Science and the Garden
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Science and the Garden

The Scientific Basis of Horticultural Practice

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eBook - PDF

Science and the Garden

The Scientific Basis of Horticultural Practice

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About This Book

"A thorough update and the introduction of new topics such as biodiversity and conservation has greatly enhanced this new edition: it is a 'must read' for all interested in horticulture and gardening."
— John MacLeod, RHS Professor of Horticulture

Most conventional gardening books concentrate on how and when to carry out horticultural tasks such as pruning, seed sowing and taking cuttings. This book is unique in explaining in straightforward terms some of the science that underlies these practices. It is principally a book of 'Why' – Why are plants green? Why should one cut beneath a leaf node when taking cuttings? Why do plants need so much water? But it also goes on to deal with the 'How', providing rationale behind the practical advice.

The coverage is wide-ranging and comprehensive and includes the basic structure and functioning of garden plants, nomenclature, genetics and plant breeding, soil management, environmental factors affecting growth, methods of propagation and production, pest and disease control, post harvest management and storage, and conservation and sustainable horticulture.

Now with full colour throughout, the second edition provides the reader with:

  • Completely revised and updated chapters from the first edition, with new information and clearer focus on the topics
  • Four new chapters, dealing with matters that have become of increasing concern since the first edition, namely: Diversity in the Plant World; Conservation and Sustainable Gardening; Gardens and the Natural World; and Gardens for Science

Published on behalf of the Royal Horticultural Society, this book remains a key text for those sitting RHS examinations, particularly at levels 2 and 3; it will also appeal to gardeners, growers and scientists.

Key Features

  • Bestselling essential text for all horticulture students
  • Edited and written by a group of highly regarded scientists
  • Covers the scientific information of greatest importance to gardeners and horticulturists
  • Jargon-free scientific explanations, a comprehensive glossary, and copious colour illustrations

Royalties from the sale of this book go towards the charitable work of the RHS, promoting horticulture and helping gardeners. www.rhs.org.uk

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Information

Publisher
Wiley-Blackwell
Year
2011
ISBN
9781118307588
Edition
2
Topic
Biological Sciences
Subtopic
Horticulture
Index
Biological Sciences

