Furniture Design Ideas

As described in Chapter 1, green plants require nutrients that they obtain from the soil. A rich loam soil will provide a balanced supply of the elements essential to the growth of most plants. A soil that is pre­dominantly sand or silt will be nutritionally poor. The need by green plants for at least 17 […]

As the parent rock weathers, it forms particles of differing sizes. Based on their diameter, these particles are classified into groups called soil separates. In decreasing order of size, the separates are: 1. Gravel (coarse and fine)—2.0 mm or more in diameter. 2. Sand (very coarse—[2.00-1.00 mm], medium [.50—.25 mm], fine [.25-.10 mm] and very […]

Soils vary in many ways. They vary in color and weight. Some drain eas­ily whereas others stay wet and bog-like. Some are rocky, breaking tools and backs, while others are easy to dig. Even though the original parent stone may be the same or similar, differences in the subsoil and topsoil may result from variations […]

Over time, distinctive layers develop in undisturbed soils. Between the parent layer and the topsoil is the subsoil. Subsoil is finely weathered like the topsoil, but it lacks organic matter in the quantity found in the topsoil layer. The roots of green plants flourish in the topsoil, richest in organic matter and shallowest in depth, […]

Imagine a cross-sectional slice made down into the earth’s crust (Figure 3-1). This is called a soil profile. The mineral content of soil results from the weathering of solid bedrock or other parent material over long periods of time. The solid rock is acted on by an assortment of natural forces including temperature alternations that […]

  У   OBJECTIVES Upon completion of this chapter, you should be able to • state how and why soils differ. • list the components of soil, major soil separates, and the soil textures they create. • list the seventeen elements essential to plant growth and their functions and symptoms of their deficiency in plants. […]

By now, the assimilation of terminology may be weighing heavily on you. Rather than being put off by all of the new words, regard them as a new language, as an expansion of your existing knowledge. Like any new words, they are best learned and understood through repeated use. Obtaining a good plant key and […]

Since keys rely heavily on physical features of plants as the basis for separation, a trained horticulturist must have a working knowledge of the terms used to describe plants. Such terminology is the stuff of which dichotomous keys are made. Leaves A leaf is described in terms of its shape, its margin, the presence or […]

The groupings just listed are especially helpful for narrowing the choices when plants are being selected to serve a function, play a role, or solve a problem. There still remains the need to identify plants specifically; for example, to recognize the difference between red oaks and live oaks or between zinnias and dahlias, or to […]

Though hardiness zone ratings for plants have been studied and adjust­ed for many years in response to the earth’s natural climate changes, only recently has research into the impact of excessive warmth on plant growth been initiated. In the mid-90s, the American Horticultural Society began the development of data that tracked the number of days […]