Nursery Landscape General Knowledge Exam

2008 District Test

Which are “micronutrients” for plants?

a. calcium, nitrogen, and ironb. copper, manganese, and boronc. magnesium, potassium, and sulfurd. phosphorus, potassium, and manganese

• b

At which of the following soil pH values would iron be most available to plant roots?

a. 8.5b. 7.2c. 6.2d. 4.5

• d

When making a “thinning” pruning cut, the cut should be made

a. midway between two buds.b. just above a bud.c. back to a lateral branch.d. 4 inches above a lateral branch.

• c

Which leaf type is pictured in this diagram?

a. entireb. pinnately compound c. palmately compoundd. crenately compound

• c

Which of the following is a cool-season perennial broadleaf weed?

a. nimblewillb. chickweedc. oxalisd. buckhorn plantain

• d

Which of the following plants is a dioecious species requiring both male and female plants to be near each other for fruit formation to occur?

a. Crabappleb. Sweetgumc. Blue hollyd. Pyracantha

• c

How many trees could be planted in a field measuring 600’ x 600’ if planted 10 feet apart in rows that are 12 feet apart if there are five 20-foot-wide roads in the field?

a. 2500b. 3000c. 3600d. 4400

• a

If an impact sprinkler covering a circle with an area of 2000 square feet puts out 8 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. 45 minutesb. 1 hour and 45 minutesc. 2 hoursd. 2 hours and 30 minutes

• d

A bacterial disease commonly affecting branch tips of fruit trees is

a. apple scab.b. fire blight.c. anthracnose.d. crown gall.

• b

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", 2-21/2’c. 6-9", 9-12", 12-15", 15-18"d. 6-12", 12-18", 18-24", 24-30"

• b

Increase in stem diameter of a tree is due to activity of cells in the

a. apical meristem.b. vascular cambium.c. intercalary meristem.d. lateral meristem.

• b

Which of the following soils is likely to have the highest cation exchange capacity (CEC)?

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

• c

Which of the following pesticides would be most likely to have a “Danger” signal word on its label? a. a product with an oral LD50 of 2000 mg/kgb. a product with an oral LD50 of 1500 mg/kgc. a product with an oral LD50 of 30 mg/kgd. all of the choices would probably have a “Danger” signal word on the label

• c

If an area 150 square feet x 200 square feet is to be seeded with tall fescue at 8 pounds of seed per 1000 square feet and the seed costs $85 per 50-pound bag, approximately what will be the cost of seed for the job?

a. $750b. $275c. $350d. $425

• d

If a soil test indicates that the soil in a landscape planting is low in phosphorus, a material containing phosphorus should be incorporated into the plant root zone because phosphorous

a. does not move into the soil readily when surface applied.b. leaches easily from the soil.c. can be lost to the air by volatilization.d. is highly soluble and likely to move with runoff.

• a

A tree originally priced at $300.00 is on sale at 20% off. If sales tax is 5%, what should a customer pay for the plant?

a. $240b. $283c. $183d. $252

• d

The pruning technique illustrated in this diagram is a. heading.b. pollarding.c. thinning.d. hedging.

• a

The net effect of heading pruning will be a. to permanently reduce the size of the plant.b. to force new growth from buds just below the cuts.c. to create a more open growth habit.d. to force new shoots to grow from the base of the plant.

• b

Turf should be mowed often enough so that no more than a. 1/8 of the grass blade is removed.b. 1/3 of the grass blade is removed.c. 1/2 of the grass blade is removed.d. 2/3 of the grass blade is removed.

• b

Which of the following is the least expensive source of nitrogen per pound of actual N? a. a 50-pound bag of Milorganite (6-2-0) for $7.20b. a 4-pound bag of cotton seed meal (6-1-1) for $3.70c. a 25-pound bag of 20-20-20 for $22.00d. a 5-pound bag of bone meal (4-10-0) for $4.70

• a

Trunk caliper of a shade tree in a nursery or landscape is measured a. at the soil surface.b. at chest height (4½ ft).c. 2 feet from the soil surface.d. 6 inches from the soil surface.

