Unit

4 F ield Preparation
and Cultural
Operations

Introduction
Before taking flower crops in an open field situation,
there are various tasks to be performed for the
sustainability of land and other resources. One of these
actions involves initial land preparation and various
cultural operations, which should be done prior to
sowing or transplanting of the plant material. The main
purpose of land preparation is to provide necessary
soil conditions and enable the plant escape biotic
and abiotic stress. This will enhance the successful
establishment of the crop and ensure quality produce.

Session 1: Selection of Site for Cultivation

of Ornamental Crops

Selection of site
Climate, soil and location are the prime natural
components in choosing a site on which the future of
flowers depends. It is not a simple task but careful site
selection results in the success of flower cultivation.
Climate includes several factors, such as temperature,
rainfall, atmospheric humidity, altitude, wind and
hailstorms, which are mostly encountered. However,
high and low temperatures, as well as, hailstorms

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 are encountered mostly in subtropical plains. Low Notes
temperatures and winds are mostly encountered in hilly
areas. The location of the site determines its distance
from the market, exposure of the Sun, nearness to
the road, availability of irrigation water, topography,
etc. Distance from the market will determine
which particular flowers can be grown and which
marketing facilities are available nearby. The land
with a gentle slope is more suitable for successful and
profitable flower cultivation. Facility of easily available
labour and transportation for economic production of
crop are also essential.

Necessity for selection of site

Knowledge about the effect of climatic conditions and
various types of soil on flower cultivation is important
for successfully growing flowers. Different flower crops
differ widely in their soil and climatic requirements.
Distance from the market will determine which
particular flowers can be grown and which marketing
facilities are available close by. Soil for open flower
cultivation should be fertile and rich in organic matter,
nearness to a soft water source and well-drained.
Soil pH range should also be neutral or near to
neutral. The availability of certain nutrients is
strongly influenced by pH as micro-nutrients, such
as manganese, iron, copper and zinc become less
available in highly alkaline soils. In such soils, the
concentration of sodium salts is above 0.1%.

Optimum conditions for the cultivation

of flower crops
Ornamental flower crops grow at or above 40º C, such
as celosia, amaranth, kochia, gaillardia, gomphrena,
zinnia, torch lily, cosmos, etc. But most of the
commercial crops grow comfortably at a temperature
from 15 to 30º C, such as rose, carnation, gerbera,
gypsophila, statice, marigold, chrysanthemum,
heliconia, bird of paradise, amaryllis and hippeastrum,
and so on. Usually, for flower crop cultivation, sandy
loam soils with ample humus and a pH range of 5.5–
7.5 and roughly EC 1 is preferred. Such soils are easily
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 Notes workable, have more beneficial soil microbial activity,
good soil porosity, and ample water retention capacity,
along with a provision for easy access to drainage.

Importance of soil
Soil is one of the most important natural resources of
any country. It is the prime structure that provides
the necessary environment to support establishment,
growth and development of plants. It provides essential
nutrients and moisture to the plant for growth and
production, holds the root system of growing plants,
and allows their stems to grow against gravity. It
provides favourable environment of heat, air and water
to the growing organism within or over it. Soil serves
as a habitat for many micro and macroorganisms.

Soil and its properties

Soil is the upper loose layer of the earth crust rich
in nutrients and minerals upon which plants
grow and depend for nourishment. The branch of
science concerned with formation, nature, ecology
and classification of soil is known as ‘Soil Science’
or ‘Pedology’.
Soil may be defined as a natural body developed
as a result of pedogenesis (relating to or denoting the
process occuring in soil or leading to the formation
of soil) processes that take place during and after
the weathering of rocks, in which plants and other
forms of life can grow.
Pedologist James Samuel Joffe defined soil as —
“The soil is a natural body of minerals and organic
constituents differentiated into horizons of variable
depth, which differs from the materials below, in
morphology, physical make up, chemical properties,
composition and biological characteristics.”

