It’s time to test your green thumb knowledge. Win big prizes. Gain notoriety. Become a celebrity.
Actually, you don’t win anything…I just don’t want you to flip the page.
Okay, turn on your computers, pull out your notes, line up your phone-a-friends, and get ready to ask those around you for their answers. Or just call your mom.
1. What is the 3-hour gardening rule?
a. Avoid gardening between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. during summer.
b. Take a 3-hour break every 3 hours.
c. Nap time
d. Cocktail hours
Answer: A. That’s when plants are stressed and close their leaf pores to survive. Strong UV rays put gardeners at the highest risk for sunburn.
2. What is a secateur? (subtle clues are provided).
a. Wow, this test is going to be hard. (right comment; wrong answer)
b. A mathematical term that has something to do quadratic equations. (Hint: no, it doesn’t)
c. Half-human, half-horse creature in Greek mythology. (Nope. That’s a centaur)
d. A hand pruning shears used for cutting the branches of trees and shrubs.
Answer: D
3. Your prized gladiolus keeled over at high noon. What was the likely cause?
a. The sun
b. The moon.
c. The stars.
d. You.
The answer, of course, is gophers. I know that wasn’t an option, but relax, I grade on the curve.
4.What is the difference between drought resistance and drought tolerant?
a. Hello, Mom?
b. Can you repeat the question?
c. The difference between a live plant and a dead one.
d. Drought-resistant plants can withstand periods with little water when established in the landscape. Drought-tolerant plants deal with severe drought on a regular basis, and recover from repeated wilting.
Answer: D
5. An excellent organic insecticide is
a. Play-Doh (clue: no)
b. Spaghetti sauce (no)
c. Cheez Whiz (come on, really?)
d. Diatomaceous earth. It’s an abrasive white powder that damages the skin and joints of insects. It also makes an excellent slug barrier.
Answer: D
6. Which type of tomato plant produces vines continuously until the frost kills the plant?
a. Determinate
b. Indeterminate
c. Neutral
d. Can we start this day over again? I wasn’t ready.
Answer: B
8. Which of the following can be a cause of bolting (describes a plant that quickly goes to seed, before we would like.)
a. Over watering
b. Overexposure to sunlight
c. Poor soil and root disturbance
d. Warm soil
Answer: All of the above
9. True or False: Having a lot of worms in your soil is an indication of poor soil health.
Answer: F.
10. What type of music has been shown to help plants grow faster?
a. Rock
b. Rap
c. Classical
d. Country
Answer C; Plants seem to love the soothing sounds of Beethoven and Bach. This fact was first researched and confirmed in 1962. T.C. Singh, the head of the School of Botany at Annamalia University, exposed balsam plants to classical music and found that the plants increased in growth rate by 20% when compared to a control group that did not have classical music playing. Source: Idaho State University.
11. What is the most widely grown fruit tree in the world?
a. Apples
b. Bananas
c. Oranges
d. Lemons
Answer: A
12. Which of these is considered a good source of calcium for garden soil?
a. Compost
b. Milk
c. Eggshells
d. Sawdust
Answer: C
13. When planting tomatoes, it’s best to…
a. Set roots atop the soil
b. Cover the leaves with soil
c. Lightly cover the roots with soil
d. Bury the stem deeply into the soil
Answer: D
14. Which plant has the fastest growth rate?
a. Bamboo
b. My weeds
c. Sunflowers
d. Philodendron
Answer: A
15. Who or what is Camellia sinensis?
a. Evergreen shrub whose leaves are used to produce black and green tea
b. Gary Sinise’s 2nd cousin
c. Foreign film on Netflix
d. Disease
Answer: A
16. Peas, cabbage, broccoli and cauliflower are all examples of what type of crop?
a. Cool season
b. Warm season
c. All season
d. Everbearing
Answer: A
17. What is another more common name for an Alligator Pear?
a. Bartlett
b. Dragon Fruit
c. Kiwi
d. Avocado
Answer: D
18. “I visit at night, I dig with care, I sniff for snacks that hide somewhere. I’m furry, fast, and hard to see — I leave small holes near every tree. What am I?” Source:
a. Possum
b. Opossum
c. Raccoon
d. Skunk
Answer: C
19. How do I stop squirrels from digging up my plants?
a. Strategically place large rocks
b. Simply accept that the squirrels have won.
c. Acknowledge that the squirrels are smarter than you.
d. Get a very aggressive cat
Answer: All of the above.
20. This pest, often found in damp areas, can roll into a ball when disturbed.
a. Pill bugs
b. Roly polies
c. Potato bugs
d. Armadillo bugs
Answer: They’re all the same, just different names.
21. What is the most expensive spice in the world, obtained from the stigmas of a flower?
a. Saffron
b. Vanilla
c. Nutmeg
d. Turmeric
ADAnswer: A
22. Which countries are the world’s largest producer of roses?
a. Netherlands, Ecuador and Columbia
b. Djibouti, Dubai and Trinidad and Tobago
c. Bhutan, Jamul and Bonsal
d. Burkina Faso (“land of upright people”)
Answer: A. Source: Florists Review
23. What plant is known to have one of the longest-lasting blooms in the plant kingdom?
a. Orchids
b. Chrysanthemums
c. Alstroemeria.
d. Sunflowers
Answer: A
24. A NASA study found that plants can remove certain indoor air pollutants like benzene, formaldehyde and trichloroethylene. Such air-purifying plants include
a. Peace Lily
b. Golden Pothos
c. Spider Plant
d. Philodendron
Answer: All of the above
Time’s up. Good effort, but unfortunately no one got 24 out of 24 correct. That’s because there were only 23 questions. There is no No. 7.
Schmidt is a Poway resident with over 40 years of gardening experience.