Introduction to

Horticulture
University of California Cooperative Extension
Pamela Geisel
Statewide Coordinator Master Gardener Program
Farm Advisor, Environmental Horticulture
Special Thanks to Mary Bianchi, Farm Advisor SLO County
 I am a knowledgeable gardener?
1. Strongly Agree 20% 20% 20% 20% 20%

2. Agree
3. Neutral
4. Disagree
5. Strongly Disagree

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My favorite type of gardening is:
1. Vegetables
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2. Ornamental flowers
3. Fruit trees
4. Beautiful landscapes
5. Turfgrass
6. Specialty such as
bonsai, topiary etc.
7. Other

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 I want to be a Master Gardener
because:
1. I want to learn more
20% 20% 20% 20% 20%
about gardening
2. I want to share my
knowledge with my
community
3. I want to show off to my
neighbors
4. I want to meet new
friends
5. I want to develop skills

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for employment

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 Introduction to Horticulture
Learning Objectives:
•Learn principal characteristics of green plants,
their structures, and common horticultural
terminology.
•Understand general vegetative and
reproductive growth processes and factors that
influence them.
•Learn classic applications of fundamental
horticultural knowledge.
INTRODUCTION TO HORTICULTURE

• Botany
– Structure and life phenomena exhibited by
plants
– Agronomy
– Horticulture
• hortus (garden)
• colere (to cultivate)
 What is the main component of a
plant?
1. Cell tissue
17% 17% 17% 17% 17% 17%
2. Cytoplasm
3. Water
4. Air
5. Green stuff
6. Nitrogen

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INTRODUCTION TO HORTICULTURE

• What makes up a plant?

– living factories that produce their own food
– serve as food source for nearly all other living
organisms
• Cells
http://www.cellsalive.com/cells/cell_model.htm
• photosynthesis
• water (85 - 90 % by weight)
– Solvent for mineral and sugar transport
INTRODUCTION TO
HORTICULTURE
External plant parts-roots, stems, buds,
leaves, flowers, fruits and seeds

Leaves, stems, roots, flowers, fruits, and

seeds are known as plant organs. Each organ
is an organized group of tissues that work
together to perform a specific function.

Sexual reproductive parts produce seed;

they include flower buds, flowers, fruit, and
seeds.

Vegetative parts include roots, stems, shoot

buds, and leaves; they are not directly
involved in sexual reproduction. Vegetative
parts often are used in asexual forms of
reproduction such as cuttings, budding, or
grafting.
Meristematic
tissues
http://botany.csdl.tamu.edu/FLORA
/tfplab/vegchar.htm
Flower Parts
Flower Parts
INTRODUCTION TO HORTICULTURE

• Plant Classification
– Growth Habit
– Structure or Form
– Leaf retention
– Climatic Adaptation
– Use
– Botanical or Scientific Classification
INTRODUCTION TO HORTICULTURE

• Plant Classification
– Growth Habit
• Annuals
– complete a life cycle (seed to flowering to re-seeding) in one
growing season and then die
• Perennials
– may go through repeated flowering and seeding cycles before
dying
– may grow for several years before flowering and dying
• Biennials
– two growing seasons to complete life cycle.
Which of the following plants would
be considered a Biennial?
1. Pansy
17% 17% 17% 17% 17% 17%
2. Snapdragon
3. Hollyhock
4. Foxglove
5. Parsley
6. Impatient

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INTRODUCTION TO HORTICULTURE

• Plant Classification
– Structure or Form
• Herbaceous -- tender stemmed species
• Woody -- hard fibrous stems
– Form
» Vine
» Shrub
» Tree (includes tree shape also…weeping, vase, etc.)
INTRODUCTION TO HORTICULTURE

• Plant Classification
– Leaf retention
• Deciduous
• Evergreen
– broad-leaved -- azaleas, some magnolias
– needle-leaved -- pine, redwood
 What factor most influences the
loss of leaves in the fall?
1. Cold weather 20% 20% 20% 20% 20%

2. Short days
3. Genetic character
of the species
4. Short nights
5. Tree nitrogen
status

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INTRODUCTION TO HORTICULTURE

• Plant Classification
– Use
• Fruits
• Herbs
• Vegetables
INTRODUCTION TO HORTICULTURE

• Plant Classification
– Climatic Adaptation
• Perennial plants are classified according to
minimum temperatures they will tolerate
– tropical, subtropical, temperate
• Cool- and warm-season plants
– cool season grow best with average daytime
temperatures of 55o to 75o F (carrot, asparagus, spinach,
broccoli)
– warm season grow best with average daytime
temperatures of 65o to 95o F (tomato, sweet corn)
INTRODUCTION TO HORTICULTURE