Table of contents

  1. Foreword
  2. Preface to Second Edition
  3. Preface to First Edition
  4. List of Contributors
  5. 1 Diversity in the Plant World
  6. SUMMARY
  7. INTRODUCTION
  8. CREATING ORDER OUT OF DISORDER
  9. COLONISATION OF THE LAND
  10. COMMUNITIES AND THE DIVERSITY OF LIFE FORMS
  11. CONCLUSION
  12. FURTHER READING
  13. 2 Know Your Plant: Structure and Function
  14. SUMMARY
  15. INTRODUCTION
  16. ENERGY FLOW IN THE BIOSPHERE: PHOTOSYNTHESIS AND RESPIRATION
  17. THE LEAF: INTO THE LABYRINTH
  18. The manufacturing centre
  19. Cells
  20. Layout of the leaf
  21. Controlling gas and water exchange
  22. Protection against harmful radiation
  23. Palisade tissues: the sites of photosynthesis
  24. The transport system
  25. Movement of water, minerals and hormones in the xylem
  26. Transport of carbohydrates and hormones in the phloem
  27. Producing new xylem and phloem: the cambium
  28. The bundle sheath
  29. Connecting with the stem
  30. Leaf fall
  31. Leaf patterns: phyllotaxy
  32. Variations on a theme
  33. THE STEM: REACH FOR THE SKY
  34. The growing point
  35. Forming new leaves
  36. A tower of strength
  37. Secondary thickening: the formation of wood and bark
  38. Bark
  39. Stem modifications
  40. THE ROOT: MINING FOR MINERALS AND WATER
  41. The structure and growth of the root
  42. Storage roots and other modifications
  43. Nitrogen fixation
  44. Mycorrhizas
  45. CONCLUSION
  46. FURTHER READING
  47. 3 Reproduction: Securing the Future
  48. SUMMARY
  49. INTRODUCTION
  50. VEGETATIVE REPRODUCTION
  51. SEXUAL REPRODUCTION
  52. Cones and flowers
  53. Alternation of generations
  54. Floral diagrams and formulae
  55. Seeds and fruits
  56. Other fruits
  57. CONCLUSION
  58. FURTHER READING
  59. 4 Naming Plants
  60. SUMMARY
  61. INTRODUCTION
  62. HOW TO IDENTIFY A PLANT
  63. THE MEANING AND STRUCTURE OF NAMES
  64. TAXONOMY: ORDER IN DIVERSITY
  65. The botanical framework
  66. New developments
  67. TAXONOMY OF CULTIVATED PLANTS
  68. Distinctiveness
  69. Uniformity
  70. Stability
  71. WHY PLANTS CHANGE THEIR NAMES
  72. Taxonomic changes
  73. Nomenclatural
  74. Misidentification
  75. THE QUEST FOR STABILITY AND LINKING INFORMATION SYSTEMS FOR THE FUTURE
  76. Stability of botanical plant names
  77. Stability of cultivated plant names
  78. CONCLUSION
  79. FURTHER READING
  80. 5 Selecting and Breeding Plants
  81. SUMMARY
  82. INTRODUCTION: ADAPTATION AND DESIGN
  83. GENES
  84. Transcription factors
  85. Chromosomes
  86. DNA replication
  87. GENOMES
  88. Gamete formation
  89. Recombination
  90. Allelic variation
  91. MUTATION
  92. Transposons
  93. Somatic and germ line mutations
  94. Chimeras
  95. HETERO- AND HOMOZYGOSITY
  96. Dominant and recessive alleles
  97. BREEDING SYSTEMS
  98. Breeding inbred lines
  99. Breeding open-pollinated populations
  100. Clonal propagation
  101. F1 hybrid breeding
  102. Wide hybridisation
  103. Somatic variation
  104. Somatic hybridisation
  105. RECOMBINANT DNA TECHNOLOGY
  106. Marker-assisted breeding
  107. Genome sequencing
  108. Genetic modification
  109. CONCLUSION
  110. FURTHER READING
  111. 6 Soils and Roots
  112. SUMMARY
  113. INTRODUCTION
  114. Why do plants need soil?
  115. What do plants want from the soil?
  116. HOW SOILS ARE FORMED
  117. PHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF SOILS
  118. CHEMICAL PROPERTIES OF SOILS
  119. BIOLOGICAL PROPERTIES OF SOILS
  120. ROOTS AND SOILS
  121. CONCLUSION
  122. FURTHER READING
  123. 7 Soil Cultivation and Fertility
  124. SUMMARY
  125. CULTIVATING THE SOIL
  126. MANAGING SOIL NUTRIENTS
  127. SOURCES OF THE MAJOR PLANT NUTRIENTS
  128. FERTILISERS
  129. MANURES
  130. COMPOSTS
  131. MANAGING SOIL pH
  132. MANAGING WATER
  133. CONCLUSION
  134. FURTHER READING
  135. 8 The Plant’s Environment: Light and Water
  136. SUMMARY
