This Certificate involves the following areas of work:
- CORE STUDIES - fifteen lessons involving at least 350 hours.
- STREAM STUDIES - stream studies on plant propagation involving at least 350 hours of study.
CORE STUDIES:
This involves fifteen lessons as follows:
1. Introduction to Plants
Nomenclature and taxonomy, the plant kingdom, genus, species, hybrids.
2. Parts of the Plant
How plants grow, plant structure, parts of the flower and leaf, stem & root modification.
3. Plant Culture - Planting
How to plant and protect newly planted specimens, terms like: annuals, biennials, perennials, deciduous, evergreen and herbaceous plants.
4. Plant Culture - Pruning
Purpose for pruning, rules for pruning, how to prune.
5. Plant Culture - Irrigation and Machinery
Different irrigation systems, components of an irrigation system, designing an irrigation system, selection, use and maintenance of machinery and tools.
6. Soils & Media
Soil classifications, testing soil, potting mixes, the U.C. System, ingredients of potting mixes.
7. Soils & Nutrition
Fertilisers - deficiencies and toxicities, NPK ratios, salting, fertiliser programming, compost.
8. Propagation - Seeds & Cuttings
How to propagate plants by seed and cuttings, propagating mixes, cold frame construction, after care for young plants.
9. Propagation - Other Techniques
Other methods - budding, grafting, layering, division and tissue culture.
10. Identification and Use of Plants
How are plants used in the landscape, how to choose and purchase plants, selecting plants suitable for the climate and site.
11. Identification and Use of Plants
Problems with plants and choosing plants for problem sites.
12. Identification and Use of Plants
Indoor and tropical plants, flowers, herbs, bulbs, ferns.
13. Pests
Identifying and controlling pests, chemical and natural methods for control, chemical safety precautions.
14. Diseases
Identifying and controlling diseases, plant pathology, fungi, viruses, non-pathogenic problems, interactions with the host and the environment.
15. Weeds
Identifying and controlling weeds, chemical terminology.
STREAM STUDIES
Through these specialised stream studies, the student will attempt to achieve the following objectives:
*Collect seed from and propagate different varieties of plants with that seed.
*Describe the method and time of year used to propagate at least 200 different plant varieties.
*Draw and label the parts of a seed.
*Explain how a seed germinates, and grows in the early stages of its development.
*Explain a variety of different harvest and post harvest treatments for seed.
*Explain a variety of pre-germination treatments for seed.
*Collect, identify and prepare cuttings for at least 50 different varieties of plants.
*Propagate from cuttings and successfully grow on ten different plant varieties to the stage of a saleable tube.
*Mix and use a propagation media suited to propagating cuttings and seed.
*Explain the reasons why particular propagation methods are preferred to other methods.
*Explain the propagation of at least 40 different varieties of plants by grafting or budding.
*Prepare examples of at least ten different types of grafts.
*Successfully execute at least ten grafts using at least ten different plant variety combinations.
*Propagate fifteen different plants by methods including separation, division and layering.
*Explain tissue culture techniques and their commercial relevance in plant production.
*Consider site features which are important to the operation of a nursery.
*Explain different nursery production systems.
*Construct a simple inexpensive cold frame.
*Prepare a routine maintenance program for plants in a production nursery.
*Analyse and report on the operation of two different production nurseries.
*Prepare a floor plan for the interior layout of a propagation/potting area.
*Describe how to pot up and plant out at least 20 different types of plants.
*Describe soils and potting media in terms of texture, structure and water holding and nutrient holding capacity.
*Prescribe methods of improving soil structure, infiltration rate, water holding capacity, drainage and aeration.
*Describe how to grow plants successfully in containers.
*Describe suitable potting mixes for container growing of five different types of plants.
*List safety procedures to be followed in a nursery.
*Show an awareness of irrigation equipment and its operation in a nursery.
*Explain growing structures and equipment used to enhance the propagation of plants including, hot beds, misting, fogging, cold frames and greenhouses.
Lesson Structure
- Methods Of Propagation
- Seed Propagation A
- Seed Physiology & Germination
- Seed Propagation B
- Propagation By Cuttings A
- Propagation By Cuttings B
- Efficiencies In Cutting Propagation
- Miscellaneous Propagation Techniques
- Budding & Grafting
- Tissue Culture
- Layering
- Propagating Structures & Equipment
- Propagating Materials
- Nursery Management A
- Nursery Management B
Note: Fees do not include exam fees (x 4)
NOTE: The Stream Studies for this course will undergo a major revision and restructuring in the near future. The new structure will cover the same content, but be upgraded to incorporate three standard ACS modules. In doing this; we will improve many aspects of this course; amongst other things: students will be able to better articulate into higher level courses.
FREQUENT QUESTIONS
Why Choose This Course
- Unique course materials (developed by our staff) and more current than some colleges (many reviewed annually); as a result, ACS graduates can be more up to date.
