MODULE 3

ORNAMENTALS
Ornamental plants are grown to improve the beauty of the surroundings. There are three main
types of ornamental plants based on where they are grown or the purpose for which they are
grown.

CLASSIFICATION OF ORNAMENTALS

CLASS DESCRIPTION EXAMPLES

Potting / pot plants Plants raised in Cacti, Daffodils, Monstera,
pots/containers during all Elephant ear
stages of development can be
used as house or outdoor
plants
Bedding plants These are plants which are Impatience, Petunias,
grown in flower gardens and Marigolds, Verbana
produce colorful flowers or
leaves.
Flower cutting plants Plants grown for production Carnations, Proteas, Roses,
of cut flowers. Dahlia

PROPER USE OF POTS

 Choose the right kind of container for the task at hand

 Regardless of the material used to make a pot, pots should have sufficient drainage holes;
10mm in diameter and about 120mm apart. Effective drainage is vital to potted plants.
 Soak empty pots periodically for at least 12 hours to kill pathogens
 Newly purchased pots can also be soaked
 Soil in large pots should be allowed to be nearly powdery dry before re-watering.
 To avoid blockage of drainage holes, fill up to ¼ of their depth with clean stones.
 When filling the pods with propagating medium, leave a space of about 5cm from the top for
irrigation water.
 Thumb the soil around the plants to remove air pockets.

SEEDBEDS

They should be;

 1m to 1.2m wide and any convenient length

 Raised or sunken in accordance to plant requirements and weather conditions
 Made of fine tilth and is firm to facilitate root growth

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  Well aerated and drained to provide ample conditions for germination.
 Properly shaded and sheltered.

NB: When choosing a site for seedbed consider points such as; source of water, type of soil,
protection from wind and security.

SEED BOXES

They should be washed, soaked and disinfect the seed boxes before use.

Importance of CLEANLINESS OF EQUIPMENT AND MATERIALS

Clean containers or pots before putting in a new plant. Remove old soil and disinfect to kill any
pests and disease causing micro organisms.
Clean tools and dip them in disinfectant after use and before use on new plants to avoid
spreading diseases.
Clean work area, remove old plants materials, weeds and soil as they attract pests and diseases.
Prune infected parts and burn them, this avoids spread of diseases and pests.
Use sterilized soil to kill all harmful living organisms.

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PROPAGATION OF A BEDDING PLANT (E.G. PETUNIAS)

STANDARD SOIL MIXES

There are two types of soil mixes
1. Peat based mix (compost): (used for seed tray)
 Peat moss
 Vermiculite or perlite
 Some amount of superphosphate and ground limestone.

2. Loam based soil mix : (used for second tray when pricking out)
 Loam soil which forms the basis of the mix
 Well rotted cow or horse manure to add nutrients and increase water retentive capacity of
the mixture
 Leaf mould to make the mix porous and reduce temperature during decomposition of
animal manure
 River sand, perlite or vermiculite is used to improve drainage
 Super phosphate, lime, charcoal or bone meal I sometimes added

E.g. soil vermiculite mix

1 part loam soil: 2 parts vermiculite

OR
Soil – peat-sand mix
2 parts loam soil: 1 part shredded peat moss: 2 parts perlite/ sand
3. For final flower bud: incorporate 2kg/m2 of compost into the seedbed (preferably loam soil) and
basal dress with a phosphate fertilizer.
4. Time of planting
If the seed are sown in August- September (mid to late spring), they will be ready for
transplanting into the final flower bed around November that is, during the rainy season.

Time of planting
Seeds are sown in seed trays in August- September (mid to late spring).
SOWING

Seeds are scattered thinly in the seed tray, if the seed are too small just press them in to the soil
(impatience, verbena, petunias). If seeds are large they must be lightly covered with a layer of soil
mixture about 1cm deep (marigold). After sowing the seeds, the tray is covered with glass or clear
plastic. There is no need to water as the glass cover will prevent evaporation. Glass is removed after
emergence.

PRICKING OUT

It is the transfer of seedling which have developed two true leaves to a larger tray to improve spacing
and provide them with more nutritious soil mixture.

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Importance of pricking out

 Allow seedling enough space to grow and develop.

 Results in strong, healthy and vigorous growing seedlings.

Procedure

1. Fill new tray with loam based compost, and press it firmly to remove air pockets
2. Make small holes in the soil into which seedlings will be placed
3. Remove a seedling from the seed tray using a dibber (a small stick used to lift seedlings).
4. Handle each seedling by its leaves, to avoid damaging the xylem and phloem.
5. Repeat the procedure placing one seedling per cell (in a celled tray) or spacing at 5cm x 5cm in plain
trays.
6. Thumb the soil and water gently after planting
7. Water and place in a warm place shaded from direct sunlight
HARDENING-OFF
Definition: gradual process of changing the environment of plants to enable them to adjust to their final
position and surrounding.

