20 Ornamental Maintenance Practice Questions & Answers

1. 1. A technician keying out an unknown deciduous shrub finds that the leaves emerge in pairs, directly across from each other, at every node. What does that observation contribute to the identification?

   • A.It confirms the plant is a broadleaf evergreen, because opposite leaves occur only in that group.
   • B.It settles the genus at once, because only one shrub genus bears its leaves in true pairs.
   • C.It narrows the search to the fairly small group of woody plants with opposite arrangement.✓ Answer
   • D.It shows the leaves are compound, since paired blades at one node are leaflets of a single leaf.

   Most woody landscape plants carry leaves alternately; opposite and whorled arrangements are far less common. Confirming an opposite arrangement therefore eliminates the majority of candidates in one step and points to a short list of families, but arrangement alone never names a species.

   Source: NALP Landscape Industry Certified Technician (Exterior), Ornamental Maintenance: Plant and Environmental Identification; NALP Landscape Training Manual for Maintenance Technicians, Plants and PlantingReport a problem with this question

2. 2. In the field a technician cannot tell whether a plant bears large compound leaves or short twigs lined with simple leaves. Which check settles the question?

   • A.Look at the margins, because leaflets are always toothed while simple leaves have smooth edges.
   • B.Look for a bud where the whole structure joins the stem; leaflets have no bud at their base.✓ Answer
   • C.Count the blades, because a structure carrying more than five blades has to be a twig.
   • D.Compare the color, because leaflets stay duller than the simple leaves on the same plant.

   A leaf, simple or compound, has an axillary bud where its petiole meets the stem, and leaflets of a compound leaf do not. Finding that bud tells the technician where one leaf begins and ends, which is what leaf-arrangement keys depend on.

   Source: NALP Landscape Training Manual for Maintenance Technicians, Plants and Planting (leaf morphology); NALP Landscape Technician Bootcamp, Plant Identification unitReport a problem with this question

3. 3. A foundation shrub has flat, overlapping scale-like foliage carried on flattened sprays and stays green through the winter. How should the technician classify it and adjust maintenance?

   • A.As an herbaceous perennial with persistent foliage, so cut it back hard each spring like a grass.
   • B.As a needled evergreen, many of which will not resprout from bare old wood, so prune it lightly.✓ Answer
   • C.As a broadleaf evergreen, which tolerates being cut hard into old wood and regrows from the base.
   • D.As a deciduous shrub holding winter color, so it can be cut back to the ground in late winter.

   Scale-like foliage on flattened sprays is conifer foliage, not a broadleaf. Many needled and scale-leaved evergreens have few or no latent buds in older interior wood, so cuts made back into bare wood leave a permanent hole rather than regrowing.

   Source: NALP Landscape Training Manual for Maintenance Technicians, Tree and Shrub Maintenance (pruning evergreens); NALP Ornamental Maintenance: Plant and Environmental IdentificationReport a problem with this question

4. 4. Why does a maintenance technician identify a shrub before deciding how to prune it or how to treat a problem on it?

   • A.Because a uniform height looks tidier, and shearing every shrub in a bed to one line saves time.
   • B.Because bloom timing, growth habit, and pest susceptibility differ by species and drive the decision.✓ Answer
   • C.Because species names are needed for the invoice, while pruning rules are the same for all shrubs.
   • D.Because a product can then be sprayed on a set schedule without inspecting the plant for damage.

   When a shrub sets its flower buds, how it responds to a cut, and which pests and diseases it is prone to are all species traits. Without the identification the technician cannot choose the right season, the right cut, or the right diagnosis.

   Source: NALP Landscape Industry Certified Technician (Exterior), Ornamental Maintenance Horticultural Principles (Plant and Environmental Identification, Pruning)Report a problem with this question

5. 5. A shrub whose species matures at 10 ft (3 m) wide was planted under a low window. The crew shears it twice a year to hold it below the sill, and it now looks thin and woody. What is the underlying problem?

