Red Seal Landscape Horticulturist cheat sheet

Hierarchy of controls, most to least effective: elimination, substitution, engineering controls, administrative controls, personal protective equipment.

Occupational health and safety law in Canada is provincial or federal territory by territory; the employer duty to inform, instruct, and supervise workers is universal, but the specific statute, threshold, and reporting form differ by jurisdiction, so confirm the local act.

A worker has the right to refuse unsafe work in every Canadian jurisdiction; the refusal stays in effect until the employer investigates, and a regulator may be brought in if the matter is unresolved.

Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System (WHMIS) requires three elements for a controlled product: a label, a safety data sheet, and worker education and training.

A safety data sheet has 16 sections; Section 4 covers first aid, Section 6 accidental release, and Section 8 exposure controls and personal protection.

Ladder angle rule of thumb: set the base out one unit for every four units of working height (about 75 degrees), and secure the top.

Hearing protection is required when noise exposure exceeds the jurisdictional limit; as a working reference, an 85 dBA 8-hour time-weighted average is the common Canadian threshold.

A chainsaw or brush-cutter kickback zone is the upper quadrant of the guide bar tip; avoid contact and use a chain brake.

Traffic control on a roadside work site: high-visibility garment, advance warning signs, and a buffer between workers and live lanes.

Two-stroke engines require fuel mixed with oil at the manufacturer's ratio; four-stroke engines have a separate crankcase oil sump and take straight gasoline.

A dull chain or blade increases kickback risk and engine load; sharpen or replace when chips become fine dust rather than distinct chips.

Pruning cut quality depends on a bypass (scissor) blade for live wood and an anvil blade for dead wood; anvil blades crush live tissue.

String trimmer line diameter must match the head specification; heavier line overloads the clutch and can damage the shaft.

A mower blade is balanced after sharpening; an unbalanced blade causes vibration that damages spindle bearings.

Store gasoline in an approved container, never indoors, and never near a pilot light or other ignition source.

Air filter, spark plug, and oil level are the routine pre-start checks on small engine equipment; a clogged air filter causes rich running and hard starting.

Pressure washers: nozzle color governs pressure and fan width; a narrow fan on wood or soft stone etches the surface.

Hand tool inspection before use: check handles for cracks, heads for looseness, and cutting edges for nicks; a mushroomed chisel head or loose axe head is taken out of service.

A site inventory records topography, drainage patterns, soil, existing vegetation, structures, utilities, access, sun and wind exposure, views, and noise.

Locate buried utilities before any excavation; in Canada call the provincial one-call notification service and wait for locates to be marked.

Slope is expressed as percent grade = rise / run x 100; a 2 percent slope is the practical minimum for surface drainage away from a building.

Aspect determines microclimate: a south-facing slope is warmer and drier, a north-facing slope is cooler and wetter, and a frost pocket forms in low-lying concave ground.

Sun path analysis: summer sun is higher and from a more northerly azimuth than winter sun in the northern hemisphere, so overhangs shade summer sun but admit winter sun.

Zoning bylaw and setback checks come before design: lot coverage, front-yard setbacks, height limits, and fence height rules are set by the local authority.

A grading plan shows existing and proposed contours, spot elevations, and drainage flow arrows; it is the basis for hardscape and planting elevations.

Sight lines and clearance triangles at driveways and intersections govern where tall plantings and walls may go.

A tree protection zone is commonly defined as the critical root zone at a radius of about 10 to 12 times trunk diameter (or the drip line, whichever is greater); confirm the local bylaw standard.

Soil texture is the proportion of sand, silt, and clay; the textural triangle classifies soil by those percentages.

Soil structure is how particles aggregate into peds; structure governs infiltration and aeration more strongly than texture alone.

Cation exchange capacity (CEC) is the soil's capacity to hold exchangeable cations; organic matter and clay raise CEC, sand lowers it.

Soil pH controls nutrient availability: iron, manganese, and zinc become less available as pH rises above about 7, while phosphorus is most available near pH 6.5.

The three macronutrients are nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium; secondary nutrients are calcium, magnesium, and sulfur; micronutrients include iron, manganese, zinc, copper, boron, and molybdenum.

A fertilizer analysis (N-P-K) is percent by weight of nitrogen (as N), phosphorus (as P2O5), and potassium (as K2O).

Nitrogen forms: nitrate is immediately available and mobile; ammonium is held on the exchange complex; urea and slow-release forms depend on microbial conversion.

A soil test result plus a lab recommendation is the basis for amendment rates; lime raises pH and sulfur or aluminum sulfate lowers it.

Organic matter benefits include water holding, aggregation, CEC, and slow nutrient release; it is measured as percent organic matter in a soil test.

Binomial nomenclature: genus is capitalized, specific epithet is lower case, both italicized or underlined; the cultivar epithet follows in single quotes and is not italicized.

Hardiness zone maps rate minimum winter temperature; they do not account for soil drainage, snow cover, or summer heat, so a zone rating alone is insufficient for selection.

Right plant, right place criteria: hardiness zone, light exposure, soil moisture and pH, mature size, salt and pollution tolerance, and maintenance budget.

Deciduous plants lose leaves seasonally; evergreens retain foliage, and broadleaf evergreens such as rhododendron and holly behave differently from conifers in winter.

Native plants support local pollinators and are adapted to regional soils and climate, but native status does not guarantee suitability for a given site.

A plant's mature spread, not its nursery size, sets spacing; planting too close causes crowding, reduced airflow, and disease.

Gymnosperm versus angiosperm: gymnosperms bear seeds in cones, angiosperms bear seeds in fruit; this separates conifers from flowering trees and shrubs.

