CH Irrigation and Water Management 3

Question 1

Mulching around plants reduces irrigation needs primarily by:

Accepted Answer

Reducing soil surface evaporation

Answer

A 2–4 inch mulch layer insulates the soil surface from solar radiation, dramatically reducing evaporation and keeping soil moisture available longer between irrigations.

Question 2

Graywater systems for landscape irrigation in the US typically use water from which household sources?

Accepted Answer

Laundry rinse water, bathroom sinks, and showers

Answer

Graywater is lightly used household water from laundry, sinks, and showers (not toilets or kitchen sinks in most US codes) that can be reused for subsurface landscape irrigation.

Question 3

Which soil texture typically requires the most frequent irrigation due to its low water-holding capacity?

Accepted Answer

Sandy

Answer

Sandy soils have large pore spaces that drain rapidly, holding little plant-available water between irrigations and requiring more frequent but smaller applications.

Question 4

Proper head-to-head coverage in a sprinkler design means:

Accepted Answer

Each head's throw radius reaches the adjacent head

Answer

Head-to-head coverage ensures each sprinkler's spray reaches the next head, providing uniform overlap and preventing dry spots between heads.

Question 5

Tensiometers measure soil moisture by indicating:

Accepted Answer

Tension (suction force) with which the soil holds water

Answer

Tensiometers measure matric potential — the suction force with which soil particles hold water — which indicates how hard plant roots must work to extract moisture.

CH - Certified Horticulturist Practice Test

CH - Certified Horticulturist Practice Test

CH Irrigation and Water Management 3