- We work hard to help you understand and remember it, develop an ability to apply it in the real world, and build networks with others who work in this field (It’s more than just serving up a collection of information –if all you want is information, buy a book; but if you want an education, that takes learning to a whole new level).
- Start whenever you want, study at your own pace, study anywhere
- Don’t waste time and money traveling classes
- We provide more choices–courses are written to allow you more options to focus on parts of the subject that are of more interest to you; a huge range of elective subjects are offered that don’t exist elsewhere.
- Tutors are accessible (more than elsewhere) – academics work in both the UK and Australia, 5 days a week, 16 hours a day. Answering emails and phone calls from students are top priority.
- We treat students as individuals –don’t get lost in a crowd. Our tutors communicate with you one to one.
- Extra help at no extra cost if needed. When you find something you cannot do, we help you through it or will provide another option.
- Support after you finish a course –We can advise about getting work, starting business, writing a CV, etc. We can promote students and their businesses through our extensive profile on the internet. Graduates who ask will be helped.
- Support from a team of a dozen professional horticulturists, living in different parts of the UK, and in both temperate and tropical climate zones of Australia.
About ACS
ACS was started in 1979 by John Mason, who at the time was a gardening author, horticultural consultant and lecturer in horticulture at several colleges across Melbourne (in Australia). Over the summer that year John discovered that there were thousands of applicants going to be turned away from horticulture courses at Burnley Horticultural College (now Melbourne University). There were simply too few courses being offered for the number of people wanting to study horticulture in Australia. This situation prompted a move to establish a correspondence course at Burnley; but after months of unsuccessful lobbying for support from government; John wrote a course, and with help from a colleague at Council of Adult Education, marketed it.
Standards were originally set in line with what were seen to be the standards of Australia's top horticultural college; and over the years, those standards have never been reduced. This makes our courses longer and more demanding than some other colleges; but it has also led to us building a credibility that stands tall in the horticulture industry across the world.
In the early 1990's John started visiting the UK and becoming involved with the horticulture industry there. Around the mid 1990's ACS began offering RHS courses, and in 2003, John was formally recognised for his contribution to British Horticulture by being made a fellow of the Institute of Horticulture. ACS, as a school, established an office and staff in the UK in 2001, and has expanded considerably since then. Today it is formally affiliated with five other colleges in the UK (including Warwickshire College); all of who license and deliver ACS courses.
A team of leading horticulturists work for the school's horticulture department, including 12 faculty members in both the UK and Australia
How You Study
- As soon as you enroll, we send an email to explain it all.
- We direct you to a short orientation video (downloadable over the internet) to watch, where our principal introduces you to how the course works, and how you can access all sorts of support services
- You are either given a code to access your course online, or sent out a CD or course materials through the mail (or by courier).
- Work through lessons one by one, each lesson typically having four parts:
- An aim -which tells you what you should be achieving in the lesson
- Reading -notes written and regularly revised by our academic staff
- Set Task(s) -These are practicals, research or other experiential learning tasks that strengthen and add to what you have been reading
- Assignment -By answering questions, submitting them to a tutor, then getting feedback from the tutor, you confirm that you are on the right track, but more than that, you are guided to consider what you have been studying in different ways, broadening your perspective and reinforcing what you are learning about
- Other - Your work in a course rarely stops at just the above four parts. Different courses and different students will need further learning experiences. Your set task or assignment may lead to other things, interacting with tutors or people in industry, reviewing additional reference materials or something else. We treat every student as an individual and supplement their learning needs as the occasion requires.
- We provide access to and encourage you to use a range of supplementary services including an online student room, including online library; student bookshop, newsletters, social media etc.
- We provide a "student manual", that is a quick solution to most problems that might occur
Recognition
- ACS has a highly respected international profile: by employers and academics alike. People are more aware of us than many other distance education schools –just do a search for “horticulture distance education courses” and see what comes up on the internet; or search for ACS Distance education on Facebook or Linked in, and see how many connections we have compared to other colleges.
- Recognised by International Accreditation and Recognition Council
- ACS has been educating people around the world since 1979
- Over 100,000 have now studied ACS courses, across more than 150 countries
- Formal affiliations with colleges in five countries
- A faculty of over 40 internationally renowned academics –books written by our staff used by universities and colleges around the world.
Extra Books or Reference Materials
- The course provides you with everything that you need to complete it successfully.
- Assignments may ask you to look for extra information (eg. by contacting nurseries, visiting gardens or searching the internet), but our school's resources and tutors are always available as a back up. If you hit a "roadblock", we can quickly send you additional information or provide expert advice over the phone or email; to keep you moving in your studies.
- Some students choose to buy additional references, to take their learning beyond what is essential for the course. If a student wants to buy books, we operate an online bookshop offering ebooks written by staff at the school. Student discounts are available if you are studying with us. The range of e books available is being expanded rapidly, with at least one new ebook being written and published by our staff every month.
- See www.acsebook.com for ebooks (available in pounds stirling). We also sell books through our Australian bookshop (selling in Australian dollars) at www.acsbookshop.com