Nuisance and invasive species lists are maintained by provinces and municipalities; a species legal in one jurisdiction may be prohibited in another.

Functional use categories in design: canopy tree, understory tree, shrub mass, groundcover, vine, and seasonal accent.

Planting hole width should be at least two to three times the root ball diameter, but no deeper than the root ball so the root flare stays at or slightly above finished grade.

Do not amend the backfill heavily in heavy clay soil; a rich planting hole creates a bathtub effect and discourages roots from leaving the ball.

Bare-root plants are planted while dormant, roots spread over a cone of soil, and the crown is set at grade; roots must not dry out.

Balled-and-burlapped stock: remove twine and burlap from the top of the ball, and remove synthetic burlap and wire baskets that do not decompose.

Container stock with circling roots requires root washing or scoring to redirect roots; girdling roots cause long-term decline.

Water at planting to settle soil and remove air pockets; subsequent irrigation should soak deeply and infrequently rather than lightly and often.

Staking is temporary and removed after the first growing season in most cases; ties must allow trunk movement and be checked for girdling.

Mulch depth of about 5 to 10 cm, kept clear of the trunk flare, reduces moisture loss and competition; volcano mulching against the trunk promotes decay.

Transplant shock is reduced by planting at the correct season, minimizing root disturbance, and maintaining moisture; fall planting suits many species where winters are not severe.

Pruning timing rule: plants that bloom on old wood are pruned after flowering; plants that bloom on new wood are pruned in late winter or early spring.

The three-cut method removes a heavy limb: an undercut, a top cut outside the branch collar, and a final cut at the collar to prevent bark tearing.

Never leave a stub and never make a flush cut; the branch collar is the natural healing zone.

Mowing height rule of thumb: remove no more than one third of the leaf blade per cut; a dull blade tears grass and increases disease entry.

Irrigation scheduling: water deeply to the root zone and let the top layer dry between cycles; overwatering causes root rot and shallow rooting.

Fertilizer timing: avoid high-nitrogen applications in late summer or fall on woody plants, which can push tender growth that fails to harden before frost.

Renovation of a lawn or bed includes thatch removal, aeration, and topdressing; overseeding follows aeration for best seed-to-soil contact.

Winter protection: anti-desiccant sprays, burlap screens, and watering before freeze-up reduce winter burn on evergreens.

Deadheading, thinning, and renewal pruning are the tools for maintaining shrub form and vigor; rejuvenation pruning cuts back to the base over successive years.

Integrated pest management sequence: prevention and cultural controls, monitoring and thresholds, biological controls, then chemical controls as a last resort.

Abiotic disorders (drought, frost, salt, compaction, herbicide drift) produce uniform patterns and no signs of a pathogen; biotic problems often appear patchy and progress over time.

Signs are direct evidence of the pest (insects, frass, mycelium, egg masses); symptoms are the plant's response (chlorosis, necrosis, wilting, galls).

Disease triangle: a susceptible host, a virulent pathogen, and favorable environment must all be present for disease to occur.

Powdery mildew thrives in humid air with dry leaf surfaces; many root rots require saturated soil, so drainage is a primary control.

Beneficial insects and conservation biological control depend on habitat, flowering resources, and avoiding broad-spectrum insecticide applications.

Pesticide application requires a licensed applicator where the jurisdiction mandates it, adherence to the label, and record keeping; the label is the legal document.

Resistance management: rotate among pesticide mode-of-action groups and avoid repeated applications of the same group.

Diagnosis steps: identify the plant, describe the pattern and timing, inspect roots and the underside of leaves, and confirm with a lab or extension service.

Base preparation for pavers: compacted granular base, correct depth for the load, geotextile separation where subgrade is fine-grained, and a level screeded bedding layer.

Drainage falls: a patio should fall about 1 to 2 percent away from buildings; retaining walls need weep holes and a drainage aggregate behind the wall.

Retaining wall design depends on wall height, soil type, surcharge, and water pressure; walls above the local threshold require engineered design and permits.

Segmental block walls rely on geogrid reinforcement and proper batter; a wall built without a drainage layer fails from hydrostatic pressure.

Concrete mix: water-cement ratio controls strength and durability; lower ratio means higher strength but reduced workability.

Mortar for masonry is a mix of cement, lime, and sand; the lime provides workability and flexibility, and the mix ratio depends on exposure.

Setting bed for natural stone on concrete is typically a mortar bed; for dry-laid stone on aggregate, the bedding is compacted fines or sand.

Fence posts are set below frost depth where frost heave occurs; post depth and footing diameter are set by local code and load.

Wood preservation and fastener compatibility: use galvanized or stainless fasteners with treated lumber to avoid corrosion.

A change order is a written, signed authorization for work or cost outside the original contract; verbal changes create disputes.

A contract should state scope, price, payment schedule, schedule of work, exclusions, warranty terms, and dispute resolution.

A site visit and written estimate protect both parties: record existing conditions, access limits, and utilities before work begins.

Progress records include daily logs, photos with dates, weather notes, and material delivery records; these support warranty claims and payment applications.

Warranty terms for plants commonly cover a defined period and exclude damage from neglect, drought, or weather; the exact terms are set in the contract.

Customer communication best practice: confirm decisions in writing, document the agreed maintenance responsibilities, and provide a care sheet at handover.

Lien legislation differs by province; a general contractor may be required to hold back a percentage of payment for a defined period, so confirm the local builders lien act.

Regulatory compliance documentation includes permits, utility locates, and pesticide application records; keep them on file for the required retention period.

Handover documentation: plant list with botanical names, irrigation schedule, maintenance calendar, and warranty contact.