PlantsGrowing Environment

Landscape Plant Needs

Appropriate TemperatureHardiness Zones

Appropriate Amount of lightFull Sun – Full Shade

Appropriate Amount of waterDrought tolerant to water plants

Hardiness Zones

A geographically-defined area in which a specific category of plant life is capable of growing, based on it's ability to withstand the minimum temperatures of the zone.

How cold it gets in winter

US Hardiness Zones

Hardiness Zones

Virginia

USDA ZONE 7a

Zones are designated by lowest expected temperatures during winter

Zone #s are in increments of 10 A & B designation are in increments of 5

So if you buy a flower with a hardiness of 8, will it make it through the winter here?

How about if it is 5?

Thermoperiod

Thermoperiod refers to daily temperature change.

Plants produce maximum growth when exposed to a day temperature that is about 10 to 15°F higher than the night temperature.

Plants photosynthesize (build up) and respire (break down) during an optimum daytime temperature

Slower respiration during a cooler night Greenhouses program temperature for

thermoperiods

Vernalization Requirement of plants to go through a

period of cold before they can flower.

Photoperiod

The relative lengths of alternating periods of darkness and light affecting the growth and maturity of plants esp. flowering and dropping of leaves.

The Light Spectrum

Plants only use radiation energy in the visible spectrum.

Chlorophyll does not absorb in the green spectrum

Why?

Photoperiods

Equinox – Fall & SpringEqual hours of day and nightSpring equinox Mar 21 or 22Fall equinox Sept 21 or 22

Solstice – Winter & SummerWinter – Shortest daySummer – Longest day

Plants Short-day plants- don’t flower in summer

ChrysanthemumsPoinsettiasCoffee

Long-day plants- only flower in summerGrains, Carnations

Day neutral plants – photoperiod doesn’t matter

Exposure

Shade: No or only early morning sun Part shade: site that gets only 2 to 6 hours

of direct sun each day. Part sun: same as part shade but includes

more afternoon sun. Full sun: at least 6 hours of sun per day

including noon.

Sun-loving plants

Sunflowers

Marigolds

Geraniums

Roses

Ornamental Grasses

Shade loving plants

Hostas

Impatiens

Caladiums

Fox glove

Coral Bells

Part-shade

Hydrangea Azalea Lenten Rose Astible Begonias

Practice

Slides Outside Plant ID quiz on Friday

Azalea

Spring Flowering Shrub Part shade

Hydrangea

Spring Flowering Shrub Part shade

Knock-out Rose

Summer flowers Shrub Full Sun

Forsythia

Spring Flowering Shrub Full sun

Winged Euonymus

Fall Foliage Shrub Full sun

Periwinkle

Spring-summer flowers Ground cover Shade – part shade

Ajuga

Spring Flowers Ground Cover Part – full shade

Winter Creeper

No flowers Ground cover Full sun to full shade

Pachysandra

Ground cover Full shade

Liriope

Border Small flowers Part shade

Hosta

Summer flowers Part shade

Coral Bells - Heuchera

Sedum

Fountain Grass

Geranium

Marigold

Impatiens

Begonia

Pansy