Spring test: What do you know about gardening?

By Kathy Hatfield
Gardening Columnist

Back to Gardening Articles List

Get ready for the season and test your gardening IQ! Answers are explained on the answers page.

1. To an experienced gardener, the letters NPK stand for
   1. Native Plant Kingdom.
   2. Natural Pacific Kelp.
   3. Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Potassium.
   4. none of the above.
2. The term "deadhead" refers to
   1. the removal of spent blossoms on a flowering plant.
   2. a gardener who listens to the Grateful Dead.
   3. a gardener who has poor luck growing plants.
   4. all of the above.
3. The C/N ratio is
   1. the ratio of calcium to nitrite.
   2. a measure of the number of nematodes in a cubic yard of soil.
   3. an abbreviation for carbon/nitrogen ratio.
4. A cover crop is one that
   1. improves the soil on which it is grown.
   2. protects the ground for a succeeding cash crop.
   3. may be a cash crop, such as alfalfa or clover.
   4. all of the above.

5. Thatch is
   1. a special type of grass grown and used in making thatched roofs.
   2. a layer of organic matter between the soil and the base of the plant.
   3. a disease on plants caused by a fungus.
   4. all of the above.
6. Companion planting is
   1. gardening with a friend.
   2. combining plants in the garden so that they are beneficial to each other.
   3. planting vining plants next to tall, upright, supportive plants.
7. Topdressing is
   1. a method of covering plants to protect them from frost.
   2. adding layers of clothing so that a determined gardener can work on a cool day.
   3. spreading a thin layer of soil or manure on the garden.
8. The abbreviation "pH" is
   1. a measure of the acidity or alkalinity of a solution or of soil.
   2. a measure of which nutrients are available to plants.
   3. measured on a scale from 1 to 14.
   4. all of the above.
9. Damping off is
   1. a method of slowly adapting plants to drier conditions.
   2. a disease of seeds and seedlings caused by fungus.
   3. a high-tech misting system for growing seedlings.
10. Green manure refers to
    1. a cover crop used to improve soil texture or fertility.
    2. manure that is fresh and too hot to put on the garden.
    3. manure that has been just recently put on the garden.
    4. all of the above.