Properties of soil
Soil can be identified or classified according to various
characteristics exhibited by it. The properties of soil
are helpful in understanding the nature and kind
of the soil. Properties of soil can be categorised as
physical, chemical and biological.
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 Physical properties Notes
Soil colour
Soil surfaces, generally, show black, yellow, red and
gray hues. The colours of the soil are due to the presence
of organic matter minerals and colour of the parent
rock. The colour of the surface soil might differ from
the colour of its lower layers. Soil colour is an indicator
of organic matter content, soil fertility, soil reaction,
drainage, aeration and the ecosystem living beneath it.
Soil texture
It refers to the size of soil particles that make the soil.
Soil, according to the particle size can be classified as
sand, silt, loam and clay. Soil with big size particles
is known as ‘sand’. The diameter of sand particles is
more than 0.2 mm. When the size of soil particles is
0.2– 0.02 mm, it is called ‘silt’. Loam particles are of
0.02 to 0.002 mm. Clay is the finest particle less than
0.002 mm in diameter. Loamy and clayey soils have
good water-holding capacity and are more suitable for
the cultivation of flower crops.
Soil density
Soil consists of various particles. It has certain
percentage of pore space through which air and
water movement takes place. The density of soil is
weight per unit volume and it can be shown in two
ways — bulk density and particle density.
Particle density: It refers to the actual density of
soil solids. It is defined as mass per unit volume of
soil solid only. The average value of particle density
is about 2.65 g/cm3.
Bulk density: It is defined as the mass per unit
volume, which includes the volume occupied by solids,
as well as, pore space. It is, usually, expressed grams
per cubic centimetre (g/cm3).

Porosity
Soil comprises soil particles of different sizes. When
soil particles aggregate, some empty spaces are formed
between them. These inter-particle spaces of soil are
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 Notes pores and carry air and water. The quantity and size
of pores show porosity of the soil. Soil having more or
large pores is called ‘porous soil’. Such soils have good
drainage and aeration. Soil with small but more pores
shows better water-holding capacity. Such soils are
water stagnant and are not good for cultivation.
Bulk density
% Pore space  100   100
Particle density
Soil consistency
The ability of the soil to change the shape or moulding
when wet is known as ‘soil consistency’. It also
ensures pulverising action by implements when dry
or the resistance of soil particles to crushing. Soil
firmness leads to good tilth and has both micro-pores
and macro-pores in more or less equal proportion.
Soil structure
Soil structure refers to the way individual soil particles
are arranged to make up the mass of soil (Fig. 4.1).
Practically, soil structure can be described under the
following heads:
(1) Platy: Horizontally arranged particles are placed
one above the other around a plane
(2) Prism-like or prismatic: Vertically arranged
particles or aggregates around a vertical axis
(3) Columnar: These structures are similar to
prismatic except slightly rounded vertical faces
(4) Spheroidal or franular: Particles arranged around
a point with a curved or an irregular surface

Grumb
Granular Platy
Prismatic

Massive
Columnar Blocky

Fig.4.1: Types of soil structure

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 (5) Block-like or blocky: Particles arranged around a Notes
point with a round or flat surface
Soil temperature
It is regulated by the Sun and it helps in the
decomposition process within the soil. Low, as well as,
high soil temperatures are found harmful for crops.
The crops slow down their growth as the temperature
falls below 9º C and ceases when it reaches 50º C.
Microorganisms of the soil are very active at a range
of 27º C to 32º C. There are various factors which
include the colour of soil, vegetative cover, soil
moisture and slope of the land.
Chemical properties
These properties govern soil fertility. It is related
with the ability of the soil to supply nutrients to
plants. It depends on the chemical composition of
the soil. Chemical properties can be exhibited by
soil pH, buffering capacity, soil colloids and cation
exchange capacity.
Soil pH
pH of soil shows potentiality of H+ ion. It determines
acidic or alkaline reaction of the soil. Hydrogen ion (H+)
concentration shows the acidic nature of soil, while
concentration of hydroxyl (OH-) ion represents alkaline
nature. Slightly acidic soils are more suitable for plant
growth. Maximum plant nutrients are available to the
crops, when the pH ranges from 6.5 to 7.0. The pH
of soil can be measured by soil pH metre, pH scale,
etc. pH scale has a range from 0–14pH. A pH of 7
indicates equal concentration of H+ and OH- ions.
As the value decreases, it indicates higher concentration
of H+ ion. Soils with minimum pH are more acidic.
Similarly, as the pH increases above 7, alkaline
reaction of the soil increases with the concentration
of OH-ion. Such soil is called alkaline soil.
Buffering capacity of soil
The capacity of soil that resists sudden change in the
pH of soil is called buffering capacity of soil. Change in
pH may affect nutritional balance in the soil, as well

