Nursery Landscape General Knowledge Exam

2007 District Test

The best way to control a warm season annual grassy weed would be to a. apply a post-emergence herbicide in mid-summer.b. apply a pre-emergence herbicide in April.c. apply a pre-emergence herbicide in September.d. apply a post-emergence herbicide in November.

Which of the following four species is the least tolerant of low temperature? a. Kentucky Bluegrassb. Zoysiac. Perennial Ryegrassd. Tall Fescue

• B

When a complete fertilizer is applied to the surface of the soil, the major plant nutrient that moves most slowly into the root zones of plants in the area is a. nitrogen.b. phosphorus.c. potassium.d. manganese.

• B

An area measuring 120 x 120 feet is fertilized with 20-10-14 fertilizer at a rate providing 2 pounds of actual nitrogen per 1000 square feet. If the fertilizer costs $8.50 for a 50-pound bag, what will be the cost of the fertilizer for this job? a. $8.00b. $16.00c. $25.00d. $48.00

• C

The best way to improve the chance of survival when planting a tree in a shallow or heavy clay soil is a. to mix 20% sand into the backfill soil.b. to plant in a raised bed or berm.C. to add 30% organic matter to the backfill soil.d. to place a 2-inch thick layer of gravel in the bottom of the planting hole.

• B

Which of the following is an example of a warm season perennial broadleaf weed? a. chickweedb. dandelionc. field bindweedd. tall fescue

• C

The correct way to write the name for Red Sunset red maple is a. Acer Rubrum Red Sunset.b. Acer rubrum ‘Red Sunset’.c. Acer rubrum “Red Sunset”.d. None of the choices is correct.

• B

An example of geotropism is a. wilting of a plant in response to drought stress.b. bending of a sunflower to follow the sun.c. flowering of a plant in response to a long, dark period.d. upward bending of shoot tips when a plant is placed in the horizontal position.

• D

The texture of a soil is determined by the relative amounts of a. air, water, and solid.b. sand, silt, and organic matter.c. nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium.d. sand, silt, and clay.

• D

Increase in stem length of a dicot plant occurs mostly as a result of a. production of phloem cells by the cambium.b. expansion of cells produced by the apical meristem.c. production of vascular bundles by the cambium.d. expansion of xylem cells produced by the cambium.

• B

A plant originally priced at $50.00 is on sale at 20% off. If sales tax is 7%, what should a customer pay for the plant? a. $38.50b. $47.00c. $42.80d. $48.35

• C

Which of the following fertilizers is the most expensive source of nitrogen (in cost per pound of actual N)? a. a 50-pound bag of potassium nitrate (15-45-0) at $9 per bag b. a 40-pound bag of 20-5-10 at $9 per bagc. a 50-pound bag of ammonium nitrate 33-0-0 at $7 per bagd. a 50-pound bag of 12-12-12 at $8 per bag

• D

Fruit trees, roses, and euonymus are all commonly affected by which of the following bacterial plant diseases? a. anthracnoseb. black spotc. crown galld. rust

Which of the following statements is correct? a. Monocots have a vascular cambium.b. Monocots have netted venation on their leaves.c. Monocots have flower parts in multiples of five. d. Monocots increase in height as a result of growth of an intercallary meristem.

• D

What would be the texture of a soil with 20% clay, 40% sand, and 40% silt?

a. clay loamb. sandy clay loamc. loamd. silty clay loam

• C

The Cation Exchange Capacity of a soil is a measure of

a. its ability to hold positively charged nutrient ions.b. its content of hydrogen ions (H+).c. its calcium content.d. its ability to hold negatively charged nutrient ions.

• A

A stomach poison type of insecticide would be most likely to control

a. mites.b. caterpillars.c. thrips.d. scale insects.

• B

The LD50 of an insecticide indicates a. the quantity required to kill 50% of the insects sprayed.b. the time after spraying when 50% of insects will be killed if they eat treated foliage. c. the dose required to be lethal to at least 50% of mammals in a lab test.d. the time required for 50% of the chemical to decompose after spraying.

• C

Which of the following is an example of a warm season annual broadleaf weed?

a. dandelionb. purslanec. field bindweedd. chickweed

• B

Which of the following is usually the most damaging pest of hawthorns?

a. black spotb. apple scabc. rustd. anthracnose

• C

Which of the following is the correct series of classifications for grading the height of deciduous or evergreen shrubs? a. 5-10", 10-15", 15-20", 20-25"b. 6-12", 12-18", 18-24", 2-2 ½’ c. 6-12", 12-18", 18-24", 24-30"d. 6-9", 9-12", 12-15", 15-18"

• B

Scotch pine is a poor choice for an ornamental tree due to its susceptibility to a usually fatal disease caused by a. a needle blight fungus.b. a tip blight fungus.c. a nematode.d. a bacterial leaf spot.

• C

A bank with a slope of 40% a. has a rise of 1 foot for every 3 feet of run (horizontal distance).b. has a rise of 2 feet for every 5 feet of run.c. has a rise of 3 feet for every 1 foot of run.d. has a rise of 1 foot for every 2 feet of run.