• Plant Classification
– Botanical or Scientific Classification
• Genus + specific epithet (species)
– Red Raspberry (common name)
– Rubus idaeus, or Rubus ideaus
– Or...Rubus ideaus var “Heritage”

• Grouped according to similarities in morphology

Which of the following is the correct
way to write out a Latin name?
1. Liquidambar Styraciflua 25% 25% 25% 25%
var. „Burgundy‟
2. Liquidambar styraciflua
burgundy
3. Liquidambar styraciflua
cv. “Burgundy”
4. Liquidambar styraciflua
var burgundy

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INTRODUCTION TO HORTICULTURE

• Plant Classification
– Botanical or Scientific Classification
• Varieties
• Cultivars
• Clone
 Which of the following is NOTa
monocot?
1. Agave 20% 20% 20% 20% 20%

2. California fan
palm
3. Asiatic lily
4. Mexican feather
grass
5. Willow

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 Exercise I
1. Pair up with someone not from your
county.
2. Collect your tools: cutting board and
single edge razor blade
3. Collect one piece of vegetation
4. Dissect and name the plant parts…
INTRODUCTION TO HORTICULTURE

• Plant Growth
– Irreversible increase in plant size due to
increased cell number and/or size
• Three Critical Processes for Growth
– Photosynthesis
– Respiration
– Transpiration
INTRODUCTION TO HORTICULTURE

• Plant Growth
– Photosynthesis
• Process by which green plants produce their own
carbohydrates and obtain chemical energy
• Plant cells, in presence of chlorophyll and light,
convert carbon dioxide (CO2) and water (H2O) to
carbohydrates
• Net result is transformation of light energy into
chemical energy
• Energy is stored in the chemical bonds of the
carbohydrate molecules
INTRODUCTION TO HORTICULTURE

A model of
Photosynthesis

Courtesy of Ohio State University

INTRODUCTION TO HORTICULTURE

• Plant Growth
– Photosynthesis
• Energy is “stored‟ in chemical bonds
• By-product is evolution of free oxygen (O2)
INTRODUCTION TO HORTICULTURE
 What, of the following, is NOT
required for photosynthesis?
1. Co2
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2. Water
3. Soil
4. Light
5. Oxygen
6. Minerals

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 Does photosynthesis occur at
night?
1. Yes 50% 50%
2. No

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INTRODUCTION TO HORTICULTURE

• Plant Growth
– Photosynthesis
• Requirements
– Stomata must be
open to allow
CO2 to enter leaf
– Adequate light
must reach leaf
– Water must be
available to the
plant
– Mineral nutrients
must be
available to plant
INTRODUCTION TO HORTICULTURE

How might this

affect plant
growth?

Courtesy of Ohio State University

INTRODUCTION TO HORTICULTURE

• Plant Growth
– Photosynthesis
• Fate of carbohydrates produced
– combined with minerals to synthesize more
complex compounds for cell growth
– converted to more complex carbohydrates
(sugars and starches) or fats and stored
(where?)
– biologically combusted to release stored
chemical energy, a process called respiration
INTRODUCTION TO HORTICULTURE

• Plant Growth
– Respiration
• occurs in cells through complicated series of
reactions regulated by enzymes
• uses oxygen
• releases CO2 and water

C6H12O6 + 6 O2 energy
 6 CO2 +6 H2O
+ Energy
INTRODUCTION TO HORTICULTURE

• Plant Growth
– Respiration
• rate dependent on
– temperature
– availability of oxygen and carbohydrates
• occurs at all times in living material, even after
harvest
• post-harvest respiration affects how fruits and
vegetables are stored
INTRODUCTION TO HORTICULTURE

• Plant Growth
– Cycling of Photosynthesis and Respiration
• What conditions would impact cycling?
INTRODUCTION TO HORTICULTURE

• Plant Growth
– Cycling of Photosynthesis and Respiration
• Photosynthesis requires light, and ceases at night
• Respiration occurs all the time, but is driven by
temperature
– it nearly doubles for every 18oF rise in temperature
between 40oF and 96oF
INTRODUCTION TO HORTICULTURE

• Plant Growth
– Cycling of Photosynthesis and Respiration
• Rate of photosynthesis must exceed rate of
respiration
• Why?
• What happens when water is limited?
INTRODUCTION TO HORTICULTURE

• Plant Growth
– Water and Nutrient Uptake
• Most of water and nutrient uptake occurs in roots
• Some nutrient uptake requires roots to expend
energy
• Water uptake is largely passive and in response to
a gradient
INTRODUCTION TO HORTICULTURE

How might this

affect water and
nutrient uptake?