   • A.The plant is underfertilized, so heavy feeding will let it fill in on the same shearing schedule.
   • B.The shearing was done with dull blades, which is why the shrub thins instead of staying compact.
   • C.The root zone is too dry, since drought, not mature size, is what makes a sheared shrub go thin.
   • D.The plant was mismatched to the space, so shearing manages a problem that replacement solves.✓ Answer

   Right plant, right place means matching mature height and spread, exposure, and soil to the site before planting. A plant set where it cannot reach its mature size creates permanent repeat shearing, and repeated shearing is what leaves it thin and woody.

   Source: NALP Landscape Training Manual for Maintenance Technicians, Plants and Planting (right plant, right place); NALP Ornamental Maintenance: Cultural NeedsReport a problem with this question

6. 6. A technician wants to open a dense shrub so light and air reach the interior while keeping its natural form. Which cut does that, and why?

   • A.A heading cut shortening shoots to a bud, because fewer buds are then left to fill the canopy.
   • B.A thinning cut taking a branch back to its origin, because it opens the canopy without dense regrowth.✓ Answer
   • C.A flush cut at the trunk, because removing the collar leaves the smoothest opening for airflow.
   • D.Shearing the outer surface, because it removes the most wood and lets light in the fastest.

   A thinning cut removes an entire branch back to its point of origin, so no cut stub is left to break dormancy in the buds behind it. Heading cuts do the opposite: they release the buds below the cut and produce a flush of dense new shoots.

   Source: ANSI A300 Part 1 (Pruning), thinning and reduction cut definitions; NALP Landscape Training Manual for Maintenance Technicians, Tree and Shrub MaintenanceReport a problem with this question

7. 7. A hedge sheared to the same outline for several seasons is dense on the surface but bare and twiggy inside. What explains that, and what corrects it?

   • A.A root disease killed the interior and shearing spread it, so treat the soil before pruning again.
   • B.The interior is short of nitrogen, so heavy fertilizer will refill it without any further pruning.
   • C.The base is too wide, so shearing the bottom narrower than the top will let the interior refill.
   • D.Repeated heading multiplies shoots at the surface and shades the interior, so thin some branches out.✓ Answer

   Every shearing pass is a mass heading cut, so shoot density builds up in an outer shell that shades the interior until those inner leaves die. Hand-thinning branches back into the shrub reopens the shell, and a hedge is kept wider at the bottom so light reaches the lower foliage.

   Source: NALP Landscape Training Manual for Maintenance Technicians, Tree and Shrub Maintenance (shearing and hedge form); NALP Landscape Technician Bootcamp, Pruning Techniques unitReport a problem with this question

8. 8. Which statement describes correct placement for the two everyday cuts a technician makes on a shrub?

   • A.Head back just below a bud, and cut inside the branch collar so the wound surface stays small.
   • B.Head back midway between two buds, and remove a branch flush with the stem so no stub is left.
   • C.Head back just above an outward-facing bud, and remove a branch just outside the branch collar.✓ Answer
   • D.Head back to an inward-facing bud, and leave a short stub past the collar to shield the wound.

   A heading cut is made close above a bud so no dead stub is left, and an outward-facing bud sends the new shoot away from the congested center. A removal cut is made just outside the branch collar because the collar contains the tissue that closes and defends the wound.

   Source: ANSI A300 Part 1 (Pruning), cut placement at the branch collar; NALP Landscape Training Manual for Maintenance Technicians, Tree and Shrub MaintenanceReport a problem with this question

9. 9. A crew has limited time in an overgrown mixed shrub bed. Which growth does the technician remove first?

   • A.The tallest healthy shoots on every shrub, so the whole bed reaches one height before detail work.
   • B.Dead, damaged, and diseased wood, then crossing or rubbing stems, before any shaping for size.✓ Answer
   • C.The lowest branches on each shrub, so the bed edge and the mulch line can be cut in cleanly.
   • D.The outer surface of each shrub with shears, so the bed still looks finished if the time runs out.