• d

Which of the following is considered a warm-season turfgrass? a. Perennial Ryegrassb. Zoysiagrass c. Tall Fescued. Red Fescue

• b

Which of the following is a fungal leaf spot disease commonly found on non-resistant hawthorns? a. quince rustb. black spotc. anthracnose d. apple scab

• a

What are the external characteristics of a monocot plant? A. parallel venation, two cotyledons, and flower petals in threes or sets of threeb. netted venation, two cotyledons, and flower petals in sets of threec. parallel venation, one cotyledon, and flower petals in threes or sets of threed. parallel venation, one cotyledon, and flower petals in sets of four or five

• c

What are plants that flower when the nights are longer than a critical length? a. day-neutral plantsb. long-day plantsc. long-night plantsd. short-day plants

• d

The soil ball on a shade tree with a stem caliper of 3 inches should be about a. 24 inches in diameter.b. 28 inches in diameter.c. 32 inches in diameter.d. 36 inches in diameter.

• c

The pH of a soil is a measure of its a. content of calcium carbonate.b. ability to exchange positively charged nutrient ions.c. content of hydrogen ions (H+).d. content of potassium ions (K+).

• c

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

• a

If a soil test indicates that the pH is 4.5, which of the following would be most logical to apply to the soil if you plan to grow shrubs like spireas? a. Sulfurb. Limec. 12-12-12d. Gypsum

• b

Which of the following is most likely to be fatal to a flowering dogwood tree? a. bagwormsb. cold winter temperaturec. fire blightd. a stem borer

• d

A solubridge (conductivity meter) reading of 4.5 mmho 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.

• d

The four basic elements of design are a. color, form, texture, and line.b. space, time, color, and form.c. form, space, color, and texture.d. structure, texture, form, and color.

• a

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

• d

A 7% slope changes how many feet in elevation in 50 feet of linear distance? a. 2.5 feetb. 3.0 feetc. 3.5 feetd. 7.0 feet

• c

The best way to control chickweed would be to apply a a. post-emergence herbicide in mid-summer.b. pre-emergence herbicide in August.c. pre-emergence herbicide in March.d. post-emergence herbicide in November.

• b

A feature of a turfgrass that allows for rapid spreading to cover a large area is a. seedhead formation.b. tillering.c. stolon production.d. intercalary meristems.

• c

An area measuring 150 feet x 300 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 $8.00 for a 50-pound bag, what will be the cost of the fertilizer for this job? a. $24.00b. $32.00c. $48.00d. $72.00

• d

Which of the following is most likely to be seriously damaged by severe pruning? a. Juniperb. Yewc. Forsythiad. Hybrid tea rose

• a

When planting a dogwood or cherry tree in an area with very heavy clay soil, the best approach would be to a. mix 20% sand into the backfill soil.b. place a 2-inch thick layer of gravel in the bottom of the planting hole.c. plant in a raised bed or berm.d. add 30% organic matter to the backfill soil.

• c

An example of a pest with chewing-type mouth parts is a. lacebug.b. aphid.c. spider mite.d. beetle.

• d

An insect with complete metamorphosis would go through which stages? a. egg, nymph, larva, and adultb. egg, larva, pupa, and adultc. egg, pupa, larva, and adultd. egg, pupa, nymph, and adult

• 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 texture of a soil is determined primarily by a. the content of mineral nutrients.b. how recently it has been tilled.c. the arrangement of soil aggregates.d. the proportions of clay, silt, and sand.

• d

When using highly soluble nitrogen fertilizers, such as ammonium nitrate (34-0-0), which have no slow release properties, it is usually recommended to apply no more than 1 pound of actual nitrogen per 1000 square feet of lawn area in a single application. If you follow this recommendation to fertilize a lawn measuring 100 feet x 100 feet, what is the maximum amount of ammonium nitrate you should apply to the entire area? a. 4.5 poundsb. 10.5 poundsc. 18.7 poundsd. 29.4 pounds

• d

The term “Monoecious” 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

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. Acer Rubrum ‘Red Sunset’.

• b

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

• a

Which of the following is an example of a warm-season perennial broadleaf weed? a. dandelionb. purslanec. field bindweedd. chickweed

• c

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

If a turfgrass is able to absorb 0.2 inches of water per hour without runoff and a sprinkler system that applies water at about 0.5 inches 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. 60%d. 25%

• c