Practical Horticulture, 7th edition

For courses in Introduction to Horticulture.

Practical Horticulture, Seventh Edition, is a classic, scientifically oriented text for basic horticulture. It presents students with the fundamentals of horticultural science and its applications in both the commercial and home sectors. Easy-to-read, the text’s ample illustrations, chapter objectives, and chapter-ending review questions, help students learn the concepts. This edition includes coverage of environmental and “Green Industry” topics, a new chapter on careers in horticulture, and a revised chapter on lawns with more emphasis on lawn-substitute plants.

Chapter objectives and end-of-chapter questions in each chapter.

• Increase students’ comprehension and understanding of key concepts. 

Organized in three distinct parts including the Basics of Horticultural Science, Outdoor Plants, and Indoor Plants.

• Gives instructors flexibility and makes it easy to include only the topics covered in the course. 

A scientific approach that does not require a scientific background.

• Provides a rich treatment of horticulture, introducing students to scientific concepts such as: plant anatomy and physiology, plant growth and development, and botanical nomenclature. 

Photo illustrations appear generously throughout the text.

• Provide vivid examples of chapter material and familiarize students with horticulture concepts such as root hairs and thatch layer in a lawn.  

Careers in Horticulture feature appears throughout the text.

• Reaches students who are undecided on a career path and helps them learn about career possibilities in horticulture. 

Practical applications of horticulture are discussed in the text.

• Includes knowledge that is more than “academic” and can be used in later life (see Chapter 12, Home Landscape Planning).

A new chapter on careers in horticulture has been added.

• Offers students the occupational outlook for horticulture jobs in the upcoming years with statistics from the Department of Labor. 

The new edition has been updated with timely coverage of hot environmental topics. 

• A section on the evolution of horticulture into the “Green Industry”includes photos of green walls and roofs.
• A new section on planning an ecologically sound landscape includes greenscaping and LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification for ecologically meritorious landscapes. Information also is included on energy conservation in material and supply selection.
• A new section on landscape planning includes irrigation planning for water conservation, water pollution abatement, and hydrozoning.
• Discussion of the ecological impact of harvesting sphagnum moss for use in potting media, and the use of coir palm fiber as an alternative, is included.
• A reorientation of the chapter on Lawns, entitled Lawns and Lawn-Substitute Plants, now emphasizes the importance of plant alternatives to grass in a landscape. 

This edition offers the latest information on horticultural science for indoor and outdoor plants.  

• Includes a revision of the definition of a plant, providing current scientific thinking and modern genomics on the subject.
• A pertinent section on adaptive strategies of plants for climate tolerance has been added.
• Potting media, fertilizers, and watering of houseplants have been combined into one chapter.
• Offers an in-depth discussion of the effects on plant growth of currently available low-emittance (low-e) window-glazing materials.
• Includes LED lighting information as it pertains to plant grow lights.