A GARDENER’S BOTANY: PPT Outline & Notes
Irene C. Burke
Fluvanna Master Gardener
2014
Not a farmers’ botany
Agriculture is field or large-scale horticulture and many current, agricultural
practices whether organic or non-organic do not readily scale down to the garden
because of cost, inefficiency or questionable practices. Example: annual tilling,
synthetic fabric weed barriers, over-head irrigation, cross-species genetic
modification, monoculture.
Not a grower’s botany
Growers take the plant from beginning to wherever the retail market can sell it,
from seedling to a more mature plant. Large scale root pruning and grafting is
important to the grower providing us with disease resistant plants. Let them do it.
Some growers use organic practices, some do not. Regardless of your preference
check the label or inquire with the retailer.
Not a designer’s botany
Though we advise on water wise landscaping as well as the best location for plants
Master Gardeners provide information about best design practices always starting
with soil, then light, then aspect (prevailing winds, slope, sun direction). Designers
who are also business people often lead with the latest horticultural fad or whatever
in their inventory needs to be sold. In my experience it is a rare designer who keeps
current with best practices.
Not for retailers
Retailers often lead with the latest horticultural fad or whatever in their inventory
needs to be sold or whatever their grower/suppliers are pushing. In my experience
it is a rare retailer who keeps current with best practices and hires knowledgeable
staff.
Botany for you and me
We are the end-users of the great horticulture industry. We must be informed and
wary consumers, just as informed as when we buy a high priced object like a car or
refrigerator. Remember the plant need not die if you chose the right one for the
right location and used best cultural practices like changing the oil in your car and
cleaning the coils in the back of your refrigerator.
LIFE SCIENCE
Biology: the science of living organisms - plant and animal
Botany: biology of plants
Horticulture: applied botany for the field, the landscape and the garden.
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A GARDENER’S BOTANY: PPT Outline & Notes
Irene C. Burke
Fluvanna Master Gardener
2014
HORTICULTURE
Master Gardeners are just that, gardeners but more importantly citizen scientists,
who educate other gardeners particularly home gardeners. Sometimes that
includes design for the home landscape: outside and inside the home, whatever that
looks like, apartment to an acre.
LET’S TALK.
Misinformation
Illiteracy
Pseudoscience
Science
MISINFORMATION HAZARDS
Mulch Misery
A little knowledge is a dangerous thing. A little something is good so why wouldn’t a
lot be better?
MULCH JOY
Apply mulch 3” deep away from the stem or trunk flare to prevent roots from
growing into the mulch and destabilizing the plant or tree making it vulnerable to
wind damage especially when the soil and mulch become saturated.
ILLITERACY PERILS
Over-tilled, bare soil
GARDEN MYTHS
Gravitational water will not move from a finer soil texture to coarser material until
the finer soil is saturated, drowning roots.
DRAINAGE MYTH BUSTER
Gravitational water will not move from a finer soil texture to a coarser material until
the finer soil is saturated.
PSEUDOSCIENCE
Misleading language
Defensive
Unsupported data
Anecdotal
No progress
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A GARDENER’S BOTANY: PPT Outline & Notes
Irene C. Burke
Fluvanna Master Gardener
2014
PSEUDOSCIENCE: examples
Biodynamic Gardening
Originally mystical and therefore unscientific agricultural method now intermingled
with organic practices.
Aerated Compost Tea
Nature of compost tea is unclear. What exactly is it? Compost tea benefits haven’t
been scientifically validated. May not be sold or offered as a pesticide or disease
suppression (EPA 4/6/2004).
Long-range weather forecast: Farmers’Almanac
Most reliable long-range weather forecast is approximately 10 days. Accuracy for
longer forecasts diminishes, the further into the future the prediction.
SCIENCE
We are science advocates. Important questions to ask: What are the facts; are the
facts compelling; have the facts been verified and duplicated; are the facts
uncontaminated by other factors?
SCIENCE
Open to scrutiny
Precise language
Reproducible results
Systematic process
Confirms or refutes
Transparent experiments and data
gathering – no secrets
Precise language
Results that have been duplicated
numerous times
Not chaotic nor random nor trial and
error
Consistently confirms or refutes
GERM THEORY
The germ theory of disease states that microorganisms cause some diseases. These small
organisms, too small to see without magnification, invade living hosts (plants & animals).
Their growth, reproduction & waste within the host can cause reduced vigor & death
(disease). “Germ” may refer to a virus, bacterium, protist, fungus or prion. Wikipedia
CELL THEORY
The majority of living organisms are made of cells: plant and animal. The exceptions
include prions, folded cellular material having no nuclear material.
