ENROL NOW

Managing a Nursery (Short Course)

Course CodeSGH18
Fee CodeSG
Duration (approx)20 hours
QualificationCertificate of Completion

Key components for successful plant nursey management are :

  • Production of healthy plants
  • Availability of plants when required in the market
  • Use of appropriate equipment and facilities

Nursery management is a crucial part of the horticulture industry. In this course you will learn the essential management techniques required to assure the health and vitality of their plants cultivated and sold for profit or used in home gardens.

Lesson Structure

There are 8 lessons in this course:

  1. Course Content
  2. INTRODUCTION TO THE NURSERY INDUSTRY
    • The industry
    • Professional organisations
    • Nursery accreditation
    • Types of nurseries
    • What to grow
    • How to grow
    • Nursery standards
    • Starting out as a nursery producer
    • Assessing opportunities
    • Trends in the retail nursery/garden centre industry
    • Review what you have been learning
  3. THE NURSERY SITE
    • Area of the nursery site
    • Nursery site and location
    • Nursery design
    • Designing for effective environmental management
    • Review what you have been learning
  4. NURSERY MATERIALS AND EQUIPMENT
    • Containers
    • Labels
    • Stakes, trellises and trainers
    • Mulches
    • Nursery tools and equipment
    • Using tools
    • Hand tools
    • Hand saws
    • Machinery
    • Stages in each stroke of an engine
    • Drones
    • Robotics
    • Review what you have been learning
  5. IRRIGATION
    • Water supply
    • Water quality
    • Water treatment
    • Recycling water
    • Irrigation systems
    • Pumps
    • Scheduling irrigation
    • Maintenance of watering systems
    • Review what you have been learning
  6. GLASSHOUSES, SHADE HOUSES AND OTHER NURSERY STRUCTURES
    • Greenhouses
    • Other structures for growing plants
    • Environmental control in greenhouses
    • Sheds and workrooms
    • Review what you have been learning
  7. MANAGEMENT
    • Operational flow charts
    • Human resource management
    • Examples of nursery job descriptions and advertisements
    • Work scheduling
    • Motivating employees
    • Training staff
    • Horticultural education
    • Styles of supervision
    • Safety and illness at work
    • Managing facilities
    • Productivity
    • Managing money
    • Practical exercise
    • Cash flow
    • Financial statements
    • Record keeping
    • Computers in the nursery
    • Business planning
    • Review what you have been learning
  8. MARKETING
    • Marketing nurseries
    • The marketing mix
    • Choosing a plant variety to sell
    • Product case study: marketing cut flowers
    • Promotions and advertising
    • Packaging
    • Transport and distribution
    • Sales
    • After sales service
    • Market research
    • Marketing budget
    • Legal implications of marketing
    • Glossary
    • Metric/imperial conversion table
    • Review what you have been learning
    • Final assessment

How does this course work?

You can enrol at any time.
Once you have paid for the course, you will be able to start straight away.
Study when and where you like. Work through at your own pace.

You can download your study-guide to your smart phone, tablet or laptop to read offline.

There are automated self-assessment tests you can complete at the end of each lesson. You can attempt these as many times as you wish and each time, upon completion, you can see your results. You will need internet access to complete the self assessment tests.