   Dead, damaged, and diseased wood is removed first because it is already lost to the plant and is a route for decay and infection; crossing and rubbing stems come next because the wounds they grind open invite the same problems. Shaping is cosmetic and comes last.

   Source: NALP Landscape Training Manual for Maintenance Technicians, Tree and Shrub Maintenance (reasons and order of pruning); ANSI A300 Part 1 (Pruning) objectivesReport a problem with this question

10. 10. An old multi-stemmed shrub has become a tangle of thick, unproductive canes with few flowers. Which approach renews it while keeping the shrub in the landscape?

    • A.Shear the whole shrub to a smooth outline each spring until new growth fills the bare interior.
    • B.Cut the oldest, thickest canes to the ground over several seasons, keeping the newer canes.✓ Answer
    • C.Head every cane back to one height so that all of them branch and thicken evenly at that level.
    • D.Remove the youngest thin canes yearly, leaving the old thick wood that carries the flower buds.

    Renewal pruning takes the oldest canes out at ground level in stages, so vigorous young canes from the crown replace them while the shrub keeps enough foliage to feed itself. Shearing or heading the canes only builds more twiggy growth on the same tired wood.

    Source: NALP Landscape Training Manual for Maintenance Technicians, Tree and Shrub Maintenance (renewal and rejuvenation pruning of shrubs)Report a problem with this question

11. 11. One shrub blooms in early spring on wood formed the previous season; another blooms in midsummer on the current season's growth. When should each be pruned?

    • A.Prune both in early fall, once growth slows and the buds for the next season are already set.
    • B.Prune the spring bloomer right after its flowers fade, and the summer bloomer in late dormancy.✓ Answer
    • C.Prune the spring bloomer in late winter, and the summer bloomer right after its flowers have faded.
    • D.Prune both in late spring, after everything has leafed out and dead wood is easy to spot.

    A shrub that blooms on last season's wood is already carrying next spring's flower buds through the winter, so dormant pruning cuts the bloom off; pruning right after flowering leaves a full season to set new buds. A shrub that blooms on current-season growth has not set its buds yet, so late-dormant pruning is safe.

    Source: NALP Landscape Training Manual for Maintenance Technicians, Tree and Shrub Maintenance (pruning timing by flowering habit)Report a problem with this question

12. 12. Why does a technician keep pruning blades sharp and disinfect them between plants when a disease is suspected?

    • A.A crushed cut closes as fast as a clean one, and a plain water rinse removes any pathogen present.
    • B.Sharp blades speed up the work, and disinfecting is only necessary at the end of the workday.
    • C.Dull blades crush stems harmlessly, and disinfectant is used mainly to keep the blades from rusting.
    • D.Sharp blades leave clean cuts that close faster, and cleaning keeps pathogens off the next plant.✓ Answer

    A clean cut leaves undamaged tissue at the edge of the wound, which closes faster than the torn, crushed bark a dull blade leaves behind. Sap and tissue carried on the blade can move bacteria and fungi from an infected plant to a healthy one, so tools are disinfected between cuts or plants when disease is suspected.

    Source: NALP Landscape Training Manual for Maintenance Technicians, Landscape Equipment Safety and Maintenance (pruning tools); NALP Landscape Technician Bootcamp, Identify and Manage Landscape Plant Diseases unitReport a problem with this question

13. 13. A crew is renewing mulch in a shrub bed where last year's layer is matted and heaped against the stems. What is correct practice?

    • A.Pull the mulch off the stems, loosen the matted layer, and top up only to the specified depth.✓ Answer
    • B.Heap fresh mulch over the stems for insulation, because a deeper layer suppresses more weeds.
    • C.Add a full new layer over the matted mulch each visit, because depth is what holds soil moisture.
    • D.Strip the bed to bare soil every spring, because mulch left in place ties up nitrogen in the bed.

    Mulch held against stems and trunks keeps the bark constantly wet, which invites rot, stem-girdling roots, and rodent chewing, and mulch piled past the specified depth excludes oxygen from the root zone. Raking the old layer open and topping up to depth keeps the bed at the depth actually specified.