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 Notes as, microbial activities. Carbonates, bicarbonates and
phosphates play buffering agents in the soil.
Soil colloids
These may be clay or humus. Various types of
clay found in soil are known as inorganic colloids;
while humus is ‘organic colloid’. The soil colloids
attract positively charged cations because they are
negatively charged (anions). Cations hold the water,
which is present on the surface of the clay particles
until replaced by other cations. Hydrogen ions are
the most powerful replacer of cations, which are
held by colloids. More the presence of clay particles
in the soil, higher is the cation exchange capacity.
Cation exchange capacity
It is the measure of the potential of a soil to hold
nutrient cation, such as potassium (K+), calcium (Ca2+),
magnesium (Mg2+), sodium (Na+) aluminum (Al3+),
iron (Fe2+), manganese (Mn2+), zinc (Zn2+), hydrogen
(H+) and copper (Cu2+) for plant absorption. Cation
Exchange Capacity is a measure of the quantity of
cations that can be absorbed and held by a soil. Highly
fertile soils, containing high organic matter have more
cation exchange capacity. Soil fertility increases with
increase in cation exchange capacity.
Biological properties
The soil is inhabited by various types of small living
organisms and microorganisms. These are crabs,
snails, earthworms, mites, millipedes, centipedes, fungi,
bacteria, actinomycetes, protozoa and nematodes.
These living organisms feed on plant residues. They
make channels and burrow inside the soil, and thus,
increase aeration and enhance the percolation of water
due to their activities. Their excreta in the form of
wastes add to the organic matter of the soil. Bacteria
predominate neutral soils, while fungi are more in acidic
soils. Moist and shady soils favour the growth of algae.

Soils of India
Soils can be classified as black, red, laterites, alluvial,
desert, forest and hilly, peaty and marshy and saline
and alkaline soil.

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 Alluvial soil Notes
This soil is ideal for horticultural production. These
soils are found along rivers. They consist of material
deposited by rivers during flood situation. These are
very productive soils. These greatly differ in colour,
texture, drainage conditions, presence or absence of
sodium salts, etc. These are suitable for the cultivation
of vegetables, flowers and fruits. These soils are found
in all States along the rivers. The Indo-Gangetic
alluvial soils are the best example.

Black soil
Deep black to light black soils ranges from very fertile
to very poor. These are rich in clay (montmorillonite)
particles. These have an alkaline reaction. These are
rich in bases, lime and calcium as cation. The pH of
black soil varies from 7.2 to 8.5. These soils are poor
in nitrogen, phosphate and organic matter but rich
in potash, calcium and magnesium. These soils are
extremely soft when wet, but when dry, they form hard
blocks and develop deep cracks. Black soils range from
heavy clay (ill-drained) to loams (well-drained), very
deep to quite shallow. Black soils are predominant
in Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, western Andhra
Pradesh, southern Tamil Nadu and northern Karnataka.

Desert soil
These soils are sandy in nature and found in low
rainfall areas. These are alkaline soils with high pH
value and are unproductive. These are rich in soluble
salts and poor in nitrogen and organic matter content.
Physical conditions of these soils are unfavourable.
These soils are found in semi-arid areas of Bihar and
parts of Rajasthan.

Forest and hilly soil

These are very shallow soils of higher and lower
elevation on the hills. These are stony and infertile for
the production of crops. These are low in bases and
slightly acidic in reaction.

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 Notes Lateritic soil (laterite)
These soils form in-situ under high rainfall conditions
with alternating wet and dry periods. These are red to
reddish-yellow in colour. Heavy rains cause the leaching
of bases and silica from surface to deep in the soil.
These show acidic character with pH of 5 to 6. These are
poor in nitrogen, phosphorus, potash, magnesium and
lime. These soils are porous and well-drained with poor
water-holding capacity. These are found in eastern
Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh,
Odisha, Assam and Ratnagiri district of Maharashtra.

Peat and marshy land

These soils are highly acidic in nature and black
in colour. Excessive wetness of soil, causing decay
and degradation of dead vegetation, forms a layer of
partially decomposed organic matter. This gives rise to
marshy and peaty soil. These are, generally, found in
parts of Bihar, Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh.

Red soil
Such soils result from weathered material of
metamorphic rocks. These are porous and friable
neutral to acidic in reaction. These soils are poor
in humus, nitrogen, lime and phosphate. These are
found in parts of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, NE Andhra
Pradesh, eastern parts of Madhya Pradesh, Bihar,
West Bengal and Rajasthan.