DNA
DNA
Life’s Genetic Structure
How do these examples compare with aerated compost tea, biodynamic gardening and The
Farmers’ Almanac?
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A GARDENER’S BOTANY: PPT Outline & Notes
Irene C. Burke
Fluvanna Master Gardener
2014
TAXONOMY
Classify in a Hierarchy
Science is organized and systematic. A botanical taxonomy initially created by Carolus
Linneaus is an example.
You can create a taxonomy of anything: hair dos, ceiling tiles, lawn mowers and of course
plants and animals. A taxonomy simplifies talk about the subject so that everyone can agree
on a name and naming is what humans do. It gives an illusion of control over the thing
named. Taxonomies have their rules. Note the italicized terms, with only the smallest
component beginning in the lower case. That’s the way with diminutive things. We know
the popular name for Homo sapiens - man, but does anyone know the popular English name
for Solanum lycospericum? In Hungarian it’s paradicsom and in Russian it’s pomidor.
Descriptive Classification
Hardy or tender
Evergreen, semi-evergreen or deciduous
Edible, ornamental or both
Descriptive classification has limited usefulness, for there are always valid exceptions.
Descriptive classification, however, can be important when asking questions in layman
terms, mindful of scientific classification and underlying commonalities or differentiation.
Examples: Are you interested in an evergreen plant or not? Do you want annual or
perennial?
Scientific Classification
Kingdom
Division
Class
Subclass
Order
Family
Genus
Species
Variety
Cultivar
From general to specific with increasing precision. The two major classes distinguish seeds
protected by cones from seeds encased in fruit. Those protected by fruit are further
subdivided into monocots (flower once and die e.g. hens and chicks) and dicots (flower and
persist e.g. oak tree). Family, genus, species, variety & cultivar become very important to
gardeners when making landscaping decisions and planting preparation.
TAXONOMY
Biological Classification
Taxonomies have their rules. Note the italicized terms, with only the smallest component
beginning in the lower case. We know the popular name for Homo sapiens - man, but does
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A GARDENER’S BOTANY: PPT Outline & Notes
Irene C. Burke
Fluvanna Master Gardener
2014
anyone know the popular English name for Solanum lycospericum? In Hungarian it’s
paradicsom and in Russian it’s pomidor.
Solanum lycospersicum
Remember tomatoes are our number one celebrity vegetable. Everyone wants to succeed
with growing them. There’s a variety for just about any growing condition and any kind
modification you can make.
Applied Taxonomy
AVOID MONOCULTURE!
“It runs in families.”
Stress
Growing conditions
Disease
Pest preference
Disease: Family Solanaceae tomato, potato, eggplant, pepper, tobacco, nightshade – crop
rotation to avoid overwhelming the plant
Pest preference: Family Rosaceae – apples, pears, quinces, plum, peaches, cherries, apricots,
almonds, all roses, contoneaster – aphids, eriophyid miteswhich spread Rose rosette virus
Growing conditions: Family Cucurbitaceae – melon, squash, cucumber, pumpkin, zucchini,
gourds – vines, tendril, frost sensitive, need pollinators, > 6 hours sun/day
Vascular Plant Parts: overview
Non-vascular Plant Parts: overview
Mosses, liverworts
Vascular vs. Non-vascular
Vascular
Water & minerals move up & down
through xylem
Sugars move down through phloem
Structured for height & drought
Roots, stems, leaves & flowers
Non-vascular
Water moves by osmosis
Minerals & sugars move by diffusion
Small, short, close to the ground & water
No roots, stems, leaves or flowers
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A GARDENER’S BOTANY: PPT Outline & Notes
Irene C. Burke
Fluvanna Master Gardener
2014
Vascular vs. Non-vascular
Vascular
ferns
horsetail
conifers
flowering plants
Non-vascular
green algae
mosses
liverworts
hornworts
Vascular & Non-vascular plants indicate:
Soil depth
Soil Ph
Moisture
Light
Temperature
Gardeners usually want to know how to get rid of mosses and their kin. All these
features imply strong growing conditions for non-vascular plants. Change the
growing conditions to rid or encourage growth. Most people want to “spray
something” to kill the plant. Changing or working with the growing conditions
results in elimination or acceptance of the offending non-vascular plant.
Vascular plant
Transport, Storage & Support
Transport Direction
Xylem: transport minerals & water; support.
Phloem: transport sugars/carbs
Transport, Storage, Support
Pith water, minerals, nutrients
Xylem  water, minerals & support
Phloem  proteins, sugars & lipids
Why is directional flow important? Flow influences the efficient and effective
application of water and nutrients. Application at a leaf surface has a limited effect
which is why foliar feeding is inefficient for gardeners, diagnostic for growers and
occasionally useful for large scale turf managers but not for home gardeners.
