1. Supplying Nutrients to Floriculture Crops

2. Interest Approach What do vitamins do for you?
What do you feel like when your sick?
What are essential elements in fertilizer?
What do they do for the plant?
What does a plant look like when it’s deficient in this nutrient?

3. Interest Approach C – health D – strength A – eyesight Calcium-bones
Vitamins:
C – health
D – strength
A – eyesight
Calcium-bones
Iron-blood
Elements
N – growth
P – blossoms
Ca – cell strength
K - roots
Interest Approach. Use an interest approach that will prepare the students for the les-son. Teachers often develop approaches for their unique class and student situations. A possible approach is included here.Lay out several examples of fertilizers. Pick a flowering plant and ask the students to find the correct fertilizer for that particular plant. Ask them why they chose that fertilizer. Repeat this activity with a houseplant and a vegetable plant. Then ask the students to describe how they would use the fertilizer (mix with water, apply to the soil, spray on the leaves). Finally, ask the students to describe what is in the fertilizer that helps plants grow.

4. Student Objectives After this lesson you CAN
1. Name the nutrients needed for plant growth.
2. Describe pH and how it is modified.
3. Describe the components of a fertilizer.
4. Explain the methods of applying fertilizers to floriculture crops.

5. Macronutrients - elements that are needed by the plant in the largest amount.
Primary macros
nitrogen (N)
phosphorus (P)
potassium (K)
Secondary macros
calcium (Ca)
magnesium (Mg)
sulfur (S).
). Nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium are considered
primary nutrients and their main purpose is to produce green leafy growth (nitrogen),
flowers and fruit production (phosphorus) and provide disease resistance (potassium).

6. Boron (B) Copper(Cu) Chlorine (Cl) Iron (Fe) Manganese (Mn)
Micronutrients -Needed in Smaller Amounts by the Plants, but Are Still Essential
Boron (B)
Copper(Cu)
Chlorine (Cl)
Iron (Fe)
Manganese (Mn)
Molybdenum (Mo)
Zinc (Zn)

7. Soil Tests
can be performed on the soil to determine which nutrients are present or deficient (absent or lacking).
Are only as accurate as the test – you get what you pay for
Can confirm nutrient deficiency shown by plant leaves.
When nutrients are deficient in the soil, the plant growth is ad-versely
affected. Oftentimes, plants visibly show a nutrient deficiency by turning colors.
When nitrogen is deficient in the soil, a plant’s older leaves will start to turn yellow
(chlorosis) and eventually die. A plant will show purpling in the stem or leaf when phosphorus is deficient in the soil. Plant low in potassium have Burnt” or “scorched” leaf margins.

8. Chlorosis
Generally begins in older leaves
Symptoms include poor plant growth, and leaves that are pale green or yellow because they are unable to make sufficient chlorophyll.
Nitrogen

9. Undersides of tomato plant leaves, and the veins and stems, may turn purple
often overlooked or misdiagnosed as a nitrogen deficiency
weak thin stalks
may cause the plant to stop producing blooms
Phosphorous

10. brown scorching and curling of leaf tips as well as chlorosis(yellowing) between leaf veins
Purple spots may also appear on the leaf undersides
Potassium

11. Fertilizer
Material provided to supply nutrients needed for plant growth.
2 types of fertilizer
Complete – contains the 3 Primary Macros
Incomplete – missing 1 or more Primaries
Fertilizer analysis states the percentage of primary nutrients.
Fertilizers vary in the components they contain, the way they are applied, and the
function they serve.

13. 16 – 4 – 8 16 % N 4 % P2O5 8 % K2O Equals 28%??? Where is the rest?!?
Salts and other fillers make up the remaining 72%

14. Fertilizer Available in three phases Applied by several methods
Liquid, solid, gas (rarely used in floriculture)
Applied by several methods
Premixed into soil.
Sprayed onto foliage.
Injected into irrigation water.
Slow release – dissolves over extended period of time.

15. Organic vs. Inorganic First off, what does this mean??
Organic is naturally occurring
Inorganic is man made or produced
CLIP

16. Review
          

17. What are the nutrients needed for plant growth?
Name the 3 primary macronutrients.
NPK
Name the 3 secondary macronutrients. Ca S Mg
The micronutrients?
Fe., Cu B, Zn, Cl, Mo, MN

18. What is pH and how is it modified?
Define pH.
Measure of acidity / alkalinity
potential of Hydrogen
Add limestone to _________ pH?
Add sulfur to ___________pH?

19. What are the components of a fertilizer?
Incomplete vs. complete?
Complete has the 3 primary macros
Incomplete is missing some primaries
What is fertilizer analysis?

20. How are fertilizers applied to floriculture crops?
List the 3 phases of fertilizers.
Liquid, solid, gas
List the application methods.
Irrigation injection
Slow release
Premix into soil
Spray onto foliage