This is the process of gradually acclimatizing seedlings to harsher conditions to be faced in the open
garden/final bed.

Importance: ensures that seedlings are hardy and able to withstand transplanting shock.

Procedure

Start the process 10-14 days before expected date of transplanting date. Gradually expose seedlings to
less favorable conditions e.g. direct sunlight, reduce amount and frequency of watering.

Seedlings will be ready for transplanting around November (spring).

TRANSPLANTING

It is the process of transferring seedlings to their permanent place of growth. With bedding plant they
are transferred when they are 15cm tall approximately 3 months old. It is done around November
(spring).Transplanting is done after hardening-off.

Importance: ensures that transplants have ample space; provided with essential conditions for growth
and development for optimum production.

Procedure

i. It is best done in the afternoon or a cloudy day so that plants are given some hours to adjust
before being exposed to direct sunlight.
ii. Prepare the flower bed by adding compost (2kg/m2) and watering it well in advance.

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 iii. Use hand trowel to make holes in the flower bed at a depth of 10-15 cm and spacing of 15 by
15cm.
iv. Remove plants from their trays, with soil around their roots.
v. Seedlings should not be buried deeper than they were in their original trays, but should be the
same depth.
vi. Firm the soil around the seedlings to remove air pockets.
vii. Water all plants well.

FERTILIZER APPLICATION

1. The first fertilizer application, basal dressing, should be done while preparing the flowerbed, apply 2-5
kg/m2 of compost and 80g/m2- 100g/m2 of superphosphate.

2. About one month after transplanting, top dress with 50kg/m2 of NPK 2:3:2 (22). The fertilizer should
be worked well in the soil.

IRRIGATION

Method

Watering can be done using a watering can fitted with a rose; a hose pipe with a spray nozzle or a
sprinkler.

Timing

 Irrigate trays lightly every morning, wetting the whole plant in the process; this helps to keep
the plant clean.
 It is best to water in the early morning (before 10 am) or late in the afternoon but not at night
because if watered at night the water tends to stay on the leaves all night long resulting in
fungal infections.

Frequency

 In the flower bed – in hot weather plants in direct sun must be irrigated daily but if the weather
is cool or plants are under shade water every 4-5 days should be enough.

Pruning

It is the judicial removal of plant parts.

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Topiary is the art of shaping plants.
Reasons for pruning /topiary
 To control size of plants
 To give definite shape or form
 To improve the performance or productivity of ornamentals,
 To remove weak, old, diseased and unproductive parts
 To control pests and diseases
 To allow more light and facilitate air circulation around the plant

Guidelines for pruning

 Cut clearly to avoid damaging the cambium otherwise it would disturb the healing and
development of new shoots.
 Cut just above a healthy bud or node because cambium and other growth cells are more
concentrated around these areas and these areas and the energy of the plants would be
diverted to the bud.
 Growth response after pruning is strongest in the terminal and uppermost buds.
 The cut should be made facing the direction the shoot is expected to grow.
 Unwanted shoots or branches should be removed at the base or at the junction.
 Apply wax/grafting seal or sealing compound after pruning to seal the wound to prevent
infection.

Tools /equipment used

 Pruning shear
 Pruning knife
 Secateurs

Preparation for Market

Before selling these seedlings the nursery man must ensure the following;

 Clean; wetting the plant during irrigation keeps them clean, soil around the plant should also
be tidy i.e. remove debris from the surface.
 Pests and disease free
 Beginning to flower to attract the buyer.
 Hardened –off to ensure will not die when the buyer transplants them
 Labell the container to indicate the name of the plant.
 Price tags should be clearly visible on the container.

Common disease
Stem root- caused by fungus
Symptoms
 Stems turn brown and die

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  Death or rooting normally begins at the tip where stem has been broken/ cut or damaged and
spreads downwards until whole stem or plant is affected.

Control/ Prevention

 Remove infected plants cutting the away with a clean tool.

 Always use clean, sharp cutting tools especially when pruning.
 Spray plant with fungicide (dithane or karathane) after planting
 Avoid over watering

Common Pest
Red spider mite
Damaged caused
 Suck sap from plants
 Plant wilt
 Leaves turn brown and die
 Fine white spider webs can be seen on the leaves

Control and prevention

 Spray systemic pesticide (dimethoate)

 Regular misting of the leaves will also prevent the pest as it thrives on dry environments.
 Mites dislike humid conditions and frequent irrigation help to prevent serious infestations.

Preparation and Marketing of Petunia

1. Clean the container and the leaves.

2. The plant should be hardened off to reduce flowered mortalities.
3. Remove dead, old or diseased branches.
4. The plant should be at onset of flowering.
5. It should be well watered to prevent wilting.
6. The container should be labeled to indicate the name of the plant.
7. Price tags should be clearly visible.