Courtesy of Ohio State University

INTRODUCTION TO HORTICULTURE

• Plant Growth
– Transpiration
• Evaporative loss of water vapor from plant leaves
through stomata
• Related to translocation through xylem
INTRODUCTION TO HORTICULTURE

leaf

Porous pot analogy to Stem-

xylem
plant transpiration

soil

Courtesy of Ohio State University

 What factors has the lease effect
on transpiration?
1. Temperature
14% 14% 14% 14% 14% 14% 14%

2. Wind
3. Relative humidity
4. Soil texture
5. Rainfall
6. Sun exposure
7. Water needs of the
plant species

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INTRODUCTION TO HORTICULTURE

• Plant Growth
– Transpiration
• Rate depends on
– environmental factors (which ones?)
– degree of stomatal opening
– amount of available soil water
INTRODUCTION TO HORTICULTURE

• Plant Growth
– Transpiration
• In temperate plants transpiration ceases.
– When?
– Why?
• How is transpiration different in succulents?
• Transpiration is affected by wind….
INTRODUCTION TO HORTICULTURE

• Plant Growth
– Transpiration
• Helps to cool plants during day
• Transports minerals from soil and organic
compounds produced in roots
 In what plant tissue is water and
minerals transported in the plant?
1. Phloem 20% 20% 20% 20% 20%

2. Xylem
3. Vascular
cambium
4. Bark
5. Phelloderm

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INTRODUCTION TO HORTICULTURE

Impacts of a
vascular wilt
disease
on maple

Courtesy of Ohio State University

INTRODUCTION TO HORTICULTURE

• Plant Growth
– Translocation
• Movement of water, nutrients, food etc. from one
part of the plant to another
• Can occur from cell to cell, and in intercellular
spaces
• Mostly occurs in xylem (water and nutrients) and
phloem (carbohydrates)
• Why are many insects phloem feeders?
INTRODUCTION TO HORTICULTURE

• Plant Development
– Dormancy
• Plant parts that are alive but not growing
• Mechanism to survive adverse conditions
• In order to survive, must contain stored food
reserves to support what process?
• Can be physical or physiological
– Day length --Hard seed coat
– Chill hours --Closed cone
INTRODUCTION TO HORTICULTURE

• Reproductive Development
– The goal for many horticultural plants
• Flowers
• Fruits
• Seeds
INTRODUCTION TO HORTICULTURE

• Reproductive Development
– Flower Induction
• From our old friend the meristem
• Timing differs among species
– annuals may flower within weeks of germination
– many woody perennials initiate flowers in previous year
– Why is this important for your lilacs?
INTRODUCTION TO HORTICULTURE

• Reproductive Development
– Fruit Quality and Ripening
• Sugars and aromatic compounds begin to accumulate
• Some fruits picked when physiologically mature but not fully
ripe
– Tomato, banana, avocado, apples
• Other fruits must be allowed to mature on plant
– grapes, citrus, strawberries
• What conditions promote ripening? (Hint - our old friend
photosynthesis)
INTRODUCTION TO HORTICULTURE

• Reproductive Development
– Flower and Fruit Development
• Controlled by day length, light intensity, temperature, soil
moisture content, nutritional status of plant
• Pollination - self-, cross- (wind, insect)
• Fertilization
– Only fraction of flowers normally mature
– “drop” at petal fall
– “June drop” 4 to 6 weeks after petal fall
– Fruit Quality and Ripening
INTRODUCTION TO HORTICULTURE

• How Plants Function

– Describe plant responses to
• Day length
• Light intensity
• Light quality
• Temperature
– Interactions of photoperiod and temperature
• Soil moisture conditions
• Carbon dioxide and oxygen concentrations
• Nitrogen nutrition
• Stress
INTRODUCTION TO HORTICULTURE

• How Plants Function

– Plant responses to
• Daylength
– affects flower initiation, vegetative development, or onset
of dormancy in some plants
– Plant leaves are sensors of critical photoperiods
» Short-day plants - light period less than 12 hours long
(chrysanthemum, poinsettia, strawberry)
» Long-day plants - light period more than 14 hours long
(fuchsia, spinach, perennial ryegrass)
» Day neutral - processes not affected by day length (fruits
and nuts, grapes, corn)
INTRODUCTION TO HORTICULTURE

• How Plants Function

– Which of these requirements can we change
in the garden?
• daylength
• light – intensity and quality
• temperature
• soil moisture conditions
• carbon dioxide and oxygen concentrations
• nitrogen nutrition
• stress
Plant responses to stress:
Leaf
Edema
Caused by
Flood-
induced
Aeration
Deficit
Marginal Necrosis
Sunburn
on Tree
Trunk
Acute Lack of
Water
INTRODUCTION TO HORTICULTURE

Review:
Plant Classification
Photosynthesis
Respiration
Transpiration
Translocation
Plant Reproduction
Thank You---Any Questions?