What's Your Summer Gardening IQ?
There’s no better time to be a gardener than in the summer. The Midwest is bursting with lush green foliage, and our gardens are filled with fruit, veggies, and flowers. And while it’s a great time of year to sit back on the patio and admire your hard work, that hard work is definitely not over! Take this quiz for a refresher course on summer gardening!
Why should you fertilize more often in the summer?
Not only does rapid growth require more nutrition (think of an Olympic athlete fuelling for the competition!), constant watering means your soil loses nutrients much faster than average.
Frequent watering washes away nutrients
Plants need more nutrients to produce blooms and fruit
So you can finish the package and buy more
A and B
At what temperature does it become risky to fertilize plants?
When the temperature is in the 90s or above, fertilizer has a higher risk of burning the plant.
75 degrees
80 degrees
90 degrees
100 degrees
Why should you ‘deadhead’, or remove spent blooms?
Leaving spent blooms on flowering plants causes the plant to focus on setting seed, which ends the blooming period. Removing old blooms also helps the plant look its best.
To redirect plant resources to producing new blooms
To make the plant look tidier
To prolong the blooming period
All of the above
What could happen if you put a shade-loving plant in full sun?
Shade-loving plants are much more sensitive to light. Too much sun will cause them to wilt, discolor, and die.
The plant will thrive and bloom profusely
The plant will perform the same as in the shade
The plant will grow faster
The plant will get badly sunburned
What could happen if you put a sun-loving plant in full shade?
Sun-loving plants need to photosynthesize lots of sun regularly to grow and flower. Lack of sun will cause problems like ‘legginess’ (awkward, unstable top-heaviness), poor color, lack of blooms, and failure to grow.
The plant will thrive and bloom profusely
The plant will perform the same as in the sun
The plant will experience not develop properly
The plant will grow faster
Why is it beneficial to have some native plants in your garden during the summer?
Native plants occur naturally in your region, which means they’re well-adapted to the climate and don’t need much help to stay alive.
They require less water and maintenance
They look the nicest in bloom
They smell better than other plants
It makes no difference
When is the best time to water plants in the summer?
Early in the morning, it’s still fairly cool and plants have time to absorb water before the hot afternoon sun gets to it. Watering too late could invite mildew and fungus.
In the morning
In the afternoon
In the evening
It doesn’t matter
What should you always do before fertilizing plants?
Water plants before applying fertilizers to ensure the plants don’t come in contact with too much fertilizer at once, which can burn the roots. You should still water plants before fertilizing even if the fertilizer is water-soluble.
Dig them up
Water them
Deadhead them
Prune them
Mulch is important because...
In the hot summer sun, water evaporates quickly from the soil surface. Mulch not only looks great, but it also adds a layer of insulation between the sun and the soil, keeping water sealed in and preventing weed seeds from germinating in the sun.
...it looks great
...it prevents weeds
…it helps soil retain moisture
All of the above
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You got {number correct}/{number of questions} correct answers
Good thing you took the quiz! Now that you know more about summer gardening, you’ve still got time to help your garden end on a strong note. Visit your nearest Kaw Valley Greenhouses location to browse our colorful Kaw Valley Favorites™ annuals and hand-painted containers!
You got {number correct}/{number of questions} correct answers
You did pretty good, so your plants likely are too! Give your plants an extra boost with KVG ‘The Good Stuff™’ fertilizer to keep them blooming bright through the season. The eco-friendly formula has “the good stuff” without the excess phosphorus of other leading fertilizer brands.
You got {number correct}/{number of questions} correct answers
You surfed through this summer quiz! Keep your garden as cool as you are with our amazing Soil Moist™ product. The product reduces the need for watering and helps your containers and hanging baskets retain water longer. A huge help for a master gardener like you!