Lawn Management

Lawn is an area of land covered with uniformly cut turf grass.

Importance of lawn

 Increase the beauty and attractiveness of a landscape

 Turf grass cleans air of toxic substances
 Prevents soil erosion as lawns and give stability to soil
 Reduces dust , mud and glare in a landscape
 Provides suitable ground for recreation activities
 Provides an attractive foreground plantings and flowers in the landscape

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Propagation of Lawns

A. Land Preparation

Method

i. Clear the area by removing stones, weeds, tree stumps roots etc
ii. Level the area
iii. Dig the soil about 20 - 30cm deep with a spade
iv. Break big lumps
v. Firm down soil removing air pockets
vi. Apply basal dressing and incorporate into the soil
vii. Water the soil
viii. Leave fallow for 6 weeks to allow weeds to grow
ix. Cultivate again with a digging fork to kill any weeds that have reground
B. Fertilizer application

Basal dressing

This is done during land preparation by broadcasting 3-5kg/m2 of poultry manure form layers. The
manure is best because it has no weed seeds. Also superphosphate at the rate of 150g/m 2 should be
supplied at the same time by broadcasting

Top dressing

This is done every six months in spring and autumn. Urea, LAN or 3:2:1 (28) can be applied at the rate of
150g/m2. These fertilizes are broadcast into the grasses then thorough irrigation is done to dissolve it.

c. Planting/ sowing lawns

Time of planting is late spring or early summer, never in winter.

Planting Materials

Lawn plants can be propagated sexually (from seeds) or asexually (from stolons or rhizomes). Suitable
plant species include;

 Kikuyu grass
 Buffalo grass
 Couch grass
 L.M. grass
 Bahia grass

Sexual propagation

i. Fill a large “celled” tray with loam based compost (1:1 ratio) and press soil firmly into the
cells.

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 ii. Broadcast the seeds slightly and evenly over the soil in the tray. It is often helpful to mix the
seeds with an equal quantity of sand first because they are small and difficult to distribute.
iii. Press the seeds into the soil but do not cover them as they are too small to be buried
deeply.
iv. Irrigate the tray with a fine spray of water.
v. Place the tray in a well protected, warm place in the nursery.
vi. Continue watering daily ensuring that the soil never dries out.
vii. When seedlings are about 10 cm long (about 3 to 4 weeks after sowing) they can be
hardened off then transplanted to their final site.
viii. Space seedlings 15 to 20 cm apart from each other in the well prepared plot.

Asexual Propagation

Done using rhizomes , stolons and sodding:

Stolons: these are horizontally growing stems above the ground on the surface that produce nodes
from which new plants grow.

Rhizomes are horizontally growing stems below the ground that produce nodes from which new plants
grow.

Method

i. Cut some rhizomes or stolons from an old established lawn. Cutting should be at least 15 cm
long with 3 to 4 notes each.
ii. Lay the cuttings in rows in the new plot; spacing at 30cm by 30cm apart cuttings should be
fresh.
iii. Cover the cuttings with a layer of soil 2 to 3 cm deep and compress the whole area firmly by
rolling a big water filled drum over the ground once
iv. Water the area well and regularly.
v. After several weeks the cuttings will have grown and covered the whole area.

Sodding

 A sod is a grass which is mature and ready to be planted.

 An area of turf is established elsewhere. It should be of high quality and weed free.
 Using machines, the turf is cut under and then cut in to strips.
 The strips are rectangular blocks of either 30x30cm or 60x200cm and 2.5 cm thick.
 The blocks are rolled up and transported the area to be established.
 They are laid out in their final location
 The area to be laid with grass must be level and smooth
 They are laid next to each other like brick work
 Firm by tramping down or rolling evenly after they are in place
 Water thoroughly until the grass starts growing.

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Management of lawn

1. Weeding

Prevention
Ensure that the grass is healthy and well maintained, i.e. if the lawn is well cared for, then it will usually
suppress growth of weeds because the grass plant will be stronger than weeds. When preparing the
land for the lawn, leaving it fallow for a time to kill weeds before lawn is planted. Never use kraal
manure on a lawn as it is full of weed seeds.
Control
Mechanical

This involves the use of hands and or weeding tools to physically uproot the weeds.

Chemical method

This involves use of herbicides to kill weeds in a lawn. E.g. MCPA is selective herbicides that kill all broad
leaved weeds. Herbicides such as 2,4-D and 4,5-T (growth regulators) also help in the control of broad-
leaved on lawn.

2. Mowing

This is the cutting of lawn to a certain height in-order to maintain an attractive appearance. A power
driven or manually operated lawn mower is usually used. In summer lawn can be mowed twice per
week when grass grows fastest. In winter grass grows slower and mow once every forth night.