Vascular plant
How does water get to the top?
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A GARDENER’S BOTANY: PPT Outline & Notes
Irene C. Burke
Fluvanna Master Gardener
2014
Water rises but not by suction.
Plants exhale. Water rises.
Particles stick together.
As water evaporates from the leaves, it effectively pulls up a little bit an entire chain
of water leading from the roots to the leaves, as other water molecules move into
the place of the recently evaporated ones. More carefully, the difference in
concentration between the saturated water vapor just at the surface of the leaf and
the less saturated water vapor in the atmosphere beyond the leaf creates a
difference in chemical potential that could provide the energy to lift a water molecule
through the height of a tree. Given this, calculate the height h of the largest possible
tree and determine whether trees are limited in height by this mechanism of water
transport. http://www.phy.duke.edu/~hsg/physics-challenges/challenges.html
TRANSPIRATION-COHESION-ADHESION THEORY: a). water exits leaf through
stomata. b). this water loss is replaced by evaporation from mesophyll cells,
lowering their water potential, causing them to take water from neighboring cells.
c). the process connects back to the tracheids causing water to be taken from the
xylem. d).Water travels from the tracheids to the air following a water potential
gradient. e). Waters cohesive and adhesive properties and the small diameter of
xylem aid in its movement of up the tube. f). This pull decreases water pressure in
the xylem causing the roots to take water from the soil.
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080326071018AAX4TPg
Water rises in vascular plants.
So what?
Limit wasteful overhead watering.
Irrigate the soil, the roots.
Mulch to maintain soil moisture.
Notice location features – aspect.
Plant parts & functions
STEMS
MODIFIED STEMS
A
bove ground
Rhizome
Spur
Bulb
Crown
Corm
Stolon
Tuber
Below ground
Tuberous stem
Stems: important for propagation to the gardener, the grower & the retailer.
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A GARDENER’S BOTANY: PPT Outline & Notes
Irene C. Burke
Fluvanna Master Gardener
2014
STEM TYPES
STEM TEXTURES
STEM LIFE CYCLES
CLASS
PERENNIAL
ANNUAL
BIENNIALS
CYCLE LENGTH
SEVERAL YEARS
ONE SEASON
TWO-SEASON
STEM LIFE CYCLES
LEAVES
THE LEAF
A Plant part
Thin
Flattened
Above ground
Photosynthesis site
THE LEAF
LEAF STOMA “mouth”
SOLAR ENERGY CHAIN: graphic examples
BUDS
Leaf buds develop into leaves; flower buds, into flowers then possibly fruit.
ROOTS
absorb nutrients & moisture
anchor the plant
provide stem support
store plant nutrients
ROOT cuttings make new plants
Raspberry
Blackberry
Rose
Trumpet vine
Phlox
Crabapple
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A GARDENER’S BOTANY: PPT Outline & Notes
Irene C. Burke
Fluvanna Master Gardener
2014
Fig
Lilac
Sumac.
Peony
ROOTS: graphic/diagram
TAPROOTS: graphic/diagram
FIBROUS ROOTS: graphic/diagram
ROOT STRUCTURE: graphic/diagram
THE MATURE FLOWER: graphic/diagram
PERFECT COMPLETE FLOWER: graphic/diagram
Incomplete means one of these parts is missing.
Dioecious – separate plants for M & F flowers
Male Juniperus virginiana
Female Juniperus virginiana
Monoecious – same plant for M & F flowers
Flower arrangements
SOLITARY
CLUSTER (Inflorescence)
An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is
composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangements.….Inflorescences are
described by many different characteristics including how the flowers are arranged
on the peduncle, the blooming order of the flowers and how different clusters of
flowers are grouped within it. These terms are general representations as plants in
nature can have a combination of types…. There is no general consensus in defining
the different inflorescences. Wikipedia
INFLORESCENCE TYPES: graphic/diagram
FRUIT: graphic/diagram
FRUIT: graphic/diagram
Fruit: simple & aggregate: graphic/diagram
Fruit: multiple & accessory: graphic/diagram
CORN SEED -- MONOCOT: graphic/diagram
SEED: graphic/diagram
SEEDLING: graphic/diagram
BEAN SEED -- DICOT: graphic/diagram
SEED: graphic/diagram
SEEDLING: graphic/diagram
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A GARDENER’S BOTANY: PPT Outline & Notes
Irene C. Burke
Fluvanna Master Gardener
2014
Where in the world is Photosynthesis? graphic
Air and water are also found within the soil and also contain: Nitrogen, Phosphorus,
Potassium, Calcium, Magnesium, Sulfur, Iron, Copper, Manganese, Zinc, Boron,
chlorine, & Molybdenum.