Acidic and salt affected soil

Acidic soil
Such soils are a result of the parent material. These
develop from the weathering of acidic rock, like granite.
Sometimes agro-climatic factor, like high rainfall, is
responsible for soil acidity. Bases and lime present in
the upper layers of soil leached down deep in the soil
due to high rainfall or heavy irrigation and make it
unavailable. The availability of aluminum increases.
Sometimes the addition of fertilisers, such as ammonium
sulphate and ammonium chloride, is also responsible
for increasing the soil acidity. Microorganisms in the
soil decompose organic matter into organic acids.
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 Soil acidity has a toxic effect on root tissues Notes
and affects the permeability of cations. Soil acidity
lowers calcium and potassium content and affects
the availability of phosphorus, copper and zinc. The
balance between base and acidic constitution of
plant is disturbed, which affects enzymatic changes.
Elements, like aluminum, manganese and iron
become toxic in acidic medium. Beneficial activities
of soil microorganisms are affected.
Saline soil
These are mostly found in arid and dry regions,
where the rate of evaporation is too high. Soluble
salts from the lower layer of soils come up and get
accumulated due to evaporation of soil moisture. In the
catchments, the salts are accumulated by collection
of washing of surrounding slopes. Poor drainage and
high water table also increases salinity. Irrigation by
saline water also causes accumulation of salts in the
upper layer of the soil. In saline soils, the presence of
white incrustation of salts on the surface is commonly
seen. Salinity of soil is due to excess of calcium and
magnesium chlorides, sulphates and carbonates. It
contains enough soluble salts to interfere with the growth
of most crop plants. High evaporation of moisture from
soil and low rainfall are the main causes of soil salinity.
The exchangeable sodium in saline soil is less than
15% and the pH is below 8.5. The name of electrical
conductivity is 4 m mhos/cm, or more at 25º C.
Saline-alkaline soils
Soils show white incrustation of salts on the surface.
Such soils are, generally, infertile and poor in drainage.
These result from saline irrigation water, and over
irrigation for long time, which raises the water table
of the soil. These are rich in sodium content and are
imporous. Deposition of sodium, magnesium and
calcium may be seen on the soil surface. Uttar Pradesh,
Punjab, Rajasthan, Kerala, coastal Odisha and
Sunderban region of West Bengal form large patches
of such soils. These are soils containing soluble salts
in sufficient quantities and exchangeable sodium
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 are more than 15%. The pH of saline-alkaline soil is
8.5 or more. The value of Electrical Conductivity is
more than 4 m mhos/cm at 25º C.

Reclamation Alkaline soil

of soil These are poor in aeration and drainage. The pH of the
• Acid Soil: by adding soil lies between 8.5 and 10. The exchangeable
lime
sodium is more than 15%. The value of Electrical
• Saline Soil: Leaching/
drainage Conductivity is less than 4 m mhos/cm at 25º C. High
• Sodic or alakline soil: sodium content is often toxic for crop growth.
by adding pyrite/
gypsum

Activity 1
Identify different soil structure.

Material required: Different types of soil sample, pen, pencil,

notebook, etc.

Procedure

1. Visit your vicinity for collecting soil samples.

2. List the soil samples with coding.
3. Write down their physical properties.
4. Identify the types of soil structure.

Activity 2
Determine the nature of soil by pH paper method.

Material required: Conical flask, beaker of 100 ml capacity,

distilled water, filter paper, funnel, pH paper, soil sample, etc.

Procedure

1. In a clean conical flask, prepare a solution of given soil

sample in distilled water.
2. Filter this solution through filter paper in a beaker.
3. In the filtrate, dip a strip of pH paper. The paper will
show change in colour.
4. Compare the colour change with the chart provided over
the leaf of pH paper strip packing.
5. Note down the matching reading.
6. Determine the nature by comparing it on pH scale.

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 Check your Progress Notes

Fill in the Blanks

1. The colour of the soil depends on _____________and

______________.
2. Transformation of rocks into agricultural land is called
___________________.
3. The soil can be classified as per the size of soil particles.
This is termed as____________.
4. The inter-particle spaces of soil are known as
_______________.
5. The capacity of the soil to resist sudden change in pH
is called __________ capacity of soil.
6. A soil type ideal for horticultural crop is _____________.
7. Soil acidity can be corrected by the application of
_____________ to the soil.
8. Soil science is also known as _______________.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. Maximum plant nutrients are available, when the pH

ranges from _______________.
(a) 8 to 8.5 (b) 6.5 to 7.00
(c) 7 to 7.5 (d) 6 to 6.4
2. ______________ predominates population of microbes in
acidic soils.
(a) Fungi (b) Algae
(c) Bacteria (d) Protozoa
3. The pH of black soil varies from _______________.
(a) 7.2 to 8.5 (b) 4.2 to 6
(c) 6 to 6.5 (d) 6.2 to 6.8
4. The ability of soil to change the shape or moulding when
it is wet is due to _____________.
(a) soil structure (b) soil texture
(c) buffering (d) soil consistency
5. Desert soils are sandy soils found in __________.
(a) low rainfall
(b) high rainfall
(c) moderate rainfall
(d) None of the above
6. Measuring the quantity of cations that can be absorbed
and held by the soil is known as ________________.
(a) pH
(b) temperature
(c) buffering
(d) cation exchange capacity

