows it to slowly recharge the water table instead of running off

• pollution management

  • physical- stops pollutants

  • chemical- absorption & filtration

  • biological- microbial action (nitrification) & plant uptake

elaborate on benefits of rain gardens

1. aesthetically pleasing

2. environment for wildlife

3. control runoff

4. purify water

5. no mosquito breeding

6. reduces pollution

describe design aspects to consider when building a rain garden

1. choose an appropriate location (Where water runoff will occur)

2. even have multiple locations

3. 25’ from septic system

4. 50’ from well

know how rain gardens can fail

1. poor drainage

2. wrong plant selection

3. improper design

4. lack of maintenance

5. pollutant accumulation

6. sediment buildup

What is the main biological difference between woody and herbaceous plants.

Meristems

Give an example of an herbaceous plant.

Raven's example: Baptisia alba

Give an example of an woody plant.

Raven's example: Quercus falcata