3. Edging

This is the cutting of the sides of lawn to make it look tidy. It is important to control growth of stolons
and or rhizomes that will spread to areas where they are not wanted.

Edging shares and lawn edger are used. Edging

4. Spiking

This is the practice of making tiny holes in a lawn surface at certain intervals. It is done to;

 lessen soil compaction

 improve water infiltration
 Improve soil aeration
 Stimulate root and shoot growth

Spiking should be done as soon as lawn shows some signs of compaction. A wheeled aerator is used for
spiking.

5. Scarification (dethatching)

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This is the removal of thatch from lawns to improve water infiltration, soil aeration, to facilitate
fertilization and control pest and diseases. Besides it promotes health and rigorous growth of turf.

A metal rake is used. This should be done every spring or once in a year.

6. Irrigation

Give deep watering of 25 to 40 mm of water per week. Best time of watering is early in the morning. Use
hose end sprinklers for watering. In summer irrigate once or twice per week if there is no rain. In winter
irrigate once per month.

Common Pest

Termites are the common pest in lawns.

Damage caused

They cut and eat the stems, roots and leaves.

Control/ prevention

Since termites tend to attack dry grass, they are best prevented by keeping the lawn well watered and
removing all thatch (scarification). Stomach pesticides may be applied to affected areas e.g. termiban.

Diseases

Common diseases; Brown Patch

Prevention/control

Common disease; Brown Patch

Cause: fungus

Symptoms

Brown dried up, dead patches

Prevention and control

 Scarify the lawn to remove thatch and improve aeration.

 Spiking lawn regularly also improves aeration, which inhibits fungal growth.
 Spray fungicides (karathane or diathane) on a patch to prevent further spread.

LANDSCAPING
Landscaping means enhancing the appearance and usefulness of outdoor space by altering land shape
and decorative planting of trees, shrubs, flowers and lawns.

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What is landscape design?

Types of landscapes

 Formal landscape
 Garden
 Playground
 Waterfront
 Park
 Cemetery
 Rockery
 Civil space

Formal landscape

 Landscape elements are laid out in geometrically balanced style such that there is a central axis .
 Everything on one side is reflected on the other. E.g a red flowering rose on the right is balanced
by the same red flowering rose on the left.
 To emphasis a geometric design geometrical plants are used, in particular cone-shaped trees.
 Other plants must be pruned into geometric shape.
 Formal landscape is restricted to the grand entrance, central walk and its immediate vicinity.

Materials used in landscaping

materials Uses in landscaping

Bricks and blocks Used for hard paving of pathways, drive ways, patios, parking lots,
construction of fence walls etc.
Gravel and pebbles Used for soft paving of path ways, drive ways, car parking lots and
outdoor rooms. Bebbles used as attractive inclusions in pools and as
mulch in potted plants.
concrete Surfacing material for walkways, driveways, patios. Construction of
steps, retaining walls, fence walls and fencing posts
wood Provide wooden slabs for paving pathways and patio floors,
transformed into sculptures to set in landscape. Construction of
fences, decks, benches and tables, retaining walls and trellises.
Rocks and stones Paving material for pathways and patio floors. Construction of rockery,
fence walls etc.
plants Shrubs, trees and flowers used for decoration

Uses of plants in landscaping

 Climate Control Uses of Plants

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 For climate control, deciduous shade trees might be used to screen the hot summer sun
or in winter permit the solar radiation to penetrate to the ground, or to the walls and
windows of a building. Large shrubs can serve as windbreaks to reduce wind velocities.
Changes in solar radiation or light levels are also possible with shading.

 Aesthetic Uses of Plants

The aesthetic functions of plants are the easiest to understand. Plants traditionally have
been used for beautification; unfortunately, most people think this is the only reason to
landscape with plants.
Aesthetically, plants can become a piece of living sculpture. When placed against a plain
wall or fence, they create an interesting shadow pattern of branches and leaves. Plants
can be used as background for other plantings, or arranged to provide visual coherence
to unrelated objects or structures.

 Planting for habitat for wildlife; they provide suitable environments for birds, lizards,
insects and other wildlife.
 Plants can remove and trap pollutants from the air as well as introduce fragrance or
odors from flowers or foliage, such as the spicy scented leaves of the bayberry.
 Planting for control of traffic and areas dividing; alignment of planting in the landscape
can help to direct traffic in the landscape. Trees and shrubs can be used to divide the
landscape into separate areas requesting different treatments and for different
purposes.

Effects of landscape design on the environment

 Creates beautiful and attractive environment

 Increased the usefulness of the landscape area
 Increased use for recreation
 Increased habitat for wildlife
 Increased protection from soil erosion and floodwaters
 Replacement of indigenous with exotic plant species

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