Garden Scavenger Hunt
Which seasonal cues can you find in your garden right now? As seasons shifts, so will the plants in your garden. Changes in plants can signal that it is time to sit back and relax or that it is time for a maintenance task. Look closely and look often. Check off any cues that you notice now in your garden. We suggest taking a few turns around the garden at different times of day to complete the scavenger hunt. Most importantly, have fun!
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These results are for your use and your eyes only. The results will not be captured or used by Curious Flora or Jotform.
July Hunt
1. Soil and Water Content
Dry, cracking patches of bare soil
Visible roots at surface
Moist Soil
Standing water persisting five minutes or more after irrigation
2. Sunlight and exposure
Shady area created by a winter deciduous tree or shrub
Sunny spots that are winter shady due to sun sitting low on the horizon
Sunny spots that were formerly shaded by a plant that died or was removed
Hot spots caused by reflected light or radiant heat
3. External influences
Large neighboring trees
Large neighboring buildings and structures
4. Weather
Wind in the morning
Wind in the afternoon/evening
Notably still/stale air
Humidity
Fog cover in the morning
Fog cover in the afternoon/evening
Other
5. Plants, plants, plants! Describe where you are seeing the following:
Rows
What plants are you seeing this on
New stems, flexible fresh vegetative growth
New leaves
Flower buds
Flowers opening
Flowers fully open
Seed pods forming
Dried seed pods
Vegetative growth visible, big and healthy, with no buds
Swollen leaf buds on stem
6. Edible plants
New vegetative growth
Flowers forming on herbs
Fruit forming
Fruit ripening
Flowers drying/aborting
Fruit drying or rotting on the plant, not ripening
Fallen fruit
Distorted, wrinkled new growth on stone fruit trees
Branches bowing on trees due to fruit load
Broken fruit tree branches
Other
7. Indications of plant stress
Very small amount of new vegetative growth, less thanexpected
Very few buds on plants
Very small buds or flowers
Sporadic flowering, few and far between
Smaller than expected fruit ripening
Wrinkled, distorted new growth
Wilting leaves
Yellowing leaves
Leaves with “burnt” or crispy edges
Buds with tiny holes
Brown, aborted flower buds
Flowers browning/drying
Other
8. Indicators of plant disease: bacterial, fungal or viral
Powdery Coating on surface of plant material
Black spots on leaves
Rusty-orange spots or bumps on leaves
Streaky or patchy yellowing on leaves
Steaky or stripey patterning on flower petals
Black or grey mold on plant parts
Black or grey mold spores on soil surface
Cankers or visible mushrooms on tree trunks or branches
Galls or growths on leaves or stems
Other
9. Evidence of insect activity
Holes in leaves, veins in tact
Holes in leaves, veins eaten
Tiny silvery dots or speckling on leaves
Visible Insects or Bugs (aphids, whitefly, scale, etc.)
Eggs, larvae, or pupae present
Frass (bug poop)
Webbing or cocoons
Visible predatory insects (ladybugs, wasps, spiders,dragonflies)
Other
10. Evidence of vertebrate pests
Bites taken out of produce, produce left on plant.
Bites taken out of produce, produce discarded.
Broken stems or branches
Crushed plant parts
Soil Mounds
Holes in Soil
Tunnels in Soil
Sudden wilting and dieback of plant stems or branches
Scat (poop)
Leaves nibbled with V-shaped bites
Leaves stripped
Buds or flowers missing (cut is clean but not made with pruners)
Buds, flowers, or fruit missing (cut with pruners or another tool)
Bird bath or water dishes now contaminated with soil, plant parts, etc.
Other
11. Birds present
Songbirds
Crows
Jays
Hawks
Owls
Other
12. Reptiles present
Lizards
Turtles
Snakes
Other
13. Amphibians present
Frogs
Toads
Bullfrogs
Salamanders
Newts
Other
14. Pollinators present
Bees
Butterflies
Moths
Bats
Hummingbirds
Ants
Wasps
Flies
Beetles
Other
15. Decomposers present
Worms
Fungal mycelium
Beetles
Rolly polies (pill bugs)
Springtails
Cockroaches
Larvae
Other
16. Other visitors
Cats
Dogs
Children
Rodents (mice, rats, squirrels)
Skunks
Opossum
Racoons
Other
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