    Source: NALP Landscape Industry Certified Technician (Exterior), Ornamental Maintenance: Top Dressing and Mulching; NALP Landscape Technician Bootcamp, How to Calculate and Install Mulch unitReport a problem with this question

14. 14. A bed holds scattered mature perennial weeds with deep taproots, and the crew also wants fewer weed seedlings next season. Which combination fits?

    • A.Snap the tops off the mature weeds and cultivate the bed weekly after the pre-emergent is applied.
    • B.Use a contact post-emergent on the taprooted weeds, because burning the tops kills the root system.
    • C.Apply a pre-emergent across the whole bed now, because it also kills the established taprooted weeds.
    • D.Pull the established weeds with the whole root, and time a pre-emergent before seeds germinate.✓ Answer

    A pre-emergent works on germinating seed and does nothing to weeds already growing, and cultivating after it is applied breaks the treated layer it depends on. A perennial weed regrows from any taproot left behind, so the root has to come out with the plant.

    Source: NALP Landscape Technician Bootcamp, Managing Weeds in the Landscape unit; U.S. EPA pesticide label directions (label is the law)Report a problem with this question

15. 15. Why does a technician deadhead spent flowers on perennials and bedding plants during the season?

    • A.Removing faded flowers keeps the plant's energy in growth and often brings a second flush of bloom.✓ Answer
    • B.Removing faded flowers sterilizes the cut surface, which prevents most foliar disease in the bed.
    • C.Removing faded flowers hardens the stems for winter, so the fall cutback can be skipped entirely.
    • D.Removing faded flowers pushes the plant to set more seed, and heavy seed set is what thickens it.

    Once a flower fades the plant begins putting resources into ripening seed. Cutting the spent bloom off before seed matures redirects those resources into foliage, roots, and in many species a second set of flower buds, and it tidies the bed at the same time.

    Source: NALP Landscape Training Manual for Maintenance Technicians, Bed and Seasonal Color Maintenance (deadheading)Report a problem with this question

16. 16. Shrubs in a bed wilt every afternoon and the leaves look dull, yet the bed is irrigated daily and the surface soil is damp. What should the technician do first?

    • A.Increase the run time on that bed, because afternoon wilting is a reliable sign of drought stress.
    • B.Spray for spider mites, because afternoon wilt over damp soil is a typical sign of mite feeding.
    • C.Dig into the root zone to check moisture and drainage before watering more or treating anything.✓ Answer
    • D.Treat the shrubs for a foliar disease, because dull wilted leaves point to a fungal infection.

    Wilt only says the plant is not moving enough water; saturated soil drives out the oxygen roots need and damaged roots cannot take up water, so overwatering and drought look alike above ground. Checking moisture and drainage in the root zone separates the two before any product is applied.

    Source: NALP Landscape Training Manual for Maintenance Technicians, Tree and Shrub Maintenance (diagnosing abiotic disorders); NALP Ornamental Maintenance: Cultural NeedsReport a problem with this question

17. 17. On one shrub the oldest lower leaves are uniformly pale yellow while new growth stays green; on a neighboring shrub the newest leaves are yellow with green veins. What do the two patterns suggest?

    • A.Uniform yellowing of old leaves suggests iron; interveinal yellowing of new leaves suggests nitrogen.
    • B.Both patterns show a nitrogen shortage, so one nitrogen application will correct both shrubs at once.
    • C.Both patterns show insect feeding, so the leaves should be checked for mites before any fertilizer.
    • D.Uniform yellowing of old leaves suggests nitrogen; interveinal yellowing of new leaves suggests iron.✓ Answer

    Nitrogen moves within the plant, so a short supply is pulled out of old leaves first and they yellow uniformly from the bottom up. Iron does not move, so a shortage shows on the newest leaves as yellow tissue with green veins, most often because a high soil pH has locked the iron up rather than because the soil lacks it.