• B

How many pounds of 24-6-12 fertilizer will be required to apply 2 pounds of actual nitrogen per 1000 square feet to a 200 by 200 foot lawn? a. 330 poundsb. 280 poundsc. 54 poundsd. 110 pounds

• A

The three major use areas in a typical residential design are a. formal, informal, and service.b. formal, private, and service.c. public, private, and service.d. public, informal, and service.

• C

Which of the following is a fungal leaf spot disease commonly found on non-resistant crabapples? a. anthracnoseb. black spotc. scabd. fire blight

• C

Plants that flower when the nights are longer than a critical length are a. day-neutral plants.b. short-day plants.c. phototrophic.d. long-day plants.

• B

The term describing the pruning of individual old canes of forsythia back to the ground to force new, vigorous flowering canes is a. hedging.b. thinning. c. heading back.d. shearing.

• B

Which of the following plants would be most likely to die if planted in a site with poor soil drainage? a. privetb. juniperc. redosier dogwoodd. inkberry

• B

Increase in the trunk diameter of a tree occurs as a result of division and expansion of cells produced by the a. intercallary meristem.b. apical meristem.c. cork cambium.d. vascular cambium.

• D

A solubridge (conductivity meter) reading of 1.0 mmho for a potting mix indicates that a. there is too much nitrogen in the soil.b. the soluble salt level of the soil is in the desirable range.c. the soil needs to be limed.d. the soluble salt level of the soil is too high for most plants.

• B

The “field capacity” of a soil is the amount of a. gravitational water that it contains.b. water it contains when saturated.c. water it contains when plants are wilting.d. water it contains after drainage.

• D

Which of the following can be pruned back to near the ground in March without sacrificing flowering during the same growing season?

a. Crape Myrtleb. Lilacc. Forsythiad. Flowering Quince

• A

A pesticide that is likely to cause acute illness if inhaled, absorbed by skin, or swallowed would carry which of the following signal words on its label? a. Warningb. Dangerc. Hazardd. Caution

• B

Three morphological features that are helpful in identifying turfgrass species are a. stipule, ligule, and auricle.b. internode, ventrical, and auricle.c. cotyledons, collar, and blade.d. auricle, ligule, and sheath.

• D

The term “monoeceous” means a. male and female flowers are found on the same individual plant.B. male and female flowers are present on the same branch.c. male and female flower parts are found in the same flower.d. male and female flowers are found on different individual plants.

• A

If an impact sprinkler covering a circle with an area of 700 square feet puts out 5 gallons per minute, approximately how long will it take to apply 1 inch of water to the irrigated area? ( 1 inch of water = 620 gallons per 1000 square feet) a. 90 minutesb. 70 minutesc. 50 minutesd. 30 minutes

• A

If a turfgrass is able to absorb 0.25 inches of water per hour without runoff and a sprinkler system that applies water at about 1 inch per hour is operated continuously for 2 hours, approximately what percentage of the irrigation applied will be lost to run off? a. 90%b. 75%c. 50%d. 25%

• B

The term “transpiration” refers to a. production of sugars and starches within leaves.b. production of energy in leaf cells by breakdown of sugars and starches.c. movement of water out of leaves through the stomata.d. dropping of leaves in the fall.

• C

If you fertilize with nitrogen once per year, which month is most beneficial to Kentucky bluegrass? a. Aprilb. Mayc. Julyd. September

• D

The herbicide 2,4-D could be used to control a. crabgrass and dandelion.b. tall fescue and henbit.c. foxtail and plantain.d. none of the choices is correct.

• D

What can be added to soil to improve the structure, fertility, and permeability of the soil? a. Ammonium nitrateb. Organic matterc. Limed. Sand

• B

Which of the following herbicides has the greatest potential to damage woody plants as a result of the material moving into the root zone? a. treflanb. dacthalc. dicambad. sevin

• C

Which of the following would be most likely to correct chlorosis of the foliage of a pin oak tree in which the veins are green and interveinal areas are yellow? a. ammonium nitrateb. gypsumc. sulfurd. lime

• C

If 10% of a nursery field is occupied by roads, how many trees can be planted on 10 acres if they are planted 8 feet apart in rows that are 8 feet apart? (An acre has 43,560 square feet.) a. 640b. 956c. 4264d. 6125

• D

46. The distance between shows one year’s stem growth on a branch. a. lateral budsb. bud scale scarsc. leavesd. lateral shoots

• B

The physical properties of plants that are most important as visual elements in a landscape design are a. size, scale, and line.b. form, texture, and color.c. form, scale, and balanced. symmetry, color, and form.

• B

Which of the following grass species is least likely a thatch layer in a turfgrass planting? a. zoysiab. bluegrassc. bermudagrassd. tall fescue

• D

An example of a hardy evergreen type of azalea would be a. Exbury.b. Hinodigiri.c. Roseum Elegans.d. Northern Lights.

• B

Which of the following groundcovers is most likely to invade native habitats and choke out plants there? a. Japanese Spurgeb. Wintercreeperc. Candytuftd. Creeping Phlox

• B