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Nurseries Whether operating a small-scale nursery or a large commercial operation management is key to success. Outdoor nurseries, indoor or greenhouse nurseries, or tree nurseries it makes no difference, paying attention to detail is key to profit. The
Evolution of Horticulture
The evolution of horticulture in these
Soon these early settlers discovered that the soil was
well suited for the planting of corn, barley and peas.
This widened out their diet and soon adapted to the
living conditions.
Native herbs, onions, leeks, water cresses, were also
introduced into the settlers diet.
Did
you ever stop and think what the word “Horticulture” means?
The word Horticulture is formed from two Latin words –
“Hortus” meaning “Garden” and “Cultura” meaning
“Cultivation”.
Horticulture is a branch of agriculture which is the
science of farming, or the cultivation and management of plants
and animals to supply mans needs.
From this the concept of horticulture is the cultivation
of fruits, vegetables and herb enclosed gardens; “agronomy”
from cultivation of larger crops in open fields; and
“forestry” for game and forest products.
Horticulturists need to know as much about plants as
possible.
They must know about plant nutrition and how to treat
possible injuries and disease.
To grow plants successfully, one must consider many
factors, climate, terrain, and latitude and altitude; plant
growth and dormancy cycles;
Management factors that cannot be
controlled would be the environment, amount of sunlight, heating
growing days, rainfall, and the ambient temperature.
Management factors that can be controlled would include
pest management, water quality management, irrigation
management, fertilizer quality, and fertilizer solutions used,
selecting quality-potting media, and selecting the right plant
material that fits the geographic area.
Testing all imputes for its nutritional profile is paramount
when balancing for yield and quality.
Producing quality plant material can only be achieved by
testing these imputes. Many
nurseries rely on alternative sources for water.
Ground water is the choice, however many nurseries are
confronted with regulations, the monitoring of quantity used for
irrigation and the time of day irrigation can be applied.
So more and more nurseries are collecting and recycling
rain water or production bed water.
When utilizing these alternative sources of water it is
important to monitor water quality.
Water being applied through an irrigation system should
be sampled and tested for its mineral components.
It is important to take representative samples of the
water being used. These
samples are usually taken at the source.
After collecting the water samples send to Agri Analysis
as soon as possible. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________ Plant Nutrition (Essential Elements) Essential Elements Involved
in all physiological processes taking place in the plant Deficiency:
- Expressed as a decrease in vigor, chlorotic (yellow)
foliage color
- Older leaves
express symptoms first Excessive
Levels:
- Excessive vegetative growth
- Decreased
flowering and fruiting - Soft weak growth and fireblight Phosphorus
(P) Needed for root development, flowering and fruit formation Essential for cell division
- Stunted growth
- Development of a bronze or purple coloration of the
petioles and leaf underside
- Yellowing of the
leaves, particularly at the time of flowering and fruiting - Seldom observed in field grown material Modifies the absorption of other nutrient elements Influences
the carbohydrate-nitrogen relationship Influences
the absorption and utilization of water Deficiency:
- Marginal
yellowing of the older leaves followed by scorching and leaf
drop
- Needle
evergreens-brown tip, green base, separated by yellow band - Decrease in the number of years that the needles persist Constituent of the cell walls Modifies
the permeability of membranes Root
development
- Death of
terminal portions
- Yellowing and
necrosis of the adjacent young leaves - Leaf margin distortions (usually on seedlings) Integral part of chlorophyll, the green pigment in plants needed for photosynthesis Certain
enzyme systems and respiration do not function properly at low
levels
- Chlorosis on
older leaves - Dead areas suddenly developing between leaf veins Sulfur
(S) Constituent of protein Deficiency:
- Plants are stunted
- Leaves
are light green or yellow, progressing from younger to older
- Usually not seen
as deficient - Contaminant for other fertilizers and is an air pollutant Boron
(B) Aids in proper root development, flowering, and fruiting Necessary
for nitrogen and carbohydrate metabolism Deficiency:
- Can be brought
on with the application of excess lime
- Death of growing points, brittleness and dieback of
stems - Scorched, curled and often rosette leaves Copper
(Cu) Catalyst in respiration Needed
for carbohydrate and protein metabolism and in seed formation Deficiency:
- Not common in
woody perennials
- In fruit trees,
a withering and death of young shoots in late-spring-early
summer
- In azaleas, new
leaves are smaller than normal and soon become scorched Iron
(Fe) Catalyst in chlorophyll formation and for oxidation-reduction reactions Availability
in the soil decreases with high pH or high phosphates
- Interveinal chlorosis on young leaves with the veins
remaining green - Dieback of branches on woody perennials Manganese
(Mn) Needed for assimilation of carbon dioxide in nitrogen metabolism Needed
for the formation of organic acids and carotene May
be deficient in soils of high pH
- Symptoms similar
to those for iron
- Reported for
red, sugar, and Norway maple
- Chlorotic
leaves, premature defoliation, and suppressed growth raised
pimples
- Associated with
acid soils, anaerobic conditions Molybdenum
(Mo) Needed for protein synthesis Seldom
limits growth of woody plants Zinc
(Zn) Functions in cell elongation and in seed development
- Uncommon in
woody ornamentals
- Produces a
yellow to bronze color in older foliage
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difference in plant nutrients; plant
pests and diseases; and how plants are propagated.
