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Qualification - Certificate in Horticulture (Ornamental Horticulture)

Course CodeVHT002
Fee CodeCT
Duration (approx)700 hours
QualificationCertificate

Work in Amenity Horticulture

The objective of the course is to: 

  • Develop general and broad based skills in horticultural practices and plant identification. 
  • Provide more specific knowledge in areas of ornamental horticulture including garden maintenance, turf care, arboriculture, landscaping and nursery work.

This Certificate in Horticulture involves the areas of work:

CORE STUDIES: this involves at least 300 hours, divided into 15 lessons, approx. half of the course.
ELECTIVE STUDIES: this involves a further 300 hrs of study going into greater depth in the areas of garden maintenance, nursery practices and landscaping.



Note: Course fee does not include exam fees (x 4).

Lesson Structure

There are 30 lessons in this course:

  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, modification of stems and roots.
  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, N:P:K 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 to increase plant numbers - 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.
  16. Introduction To Landscaping
  17. Landscape Design Procedures
  18. Basic Landscape Construction
  19. Landscape Construction B
  20. Plants For Problem Areas
  21. Part 1: Indoor & Tropical Plants. Part 2:Flowers
  22. Herbs
  23. Different Growing Techniques
  24. Arboriculture
  25. Planning Garden Maintenance
  26. Turf Care
  27. Introduction To Nursery Management
  28. Nursery Stock Maintenance & Quality
  29. Running A Garden Centre: Display & Display Techniques
  30. Marketing & Management In Ornamental Horticulture

What You Will Do

  • The following is just an incomplete list of things covered in this course:
  • Landscape design (including pre-planning and drawing plans).
  • Principles and styles of landscape designs.
  • Analysis of garden designs.
  • Graphic skills, materials and techniques.
  • Estimating costs for landscape jobs.
  • Surfacing materials and their effects.
  • Quality and cost of different landscape materials.
  • Plant knowledge, both native and exotic, suitable for local conditions.
  • Plant selection for difficult sites and conditions (including treating degraded sites and interior plantscaping).
  • Tropical and indoor plants.
  • Environmental factors important for indoor plant culture.
  • Bulbs, perennials and annuals.
  • Planting design for flower beds (annuals and bulbs) suitable for your locality.
  • Herb culture and garden design.
  • Miscellaneous growing techniques including; bonsai, terrariums, pot culture, baskets and hydroponics.
  • Describe the importance of trees to humans.
  • Procedures for the proper and safe removal of a limb from a tree.
  • Tree problems and their treatment.
  • Compartmentalisation, and its effect on the spread of disease in trees.
  • Preparing a detailed maintenance program for a garden.
  • Seed selection, storage, preparation and spreading (sowing).
  • Preparation, planting and establishment of a lawn.
  • Establishing turf on a steep slope.
  • Turf maintenance techniques.
  • Analysis of nursery production systems.
  • Preparing a flow chart for the production of a particular plant, from propagation to marketing.
  • Preparing a maintenance program for green life in a garden centre.
  • Preparing guidelines for the disposal of surplus or below standard stock in a nursery.
  • Write an advertisement for a nursery or garden maintenance business.
  • Basic management procedures for a single person nursery or garden maintenance business.
  • Basic communication skills.
  • Health and safety requirements for a nursery or garden maintenance workplace.

WHO WILL BENEFIT FROM THIS COURSE?

THOSE WHO WORK OR WOULD LIKE TO START OFF THEIR CAREER IN ORNAMENTAL HORTICULTURE:

  • Gardeners
  • Parks and garden maintenance
  • Arboriculturists
  • Landscapers
  • Nursery workers

 

 

 

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