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 Notes Subjective Questions

1. Describe the physical properties of soil.

2. Describe acidic soil.
3. What is saline soil? Give the causes of soil salinity.
4. Write the characteristics of the following soils of India:
(a) alluvial soil
(b) laterite soil
(c) black soil
(d) red soils

Match the Columns

A B
1. Horizontally arranged particles (a) 7 pH
2. High organic matter (b) 8.5–10 pH
3. Neutral pH (c) Platy structure
4. Alkaline soil (d) More CEC

Session 2: Tillage and Cultural Operations

Preparation of land is important for the cultivation of
ornamental crops to ensure that the field is ready for
planting. It covers various practices from ploughing to
levelling of fields for cultivation.

Preparation of field (tillage)

Ploughing
For the cultivation of flowers, the field should be
first dug out to a certain depth in order to improve
aeration and drainage, and provide easy space for
growth and development of roots. The digging of field
is done through plough and the operation is known
as ‘ploughing’. Ploughing also uproots weeds and
previous crop residues. The depth of ploughing should
be kept 20–25 cm as superficial ploughing will not
favour plant development, whereas, ploughing too deep
will bury nutrients and make it beyond the reach of
the root zone. Ploughing of the field two to three times
across is recommended for better results.

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 Harrowing Notes
The purpose of harrowing is to break clods after
ploughing and smoothening the soil surface for
growing ornamental crops. Different types of
harrow are used as per the requirement. In general,
manures are applied at the time of field preparation
and thoroughly mixed by harrowing.

Levelling
After harrowing, the soil is planked to have a uniform
level and slope. Levelling of land ensures better
implementation of irrigation and planting of crop.
Levelling is done to lower the higher parts of the field
and soil from higher altitude is spread over the lower
regions. After levelling of the land, the desired layout of
specific dimensions used for planting, such as ridges
and furrows or flat or raised bed, are prepared.

Special practices in flower cultivation

Weeding
It refers to the removal of all unwanted plants from
the field, other than those planted or sown. Periodical
removal of weeds is beneficial for the growth and
development of crop as this prevents competition of
weeds with the main crop for sunlight, water, air and
nutrients. It is also necessary as weeds harbour many
insect pests and diseases. Primary weeding is done
to clear huge amounts of plants other than the main
crop. In our country, weeding is, generally, carried
out manually. Mechanical weeding may conveniently
be carried out in those crops, which have been sown
or planted as per specification and in rows. However,
chemical weeding can be carried out anywhere in
any crop, though it may have side effects on the
environment. Therefore, mechanical weeding is
always preferred. Mulching at the initial stage also
minimises weed population.

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 Notes Mulching
It is a process of covering the soil around plants with
organic wastes, like straw, hay, dry grass or leaves, saw
dust and crop residues, etc., or synthetic materials,
like plastic sheets. This method of mulching is of
recent origin. Mulching is a good cultural method
that preserves soil moisture, soil erosion and protects
weeds. It also helps in maintaining the soil temperature.

Staking
It is a practice to support plants growing straight
and saving them from bending or lodging. Therefore,
this operation is done at a time when plants are
not too tall. It saves the plants from being blown over
by winds, rains and due to the weight of their stems
when in bloom or in fruiting. Bamboo stakes are most
common, and other than this, branches of shrubs
and trees, i.e., neem, subabool, phalsa, eucalyptus, etc.,
can also be used effectively for this purpose.

Earthing up
Digging and pulling the soil in between the rows and
heaping it around the stem of plants is called earthing
up. In case of bulbous ornamentals, this encourages
the development of additional underground food
storage structures, such as bulbs, corms, rhizomes or
tubers as in case of tuberose, gladiolus, canna, begonia
and dahlia.

Deshooting
It is the removal of all side shoots (offshoots/offsets)
emerging from the base of the plant. The main purpose
of deshooting is to divert the energy of the plant towards
the development of shoots or buds.

