Minnesota FFA

2013 Nursery/Landscape Exam Key

1.Sheaths or fascicles are

  1. Types of cones
  2. Bundles of needle like leaves
  3. Sprays of scale like leaves
  4. None of the above

2.How large of a hole should you dig for planting a balled-and-burlapped narrow-leaf evergreens?

  1. Slightly larger than the ball of soil
  2. Two to three times as large as the ball of soil
  3. One and one-half to two times as large as the ball of soil
  4. Four times as large as the ball of soil

3.Which of the following does not describe a form of deciduous tree?

  1. Accent
  2. Rounded
  3. Open
  4. Pyramidal

4.What does the texture of deciduous trees refer to?

  1. Bark
  2. Ornamental use
  3. Foliage
  4. Shape

5.In landscape terms, if the mower blade is set too low and the turf is not level, the mower may ______the turf in spots.

  1. Scalp
  2. Aerate
  3. Slice
  4. Scorch

6.What is one reason midday watering of lawns in the summer is usually not recommended?

  1. Plant roots do not readily absorb water during the daylight hours
  2. Homeowners pay a premium for water if they irrigate during the day
  3. Much of the water is lost through evaporation
  4. Fast evaporation of the water from plant leaves may cause disease

7.One reason modern horticultural fabrics used in landscaping are said to be better than black polyethylene film is they:

  1. Prevent moisture from penetrating to deeply
  2. Make a better base for rock mulch
  3. Allow exchange of gases between soil and air
  4. Completely control weeds

8.Bare-root deciduous trees should be planted only when:

  1. Their buds are beginning to swell
  2. They are dormant
  3. They are beginning to leaf
  4. They are in full leaf

9.The watering system that uses the least amount of water is:

  1. Hand watering
  2. Trickle tube
  3. Capillary mat
  4. Overhead irrigation

10.In plant pathology, the virulence of an organism refers to:

  1. The resistance of a pathogen to pesticides
  2. How often a plant is inoculated
  3. The ability of a pathogen to cause disease
  4. The ability of a plant to reproduce naturally

11.An example of a non-selective weed killer is:

  1. Roundup
  2. 2, 4-D
  3. Dacthal
  4. Atrazine

12.In ______, old branches that are large and unproductive are removed.

  1. Thinning
  2. Heading back
  3. Renewal pruning
  4. Topiary pruning

13.A soil high in organic matter tends to:

  1. Hold a great deal of water, thereby diluting herbicides
  2. Absorb herbicides and cause them to be ineffective
  3. Grow weeds so quickly that a higher dosage of herbicides is needed
  4. Hold herbicide in the soil, thereby making them more effective

14.One of the most well-known diseases of roses is:

  1. Brown patch
  2. Scab
  3. Black spot
  4. Iron chlorosis

15.Which term is not a principle of design?

  1. Simplicity
  2. Proportion
  3. Realism
  4. Balance

16.Young seedlings that rot at the ground level and fall over and die are affected by:

  1. Mosaic
  2. Aster yellows
  3. Damping off
  4. Blight

17.The ______of hydrangeas can be manipulated by changing the pH of the soil.

  1. Leaf texture
  2. Flower size
  3. Plant shape
  4. Flower color

18.A ______is a natural phenomenon in which one plant secretes chemicals that inhibit root growth or seed germination of other seeds.

  1. Allelopathy
  2. Apical dominance
  3. Biological control
  4. Pheromone effect

19.Landscape plans generally include all of the following except:

  1. The number of each type of plant to be planted
  2. The mature width of the plant
  3. The mature height of the plant
  4. A north orientation marker

20.When plants are fertilized, the eggs and the ovary become:

  1. Fruit
  2. Seed cases
  3. Flowers
  4. Seeds

21.During respiration, plants:

  1. Rest
  2. Manufacture food
  3. Use oxygen and give off carbon dioxide just like animals
  4. Manufacture oxygen

22.Why is an “X” or a “dot” placed in the exact center of each landscape symbol

  1. Too cover the hole made by the compass
  2. To make the symbol more noticeable
  3. To identify the foliage type of the plant
  4. To locate the point at which the plant will be installed into the ground

23.This disease is most common of crab apples, hawthorn, and mountain ash; red to yellow pustules form on the leaves; chemical controls include Ferbam and Zineb:

  1. Needle cast
  2. Rust
  3. Sooty mold
  4. Fireblight

24.What is a disadvantage of planting potted nursery stock?

  1. A short planting season
  2. Limited selection of stock
  3. Encircling roots in the pot
  4. Only small sizes are available

25.A chemical to control apple scab is known as a:

  1. Miticide
  2. Fungicide
  3. Herbicide
  4. Insecticide

26.Provided soil moisture is not the limiting factor for seed germination, the depth at which various seeds are sown normally depends on the:

  1. Size of the seed
  2. Season of the year
  3. Conditions of the surface soil
  4. Nutrient level of the soil

27.Storage areas for bareroot nursery stock should be:

  1. Low temperatures and low humidity
  2. Low temperatures and high humidity
  3. Warm temperatures and low humidity
  4. Warm temperatures and high humidity

28.What weed is normally controlled with a pre-emergent herbicide?

  1. Canada thistle
  2. Dandelion
  3. Quack grass
  4. Crabgrass

29.Which hardiness zone includes most of the northern half of Minnesota?

  1. 2
  2. 3
  3. 4
  4. 5

30.An advantage of using fine bladed perennial rye grass in athletic and recreational turf:

  1. Spreads by rhizomes
  2. Cuts easily (as a species)
  3. Good fall and spring color
  4. Crowns lower than bluegrass

31.The tubular lower portion of a grass leaf that surrounds the stem is called the:

  1. Tiller
  2. Sheath
  3. Crown
  4. Collar

32.The nutrient associated most with strong root and crown development is:

  1. Potassium
  2. Phosphorous
  3. pH
  4. nitrogen

33.A term that best describes the movement by wind of spray from a sprayer nozzle to a

non-target area is:

  1. Volatilization
  2. Overlap
  3. Drift
  4. Current

34.The approximate depth in the soil of correctly seeded cool season turf grass mixes:

  1. 1 inch to 1 1/4 inches
  2. 3/4 inch to 1 inch
  3. 1/2 inch to 3/4 inch
  4. 1/8 inch to 1/4 inch

35.Scientists who identify and classify plants are known as:

  1. Pomologists
  2. Taxonomists
  3. Horticulturists
  4. Taxidermists

36.Plants maintain a healthy heat and moisture balance through:

  1. Photosynthesis
  2. Respiration
  3. Hybridization
  4. Transpiration

37.The terms triploid, diploid, and haploid, refer to the:

  1. Number of flowers per stem
  2. Formation of leaves
  3. Number of bud breaks expected after pruning
  4. Number of chromosomes

38.Phototropism refers to:

  1. Plants dying from too much light
  2. How much light a plant uses within a period of time
  3. The bending of plants toward a more intense light
  4. Photographing plants

39.In the name Acer rubrum ‘October Glory’, ‘October Glory’ is a:

  1. Species
  2. Cultivar
  3. Genus
  4. Family

40.Which of the following best describes seed scarification?

  1. Placing seed capsules in the sun for natural curing
  2. Planting seeds in a nursery flat to a depth of two times the seed diameter
  3. Removing some of the seed coat by using a file, sandpaper, or an acid solution
  4. Using a dibble to spot off newly-planted seedlings