PHOTOSYNTHESIS: graphic/diagram
RESPIRATION – night & day: graphic/diagram
Opposites Get Along
PHOTOSYNTHESIS
Produces sugars from light energy
Stores energy
Occurs only in cells with chloroplasts
Releases oxygen
Uses water
Uses carbon dioxide
Requires light
RESPIRATION
Burns sugars for energy
Releases energy
Occurs in most cells
Uses oxygen
Produces water
Produces carbon dioxide
Occurs in dark and light
TRANSPIRATION – water
As water evaporates from the leaves, it effectively pulls up a little bit an entire chain
of water leading from the roots to the leaves, as other water molecules move into
the place of the recently evaporated ones. More carefully, the difference in
concentration between the saturated water vapor just at the surface of the leaf and
the less saturated water vapor in the atmosphere beyond the leaf creates a
difference in chemical potential that could provide the energy to lift a water
molecule through the height of a tree. http://www.phy.duke.edu/~hsg/physicschallenges/challenges.html
TRANSPIRATION-COHESION-ADHESION THEORY: a). water exits leaf through
stomata. b). this water loss is replaced by evaporation from mesophyll cells,
lowering their water potential, causing them to take water from neighboring cells.
c). the process connects back to the tracheids causing water to be taken from the
xylem. d).Water travels from the tracheids to the air following a water potential
gradient. e). Waters cohesive and adhesive properties and the small diameter of
xylem aid in its movement of up the tube. f). This pull decreases water pressure in
the xylem causing the roots to take water from the soil.
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080326071018AAX4TPg
ABSORPTION: photo
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A GARDENER’S BOTANY: PPT Outline & Notes
Irene C. Burke
Fluvanna Master Gardener
2014
TRANSLOCATION: graphic/diagram
Xylem: transport minerals & water; support.
Phloem: transport sugars/carbs
LIGHT QUANTITY
Distance from light source
Seasonal intensity
Affects photosynthesis
LIGHT QUALITY
Wavelength color
Blue = leaf growth
Red + Blue = flowering
LIGHT DURATION EFFECT
Uninterrupted darkness
Flower Power
Artificially manipulated with row covers or additional light sources.
Light Pruning: 2 slides
Pyramid shape best for dwarf fruit trees
TEMPERATURE
Extremes
Delay
Duration changes*
Photosynthesis
Flowering
Fruit set
Ripening
Germination
Hardiness
WATER WORKS
Photosynthesis
Tissue firmness (turgor)
Turgor moves root through soil
Minerals solvent
Transport > minerals & sugars
Relative Humidity
Amount of water vapor in the air/amount water vapor the air can hold
The higher the temperature the more water the air can hold.
The higher the atmospheric pressure the more water the air can hold.
Water: Adapt or Die
Many plants adapt over time to less than ideal conditions from bald cypress to
barrel cactus.
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A GARDENER’S BOTANY: PPT Outline & Notes
Irene C. Burke
Fluvanna Master Gardener
2014
Water borne pathogens
Harmful microbes: fungi, bacteria, viruses
Pests: worms, insects
Invasives: plants seeds, roots
Phytophthora (root rot), Pythium, Botrytis, Fusarium
Fungus Gnats, Nematodes
Plant growth > Which way?
TROPISM: a moving experience
Movement
Photo
Geo
Thigmo
Direction
SUN > toward
POSITIVE > “down”
NEGATIVE > “up”
POSITIVE > toward
NEGATIVE > away
PHOTOTROPISM - light
GEOTROPISM - gravity
THIGMOTROPISM – touch
16 Plant Nutrient Needs: 3 Sources
Air & water
Carbon
Hydrogen
Oxygen
Soil
Nitrogen (N)
Phosphorus (P)
Potassium (K)
Calcium
Magnesium & 7 more
Air and water are also found within the soil and also contain: Nitrogen, Phosphorus,
Potassium, Calcium, Magnesium, Sulfur, Iron, Copper, Manganese, Zinc, Boron,
Chlorine, & Molybdenum.
Nutrients are not plant food.
Foliar “Feeding”
Barriers
Timing
Temperature
Transport
Stress vs. Balance
heat, pH, light, water
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A GARDENER’S BOTANY: PPT Outline & Notes
Irene C. Burke
Fluvanna Master Gardener
2014
Plants
Feed
Breathe
Grow
Reproduce
Compete
Age
Die
Decompose
PLANTS – BEFORE US
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