Disbudding
It is the removal of floral buds when a large flower on
a plant is desired, as in chrysanthemum and dahlia.

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 In this way, the energy saved by disbudding is diverted Notes
towards the development of retained bud so the flowers
become large and vigorous. Generally, it is followed in
large-flowered varieties. In carnation, disbudding is
practised to obtain long stalk with larger blooms.

Pinching
It is removal of the growing tips of the vegetative
buds to promote bushy growth for more flowering
in case of chrysanthemum. It is the removal of
3–5 cm growing tips when the plants are 8 –10 cm
tall, i.e., when the plants are about one-month old
and the second pinching about three weeks after the
first pinching. Pinching is also a common practice in
carnation and marigold.

Training
It is the shaping of plants at an early stage, conforming
to a particular form, commensurate to the plant’s
requirement. This gives the plant a desired height,
shape and strong framework with desired number of
properly distributed branches and eliminates weak
crotch development.

Pruning
The planned removal of twigs, branches, shoots,
limbs, or roots is termed as pruning. Pruning is done
with a view to increase the usefulness of the plant.
Principles of pruning
(i) The main principle of pruning is to reduce the
apical dominance so that lateral branches are
encouraged for quality blooms with long stems
as in roses. The ratio between roots and
top and vice versa influences the vegetative
growth, flowering and fruiting of a plant to a
considerable extent. The principle is to strike a
balance between shoot and root growth.

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 Notes (ii) All dead, diseased or insect-infested wood and
weaker branches are removed.
(iii) The stronger the growth, the lighter the pruning,
and the lighter the growth, the severe is the
pruning.
Objectives of pruning
(i) To give a definite direction and shape to the plant
(ii) To develop a strong framework. At an early stage
of growth only wide-angled scaffold branches
should be retained by proper training.
(iii) To utilise the available space effectively
(iv) To impart dwarfing in the plant and invigorating
its growth
(v) To influence productiveness and quality of
the produce
(vi) To impart definite objective, such as development
of a dense top growth in a shady tree or to
keep neat and impenetrable hedge
(vii) To penetrate necessary light and air to inner
portion of the plant
(viii) To remove all dead, diseased and interlacing
twigs or branches
Time of pruning
(i) The plant bearing flower on last season’s
growth is, generally, pruned immediately
after flowering.
(ii) Those plants flowering on current season’s
growth are pruned sufficiently ahead of the
flowering season.

Activity 1
Demonstrate mulching in ornamental crops.

Material required: Different types of mulching material

(organic and inorganic)

Procedure

1. Identify and select the mulching material.

2. Apply mulching material in ornamental crops or plots.
3. Observe weed population after two weeks.

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 Activity 2 Notes
Demonstrate pruning.

Material required: Pruning knife, secateur and desired plant.

Procedure

1. Identify and select a plant for pruning.

2. Note down the name, age and stage of the plant
3. Perform pruning with the help of appropriate tools.
4. Observe the growth of the plant after 15 days of pruning.

Check your Progress

Fill in the Blanks

1. Weeding refers to the removal of all ________________

plants from the field.
2. Digging and pulling the soil in between the
rows and heaping it around the stem of plants is
called __________________.
3. The main principle of pruning is to reduce the
____________.
4. The removal of all side shoots is known as ____________.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. Inorganic mulch is _____________.

(a) straw (b) dry grass
(c) saw dust (d) plastic sheets
2. Earthing up is a common practice in _____________.
(a) rose (b) marigold
(c) gladiolus (d) carnation
3. Pinching in plants promotes _____________.
(a) plant height (b) flower size
(c) bushy growth (d) root growth
4. Giving difinite direction and shape to the plant is known
as _____________.
(a) pruning (b) pinching
(c) disbudding (d) deshooting

Subjective Questions

1. What are the various practices for land preparation?

2. Describe in detail the practices followed in flower
cultivation.

Field Preparation and Cultural Operations

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 Notes Match the Columns
A B
1. Earthing up (a) removal of unwanted plant
2. Deshooting (b) planned removal of twigs,
limbs, shoots
3. Mulching (c) acquire desired shape of plant
4. Staking (d) removal of the growing tips
5. Disbudding (e) removal of all side shoots
6. Pinching (f) removal of floral buds
7. Training (g) support to plant
8. Pruning (h) bulbous ornamental
9. Weeding (i) covering exposed soil

Floriculturist (Open Cultivation) – Class XI

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