  137. INTRODUCTION
  138. LIGHT
  139. Light and photosynthesis
  140. RESPONSES OF PLANTS TO SHADE
  141. WATER
  142. How water is lost from the leaf
  143. Opening and closing of the stomata
  144. Water stress
  145. Drought
  146. PHYSICAL STRATEGIES THAT CONSERVE WATER
  147. BIOCHEMICAL STRATEGIES THAT CONSERVE WATER
  148. C-4 plants
  149. Crassulacean acid metabolism
  150. EXCESS WATER
  151. SALINITY
  152. AQUATIC PLANTS
  153. WATERING PRACTICE
  154. CHOOSING PLANTS FOR PARTICULAR CONDITIONS
  155. CLIMATE CHANGE
  156. CONCLUSION
  157. FURTHER READING
  158. 9 Raising Plants from Seed
  159. SUMMARY
  160. INTRODUCTION
  161. SEED PRODUCTION AND
  162. Stored materials in seeds
  163. Sowing seeds
  164. Germination
  165. SEED VIGOUR
  166. Loss of seed viability
  167. Self-saved seed
  168. DORMANCY
  169. Enforced dormancy
  170. Innate dormancy
  171. Induced dormancy
  172. SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS FOR
  173. Light
  174. Temperature
  175. Hard seed coats
  176. Fire
  177. After-ripening in dry storage
  178. Chemical treatments
  179. NEW DEVELOPMENTS IN SEED
  180. CONCLUSION
  181. FURTHER READING
  182. 10 Propagating Plants Vegetatively
  183. SUMMARY
  184. INTRODUCTION
  185. CLONES
  186. CELL DIFFERENTIATION
  187. Plant hormones
  188. Juvenility
  189. Etiolation
  190. TYPES OF CUTTINGS AND THEIR MANAGEMENT
  191. Leafy shoot cuttings
  192. Management of leafy cuttings
  193. Hardwood cuttings
  194. Leaf and leaf-bud cuttings
  195. Root cuttings
  196. Layering
  197. Air layering
  198. Division
  199. PROPAGATION FROM SPECIALISED STRUCTURES
  200. GRAFTING AND BUDDING
  201. Incompatibility
  202. Grafting techniques
  203. MICROPROPAGATION
  204. CONCLUSION
  205. FURTHER READING
  206. 11 Shape and Size
  207. SUMMARY
  208. INTRODUCTION
  209. ENDOGENOUS REGULATION
  210. Plant hormones: gibberellins
  211. Plant hormones: auxins and cytokinins
  212. Plant hormones: brassinosteroids
  213. Nitric oxide
  214. Genetic dwarfs
  215. CHEMICAL REGULATION
  216. ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS
  217. Light
  218. Temperature
  219. MECHANICAL TREATMENTS
  220. Pruning
  221. Bonsai
  222. Topiary
  223. Stooling and pollarding
  224. Shaking and brushing
  225. CONCLUSION
  226. FURTHER READING
  227. 12 Colour, Scent and Sound in the Garden
  228. SUMMARY
  229. INTRODUCTION
  230. COLOUR IN PLANTS
  231. The perception of colour
  232. Plant pigments
  233. Pigments as attractants
  234. VARIEGATION
  235. Chimeras
  236. Transposons
  237. Pattern genes
  238. Viruses
  239. ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS INFLUENCING COLOUR
  240. Seasonal changes
  241. THE USE OF COLOUR IN THE GARDEN
  242. SCENT AND FLAVOUR
  243. SOUND
  244. The nature, perception and appreciation of sound
  245. Sounds for pleasure
  246. CONCLUSION
  247. FURTHER READING
  248. 13 Climate, Weather and Seasonal Effects
  249. SUMMARY
  250. INTRODUCTION
  251. DAY LENGTH
  252. Flowering and day length
  253. Chemical control of flowering
  254. Plant hormones and flowering
  255. How is day length detected by the leaf?
  256. The effects of day length on the formation of storage organs
  257. The role of day length in controlling leaf fall and dormancy
  258. TEMPERATURE
  259. Vernalisation
  260. Breaking winter dormancy
  261. Direct effects of temperature on flowering
  262. Damage by temperatures below freezing
  263. WATER AND LIGHT
  264. CLIMATE CHANGE
  265. CONCLUSION
  266. FURTHER READING
  267. 14 Gardening in the Greenhouse
  268. SUMMARY
  269. INTRODUCTION: THE GREENHOUSE ENVIRONMENT
  270. Light
  271. Temperature
  272. Ventilation
  273. SITING THE GREENHOUSE
  274. EFFECTS OF THE GREENHOUSE ENVIRONMENT
  275. Light
  276. Carbon dioxide
  277. Temperature
  278. Air movement
  279. MANAGING THE GREENHOUSE ENVIRONMENT
