Landscape Design Landscape Maintenance and Management 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is deadheading and what is its primary benefit in a landscape?
- Removing spent flowers to extend blooming period (Correct answer)
- Pruning dead branches from shrubs
- Removing dead plants from beds
- Cutting grass blades too short
Correct answer: Removing spent flowers to extend blooming period
Deadheading removes spent flower heads before seed set, redirecting the plant's energy into producing more flowers and extending the blooming season.
Question 2: What is the one-third rule in turf mowing?
- Never remove more than one-third of the grass blade height in a single mowing (Correct answer)
- Mow every third day during peak growth
- Leave one-third of the lawn unmowed as wildlife habitat
- Apply one-third of annual fertilizer with each mowing
Correct answer: Never remove more than one-third of the grass blade height in a single mowing
Removing more than one-third of the blade in one mowing stresses the grass, reduces photosynthetic capacity, and results in scalping, browning, and weakened turf.
Question 3: What does topdressing a lawn mean in turf management?
- Applying a thin layer of compost or sand over the turf surface (Correct answer)
- Applying fertilizer to the top of grass blades
- Raising the mowing height during stress periods
- Overseeding a thin lawn
Correct answer: Applying a thin layer of compost or sand over the turf surface
Topdressing involves spreading a thin layer of compost, sand, or soil mix over an existing lawn to improve soil structure, level the surface, and reduce thatch.
Question 4: What is selective pruning versus shearing in shrub maintenance?
- Selective pruning removes individual branches; shearing cuts the entire surface uniformly (Correct answer)
- Shearing removes individual stems; selective pruning cuts the whole plant
- They are the same technique applied to different plant types
- Selective pruning is for trees; shearing is for ground covers
Correct answer: Selective pruning removes individual branches; shearing cuts the entire surface uniformly
Selective pruning removes specific branches to improve structure and maintain natural form, while shearing uniformly cuts the outer surface creating an artificial, rigid shape.
Question 5: What is renewal pruning for older, overgrown deciduous shrubs?
- Removing one-third of the oldest stems at ground level each year over 3 years (Correct answer)
- Cutting the entire shrub to the ground at once
- Removing all dead branches only
- Trimming the outer surface to reduce size
Correct answer: Removing one-third of the oldest stems at ground level each year over 3 years
Renewal pruning rejuvenates overgrown shrubs by removing the oldest, most unproductive canes at the base each year, stimulating vigorous new growth over a 3-year cycle.
Question 6: What pest is responsible for the distinctive serpentine tunnels visible in leaves of landscape plants?
- Leafminer larvae (Correct answer)
- Spider mites
- Aphids
- Scale insects
Correct answer: Leafminer larvae
Leafminers are larvae of flies, moths, or beetles that tunnel between leaf surfaces, leaving characteristic winding pale trails visible from outside.
Landscape Design Landscape Maintenance and Management 2
What is deadheading and what is its primary benefit in a landscape?