Gardening basics quiz
Green thumb or plant killer? Find out.
10 multiple-choice questions, with the answer explained after each one.
Answer each question, see why, and beat your best score.
All 10 questions and answers
Want to check an answer or run the quiz out loud? Every question is here, with the answer hidden until you open it.
- Why spread mulch on garden beds?
- To attract snails
- To make soil acidic
- To stop plants growing
- To keep moisture in and weeds down
Show answer
To keep moisture in and weeds down. 5–7 cm of mulch is a common depth.
- What is the best time of day to water most gardens?
- Midday
- Early morning
- It doesn't matter
- Late at night only
Show answer
Early morning. Less water evaporates in the morning, and leaves dry before night.
- In compost, 'greens' are things like…
- Plastic bags
- Meat bones
- Vegetable scraps and fresh grass clippings
- Dry leaves and cardboard
Show answer
Vegetable scraps and fresh grass clippings. 'Browns' are dry leaves, straw and cardboard.
- Soil pH measures how…
- Acidic or alkaline the soil is
- Wet the soil is
- Hot the soil is
- Deep the soil is
Show answer
Acidic or alkaline the soil is. Most plants like a pH of about 6 to 7.
- An 'annual' plant…
- Flowers only once a decade
- Never flowers
- Completes its life cycle in one year
- Lives forever
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Completes its life cycle in one year. Perennials live for many years.
- Are earthworms good for gardens?
- Yes, they aerate and enrich the soil
- Only in pots
- Only in deserts
- No, they eat roots
Show answer
Yes, they aerate and enrich the soil. Worm castings are excellent fertiliser.
- Which of these is an Australian native plant?
- Tulip
- Rose
- Banksia
- Daffodil
Show answer
Banksia. Banksias attract native birds.
- Planting basil next to tomatoes is an example of…
- Grafting
- Crop rotation
- Pruning
- Companion planting
Show answer
Companion planting. Some plant pairs are thought to help each other.
- What does pruning do?
- Adds fertiliser
- Kills weeds
- Removes parts of a plant to shape it or encourage growth
- Waters the roots
Show answer
Removes parts of a plant to shape it or encourage growth. Use clean, sharp tools.
- Why rotate vegetable crops between beds each season?
- To save seeds
- To reduce pests and balance soil nutrients
- It isn't useful
- To confuse birds
Show answer
To reduce pests and balance soil nutrients. Different plant families use different nutrients.
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