Hort 1 - 5.00 - Soils

Which is the best growing media if an inorganic media is desired?

• leaf mold

• perlite

• sawdust

• wood shavings

Mark takes some soil samples from his lawn and some from a field where he grows vegetables. Compared to the field samples, his samples from the lawn should be taken:

• about 2 inches deeper.

• about 8 inches deeper.

• about 2 inches shallower.

• at the same depth

Marcy mixes perlite in her soilless mix. What is perlite?

• Bark from a pecan tree

• Dead plant material

• Natural volcanic rock

• Product of seaweed

Compared to other layers of a typical soil profile, the amount of organic matter in the O horizon is:

• about the same

• less

• more

• none

Tamicka uses a commercial blend of horticulture soil because she can depend on the pH of the product being:

• acidic

• alkaline

• basic

• neutral

The pH test on a soil sample determines the:

• acidity or alkalinity.

• air and water movement.

• amount of nitrogen.

• salinity or salt content.

Which is a characteristic of sandy textured soils?

• High moisture-holding capacity

• High nutrient-holding capacity

• Low moisture-holding capacity

• Small packed together soil particles

Which is the most likely effect of adding perlite to the growing media?

• decreases drainage

• increases drainage

• increases weight

• makes media acidic

What is the texture of soils that have about equal parts of sand, clay, and silt?

• clayey

• loamy

• sandy

• silty

The high carbon-to-nitrogen ratio of nondecomposed sawdust and wood shavings affects nitrogen in growing media by:

• acting as a fertilizer

• increasing availability for plant use

• making it unavailable for plant use

• stimulating plant growth