  280. Temperature
  281. Water
  282. Ventilation
  283. Growing media
  284. Light
  285. SUPPLEMENTARY ARTIFICIAL LIGHTING
  286. Light measurement
  287. The choice of lamp
  288. How much ‘extra’ light?
  289. DAY-LENGTH LIGHTING
  290. Short-day plants
  291. Night-break lighting
  292. Night-break timing
  293. What kind of light?
  294. Night-break duration
  295. Cyclic lighting
  296. Long-day plants
  297. Day-length lighting in practice
  298. CONCLUSION
  299. FURTHER READING
  300. 15 The Diversity of Undesirables
  301. SUMMARY
  302. INTRODUCTION
  303. PESTS
  304. Nematodes or eelworms
  305. Molluscs: slugs and snails
  306. Mites
  307. Insects
  308. Birds and mammals
  309. DISEASES
  310. Opportunists
  311. Necrotrophs: destructive parasites
  312. Biotrophs: non-destructive parasites
  313. Hemibiotrophs
  314. Symptoms caused by the different types of pathogenic microorganism
  315. WEEDS
  316. Annual weeds
  317. Perennial weeds
  318. Weed ecology
  319. Weed origins
  320. Useful weeds
  321. DECIDING WHETHER AN ORGANISM IS A PROBLEM
  322. When is a pest a pest?
  323. When is a disease a problem?
  324. Weed problems
  325. POISONOUS AND IRRITANT PLANTS
  326. CONCLUSION
  327. 16 Controlling the Undesirables
  328. SUMMARY
  329. WHEN TO APPLY CONTROL MEASURES
  330. Direct observation of pests
  331. Trapping and monitoring
  332. Pheromones
  333. Weather
  334. Diseases
  335. When to control weeds
  336. HOW TO CONTROL
  337. Integrated pest management
  338. Controlling pests
  339. Controlling diseases
  340. How to control weeds
  341. CONCLUSION
  342. FURTHER READING FOR CHAPTERS 15 AND 16
  343. 17 Maturation, Ripening and Storage
  344. SUMMARY
  345. INTRODUCTION
  346. CHANGES IN METABOLISM AND ETHYLENE SYNTHESIS
  347. Respiration and water loss
  348. Ethylene
  349. MATURATION AND RIPENING
  350. Seeds
  351. Fruits
  352. Vegetables
  353. Cut flowers
  354. PRE-HARVEST INFLUENCES ON STORAGE QUALITY
  355. Diseases and disorders
  356. Climatic factors
  357. Field factors
  358. Varietal factors
  359. HARVESTING, HANDLING AND PREPARATION FOR STORAGE
  360. Time of harvest
  361. Handling
  362. Post-harvest treatments
  363. THE STORAGE ENVIRONMENT
  364. Fresh produce
  365. Low-temperature storage methods
  366. Controlled-atmosphere storage
  367. Seeds
  368. FUTURE TRENDS IN COMMERCIAL STORAGE
  369. NON-COMMERCIAL STORAGE
  370. Seeds
  371. Soft fruits
  372. Stone fruits
  373. Pome fruits
  374. Vegetables
  375. Cut flowers
  376. CONCLUSION
  377. FURTHER READING
  378. 18 Conservation and Sustainable Gardening
  379. SUMMARY
  380. INTRODUCTION
  381. Climate change
  382. Ozone concentrations in the stratosphere and troposphere
  383. Disruption of nutrient cycles
  384. Erosion of biodiversity
  385. CONSERVATION OF WATER AND ENERGY
  386. Water
  387. Energy
  388. CONSERVATION OF GARDEN PLANT DIVERSITY
  389. HABITAT RESTORATION AND CREATION
  390. INVASIVE NON-NATIVE SPECIES
  391. Non-native invasive plant species
  392. Non-native pathogens and pests
  393. Non-native vertebrates
  394. Reintroduction of extinct native species
  395. CONCLUSION
  396. FURTHER READING
  397. 19 Gardens and the Natural World
  398. SUMMARY
  399. INTRODUCTION
  400. SOME BASIC TERMS AND ECOLOGICAL PRINCIPLES
  401. FULLY NATURAL ECOSYSTEMS IN GARDENS
  402. CREATING HABITATS IN THE GARDEN
  403. Basic guidelines and premises
  404. ADAPTING AN EXISTING GARDEN
  405. ENRICHMENT
  406. PERSONAL OBSERVATION AND STUDY
  407. CONCLUSION
  408. FURTHER READING
  409. 20 Gardens for Science
  410. SUMMARY
  411. INTRODUCTION
  412. BOTANIC GARDENS
  413. Origins
  414. Collections
  415. Research
  416. Conservation, education and training
  417. THE GARDENS OF HORTICULTURAL SOCIETIES
  418. UNIVERSITIES AND RESEARCH INSTITUTES
  419. CONCLUSION
  420. FURTHER READING
  421. Glossary
  422. Index