Seedling Success Quiz Quiz

Discover essential facts about nursery plant care to help young plants thrive, from watering best practices to recognizing healthy seedlings. Improve your horticultural knowledge with these beginner-friendly questions.

1. Optimal Watering Frequency

   When caring for new seedlings in a nursery, which watering approach is usually best to encourage strong root growth?

   1. Keep soil constantly soaked
   2. Spray leaves every hour
   3. Water deeply but less often
   4. Water only when leaves wilt

   Explanation: Watering deeply but less often ensures roots grow down to find moisture and become established. Spraying leaves every hour does not reach the roots, and constantly soaked soil can cause rot. Waiting until leaves wilt means the plant is already stressed.

2. Best Soil Type

   For most nursery plants, what type of soil mix promotes healthy seedling growth?

   1. Heavy clay
   2. Very compacted
   3. Pure sand
   4. Well-draining and loose

   Explanation: A well-draining and loose soil mix offers air and moisture balance, crucial for young roots. Heavy clay holds excess water, pure sand may drain too quickly, and compacted soil limits root development.

3. Ideal Light Exposure

   Which light condition is generally recommended for most seedlings just after germination?

   1. Direct intense midday sun
   2. Full shade all day
   3. No light for a week
   4. Bright, indirect sunlight

   Explanation: Bright, indirect sunlight supports healthy photosynthesis without burning delicate seedlings. Full shade may stunt growth, direct intense sun can scorch tender plants, and no light halts development.

4. Recognizing Healthy Seedlings

   Which sign typically indicates that a seedling is healthy in a nursery setting?

   1. Spindly, pale growth
   2. Firm, green stems and leaves
   3. Yellow, drooping leaves
   4. Blackened stem base

   Explanation: Firm, green stems and leaves show that a seedling is receiving proper care. Yellow or drooping leaves suggest distress, pale or spindly growth often signals light deficiency, and blackened stems may indicate disease.

5. Transplant Timing

   When is it usually safest to transplant seedlings from trays to pots or beds in a nursery?

   1. Just as seeds crack open
   2. After they develop two or more true leaves
   3. As soon as the soil is dry
   4. When roots are barely visible

   Explanation: Transplanting after two or more true leaves have formed ensures seedlings are sturdy enough to tolerate handling. Seeds that have just cracked or seedlings with barely visible roots are too fragile, and dry soil timing is unrelated to seedling readiness.