CHT Plant Propagation & Nursery Management 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: In nursery management, what does 'liner' refer to?
- Plastic pot lining
- Young, rooted plant ready for transplanting to a larger container (Correct answer)
- Weed barrier fabric
- Fertilizer granule coating
Correct answer: Young, rooted plant ready for transplanting to a larger container
A liner is a small, young rooted plant (plug or rooted cutting) used as the starting material for growing on into a finished nursery product.
Question 2: Which container size is typically designated as a '5-gallon' in the US nursery trade?
- Exactly 5 gallons of actual volume
- A trade size container holding approximately 3.8 gallons (Correct answer)
- A 5-inch-diameter pot
- A square 5-quart container
Correct answer: A trade size container holding approximately 3.8 gallons
Nursery trade container sizes are nominal; a '5-gallon' container actually holds approximately 3.5–4 gallons of growing medium, not exactly 5 gallons.
Question 3: Soilless growing media used in container production is preferred because it:
- Is heavier and more stable
- Provides consistent drainage, aeration, and disease suppression (Correct answer)
- Is cheaper than garden soil
- Eliminates all fertilizer needs
Correct answer: Provides consistent drainage, aeration, and disease suppression
Soilless mixes (peat, bark, perlite) are lightweight, uniform, and resist compaction, providing consistent aeration and drainage critical in container production.
Question 4: What is the recommended practice when potting a container plant that is root-bound?
- Leave roots intact and pot up one size
- Score or tease the root ball before repotting (Correct answer)
- Bare-root the plant and soak before potting
- Prune top growth by 75% first
Correct answer: Score or tease the root ball before repotting
Scoring or teasing circling and matted roots before repotting encourages outward root growth and prevents girdling as the plant grows.
Question 5: Hardening off transplants involves:
- Applying fungicide to stems
- Gradually acclimating greenhouse-grown plants to outdoor conditions (Correct answer)
- Pruning roots before planting
- Applying lime to increase pH
Correct answer: Gradually acclimating greenhouse-grown plants to outdoor conditions
Hardening off gradually exposes greenhouse or indoor-grown transplants to outdoor light, temperature, and wind over 7–14 days to prevent transplant shock.
Question 6: Damping-off in seedling production is caused primarily by:
- Nutrient deficiency
- Soilborne fungi like Pythium and Rhizoctonia under wet, warm conditions (Correct answer)
- Excessive light intensity
- Herbicide drift
Correct answer: Soilborne fungi like Pythium and Rhizoctonia under wet, warm conditions
Damping-off is caused by Pythium, Rhizoctonia, or Fusarium fungi that attack seedlings at or below the soil line in overly wet, warm propagation environments.
CHT Plant Propagation & Nursery Management 2
In nursery management, what does 'liner' refer to?