AGH 272 - Nursery Production I

1. Summarize the importance of the major nursery states in the production and marketing of nursery stock in the United States of America
2. Defend the importance of Iowa nursery industry to the state and country
   1. Explain the historical impact the Iowa nursery industry had on the national nursery industry
   2. Discuss Iowa’s placement in the national nursery industry
3. Explain factors affecting plant growth: light, temperature, humidity, nutrients, soil, atmosphere, and pollutants
4. Classify hardiness zones
   1. Select the hardiness zones which directly affect the United States of America
   2. Point out Iowa’s location on the U.S.D.A. hardiness map
   3. Explain the significance of Iowa’s position on the USDA’s hardiness map
5. Develop a wholesale nursery layout
   1. List the four major planting schemes used in the nursery industry
   2. Generated a planting scheme for a wholesale field nursery
6. Compare production practices and schedules for container and field grown plants
7. Discuss propagation and production facilities required in nurseries
8. Prepare and plant woody shrub and tree seed and cuttings
   1. Make cuttings of hardwood deciduous and evergreen cuttings
   2. Locate and gather seeds of ornamental plants
   3. Build a seed bed
   4. Sew seed in an outdoor bed
9. Process, transplant trees and shrubs for container production
   1. Describe how one would handle and plant trees and shrubs in containers
   2. List the precautions one must use to protect transplants in storage
10. Prune or shear plants and trees in appropriate manner
11. Compare methods of irrigating container and field nursery stock
    1. Distinguish between the various systems for irrigating field crops
    2. Describe the components of container irrigation systems
12. Justify weed and pest control in the nursery
    1. Explain the methods of nonchemical weed control
    2. Compile the different methods of chemical control
    3. Identify the troublesome nursery pests
    4. Describe methods of pest control
13. Describe a healthy tree or shrub
14. Use the American Nursery Association’s grades and regulations in determining nursery stock grades