    Source: NALP Landscape Training Manual for Maintenance Technicians, Growing Media and Plant Nutrition (mobile vs. immobile nutrients; high pH and iron chlorosis)Report a problem with this question

18. 18. A young landscape tree set in turf has bark gouged in a ring near the ground, and no swelling flare shows where the trunk meets the soil. What is the likely cause and correction?

    • A.Boring insects working at ground level, so treat the lower trunk and keep the maintenance routine.
    • B.Normal bark maturation on a young tree, so nothing is needed beyond the usual seasonal cleanup.
    • C.Winter salt spray off the drive, so rinse the trunk each spring and keep mowing up to the trunk.
    • D.Trimmer and mower wounds with mulch piled at the base, so widen the mulch ring and pull it back.✓ Answer

    Repeated string-trimmer and mower strikes cut through bark at one height and can girdle the conducting tissue, and mulch mounded over the flare hides the trunk base and keeps it wet. A wide mulch ring pulled back off the bark removes both the mowing reason to go near the trunk and the moisture held against it.

    Source: NALP Landscape Training Manual for Maintenance Technicians, Tree and Shrub Maintenance (mechanical injury, mulching to the trunk); NALP Ornamental Maintenance: Plant ProtectionReport a problem with this question

19. 19. A client reports chewed leaves on shrubs in one bed. Which sequence follows integrated pest management?

    • A.Prune off all of the damaged foliage first, because removing symptoms ends the pest's life cycle.
    • B.Replace the shrubs with a resistant species now, because chewing damage returns every season.
    • C.Spray a broad-spectrum insecticide over the bed today, then identify the pest if damage continues.
    • D.Identify the pest and judge how much damage there is, then use cultural or mechanical control first.✓ Answer

    Integrated pest management starts with correct identification and monitoring, because damage may be old, minor, or caused by something a pesticide cannot fix. Cultural and mechanical controls come next, and a pesticide is a last resort applied by a licensed or supervised applicator strictly to its label.

    Source: U.S. EPA integrated pest management principles; NALP Landscape Training Manual for Maintenance Technicians, Pest ManagementReport a problem with this question

20. 20. A crew wraps the trunk of a young thin-barked tree with a light-colored trunk wrap in late fall. What must the technician remember about that wrap?

    • A.Take the wrap off in spring, because wrap left on year-round holds moisture against the bark.✓ Answer
    • B.Leave the wrap on permanently, because it also guards the bark from mower and trimmer damage.
    • C.Wrap the trunk tightly in plastic sheeting, because a sealed surface blocks de-icing salt better.
    • D.Install the wrap in midsummer instead, because sunscald injury happens during the hottest weather.

    Trunk wrap is a winter measure: it reflects low winter sun that would warm the bark on a cold day and cause sunscald, and it discourages rodent chewing. Left on into the growing season it traps moisture, hides insect entry and cankers, and can constrict the expanding trunk, so it goes on in fall and comes off in spring.

    Source: NALP Landscape Industry Certified Technician (Exterior), Ornamental Maintenance: Plant Protection; NALP Landscape Training Manual for Maintenance Technicians, Tree and Shrub Maintenance (winter protection)Report a problem with this question

Practice questions based on the published content areas of the National Association of Landscape Professionals' Landscape Industry Certified Technician (Exterior) programme — the universal safety and hazard-communication elements every candidate takes, plus the plan reading, horticultural principles and calculation content behind the installation and maintenance specialties — together with standard horticulture, soils, turfgrass and hardscape construction references. This site is not affiliated with or endorsed by the National Association of Landscape Professionals. This bank covers written knowledge only; where a certification programme also assesses hands-on skill, that part is judged in the field and cannot be practised on a screen. Irrigation system design and troubleshooting, and arboriculture, are covered by our separate irrigation and arborist banks rather than here. Landscape work is governed by pesticide, licensing, water-use and vehicle rules that vary by state and locality — confirm what applies where you work, and confirm current certification requirements with NALP before testing. About NALP certification →