Transcript free here - RHS Campaign for School Gardening

Can a bit of science
knowledge actually
help gardeners?
A few tips to make a greener, more successful garden
Help you to get to know your plants
How thinking scientifically will help you horticulturally
Do gardeners fear scientists?
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Evolution to Climate Change
55 colourful and easy to understand fun slides
to help you get the best from your garden
•Prehistoric Plants
•Plant Naming and Families
•Reproduction and Growth
•Nutrients, pH, Soil and Aquaponics
•Pests and Diseases
•Adaptation to Weather and Climate Change
Download my notes for a more detailed explanation
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Life cycles
Do not have a woody structure. Stems and leaves normally die back in winter
Herbaceous Plants do not have a woody structure - Stems and leaves
normally die back in winter -They can be divided into four groups
Annuals
Complete life-cycle
in one year
then die
Perennials
Live for more than
two years and
survive winters
outdoors.
Biennials
Life cycle takes two years
Leaves and stems grow in
first year, flowers in second
Bulbs, corms and tubers
all store food to enable them to
survive a dormant period.
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5
Single Parent
Asexual Reproduction
Vegetative - asexual one parent - genetically identical plants
(clones) obtained by division (with a little human help).
Apomixis - asexual one parent - clone seed producing
genetically identical plants.
.
Rudbeckia sps. – some
produced by clone seed –
every flower is identical
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More by division
Asexual Propagation – one parent
Hardwood – take cuttings in Winter
Leaf cuttings can be taken from certain plants in Summer
Stem cuttings – semi ripe and ripe cuttings can be taken in
late Spring and Summer
Vegetative
Root /Bulb/Rhizome /Corm/Tuber – take cuttings
with shoots, nodes or bulblets
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Cellular Growth
Stem growth point
Meristem cells are undifferentiated, multi tasking
cells, which are ready to take on different jobs.
It is possible to propagate some plants with a
simple leaf cutting, because the meristem cells
will rapidly produce new tissue which will
become roots or stems.
Root growth point
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All Systems Grow
Plant Vascular Growth
Humidity &
Wind
help
stomata
windows in
leaves
let water
evaporate
(transpiration)
CO2
Temperature &
Light
help
sugar made in leaves
travel through phloem
vessels providing energy
to all parts of plant
so plant cells and plant can grow
Stem
O2
Roots
Water and nutrients uptake from soil to all parts of plant via the xylem vessels
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Greening Up
Photosynthesis
Carbon dioxide from the air together with water and nutrients in soil react with the
sun’s energy to produce the sugars and starches needed for plant growth – this is
called Photosynthesis. Respiration then produces the energy for the plant.
Sunlight
CO2
Soil containing
nutrients
Water
roots
Oxygen O2 is given off as a by-product of photosynthesis
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Sex matters
Hermaphrodite
Monoecious
Dioecious
M
M
F
MF
F
M
F
MF
F
MF
F
M
MF
(m) male and (f) female
on same flower
M
M
male and female on
separate flowers
F
male and female on separate plants
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Better Together
Sexual Reproduction – two parents
Sexual two parents – producing genetically different plants
Hermaphrodite – both male and female organs on the same flower awaiting
pollination
Monoecious - male and female organs on separate flowers of the same plant
Dioecious - male and female organs are on separate plants.
F1 Seed are produced from two genetically similar uniform parents. Seed will be true to parents.
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Bring on the bees
Hermaphrodite
Male and female organs on same flower
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The next generation
Pollination is the transfer of pollen in Flowering Plants (Angiosperms) from
the male (anthers) of the flower to the female (stigma) - two parents required- the
female organ (ovum) is then fertilised which allows the flower to produce
seeds.
How – by insects, wind, by water ,some birds and bats and by human hand using
a small brush. Amazingly the Aspidistra is pollinated by slugs (yuk!)
In conifers pollination occurs between male and female cones.
Germination – growth of the seed into a plant
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Birth of a New Plant
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How does your garden grow?
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Does the earth move for you?
•Can you easily dig into your soil?
•Is it clay or sandy or even chalky?
•Does it drain well?
•Is your soil acid or alkaline?
•How moisture retentive is your soil?
Copyright 2010
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Not just mud
Soil – inorganic matter
•Soil must store enough water and release it to plant or drainage
•Sand will not store water – pure clay soil will not release water
in drought conditions.
The recommended combination:
Clay
30%
Sand 40%
Silt
30%
= Perfect Loam
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Microbe Army to the rescue
Soil – organic matter
Compost
And / or
Manure
Earthworms
Bacteria
Fungi
Oxygen
Nitrogen
___
___
Dark
Humus
Energy
and
Nutrients
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5 a day for plants
NPK are held in inorganic soil clay silt and organic humus
•N - Nitrogen – helps produce green in plants
•P - Phosphorus helps strengthen cell walls
•K - Potassium and Mg - Magnesium help flower and fruit production
•Ca - Calcium helps strengthen cell walls and vegetable production
•Minor nutrients are also vital
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Soil testing kit
DSoil Testing
AddEquipment
a
Take a
clean
bottle
soil
sample
Add distilled
water
Soil Samples of Loam
Soil Samples in Water
Shake and allow
soil elements to
settle out
Use meters to test different parts of the garden soils in wet conditions
Testing apparatus
for soil samples
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Fighting the enemy?
Pests and Diseases
Vertebrates
Biological
Let battle commence!
fungus
bacteria
virus
birds, rabbits, moles,
squirrels, deer, rodents
Invertebrates
Non-biological
slugs, snails (molluscs), insects, aphids,
caterpillars, weevils, mites, nematodes
(red spider mite, white fly often in the
greenhouse)
nutrient deficiency
physiological (water, pH, temperature)
climate, pollution or pesticide damage
Do battle with chemical, biological and cultural controls
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What plant where
Different plants need different conditions to thrive
full sun, dappled shade or sheltered,
dry, moist, wet (aquatic) or well drained
Plants may require soil to be:
acidic, neutral or alkaline
Does your garden face
north or south?
Remember to check these points before making any seasonal purchases.
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Whatever the weather
Adaptation to climate change
Flooding will drown roots and leaves and respiration stops
Hotter sun will destroy leaves and photosynthesis stops
Colder weather may destroy plant tissue
Heavy rain and wind storms affect a plant’s ability to retain its
shape and structure
Soil will be affected by severe weather
How will climate change affect your garden in the future?
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