Learn Practical Application of Horticulture Skills and Techniques
Horticulture is very much a hands-on field. Whilst there is much to learn through reading and observing, becoming adept at the practical side of things is highly valuable in all areas of horticulture. This course directs students in sound practical methods for undertaking a variety of tasks from planting to weeding, and pruning to applying insecticides.
The focus here is on the fundamental practical horticulture skills and techniques and learn skills such as soil analysis, plant identification, plant propagation, maintenance and identification of plant pest disease and weeds.
Those who complete this course will have a range of skills which should set them up to make inroads into horticulture fields from general horticulture to more specific fields like landscaping or propagation.
Course Duration: 100 hours of self paced studies
What this Course Covers?
There are 10 lessons in this course.
Soil Analysis
- Soil Analysis
- Testing Your Soil
- Good Soil Structure
- Simple Soil Test
- Naming The Soil
- Percolation Rates
- Drainage Problems
- Soil Temperature
- How to Improve Soils
- Soil pH
- Methods Of Measuring Ph
- Probe Meters
- Colorimetric Methods
- pH meters
- Another Way to Measure Organic Matter in Soil
- Terminology
Seed Propagation (including seed identification)
- Growing Plants from Seed
- Hygiene
- How to Sow Seeds in Containers
- Germination
- Preparation of Seed Beds in the Field
- Selected Plant Species
- Seed Propagating Media
- General Characteristics
- Cation Exchange Capacity
- Seed Compost
- Commonly Used Mixes
- Terminology
Vegetative Propagation
- The Techniques
- Classification Of Cutting Types
- Equipment
- Procedures For Taking Cuttings
- Types Of Cuttings
- Stem Cuttings
- Herbaceous Cutting
- Tip Cutting
- Heel Cutting
- Nodal Cutting
- Basal Cutting
- Cane Cutting
- Leaf Cutting Techniques
- Root Cutting
- Bulb Cuttings
- Improving Strike Rate
- Terminology
Potting up and After Care of young plants
- Transplanting Between Pots
- Stop Roots Growing into The Soil
- What is a Perched Water Table?
- Drainage Holes
- Potting Up a Plant
- Potting Up Cuttings
- Pricking Out or Tubing Seedlings
- Setting out Cuttings
- Potting up a hanging basket
- Porous pots need different treatment
- Plant Modification to Achieve Uniformity
- Modification Techniques
- Spacing
- Staking
- Growing-On Areas for Container Plants
- Chemical Growth Modification
Planting
- General Planting Considerations
- Problems With Containers
- How To Maintain Plants in Pots
- Types Of Pots
- Bare Rooted Plants
- Planting
- Hints For Planting
- Drainage
- Improving Infiltration of Water into The Soil
- Improving Surface Drainage After Construction
- Provision Of Sub Surface Drains
- Layout Of Drains
- Outlet
- Gradients
- Distance Between Drainage Pipes
- Depth Of Drains
- Types Of Drains
- Laying The Drain
- Surface Drainage
- Some Points to Remember When Designing a Drainage System
- Terminology
Maintenance of Established Plants
- Pruning In the Home Garden
- The Basic Rules of Pruning
- Getting Pruned
- Selecting Your Secateurs
- Winter Pruning
- General Principles
- How To Do It
- Pruning Tools
- Some Examples of Winter Pruning
- Pollarding
- Plants That Respond Well to Pruning Include:
- How To Prune a Rose
- Clean Out Your Dead Wood
- Wood Rots
- Dead Heading
- Is Annual Pruning Enough?
- What Is Compartmentalisation?
- What About Wound Treatments?
- What About Compost – Doesn’t It Spread Disease?
- Pruning In the Home Orchard
- Terminology
- How To Use Trimmers
- Pruning Tomatoes
- Root Pruning
- How To Trim a Hedge
- Training
- Terminology
Practical Plant Identification – Woody Plants
- Plant Names
- Common Names
- Scientific Names
- What Is the Difference Between Families
- Common Names
- Scientific Names
- What Is the Difference Between Families
Pest, Disease and Weed Identification
- Pests
- Diseases
- Diagnosis of Problems
- Finding Out What the Problem Is
- Conducting An Inspection
- Tell Tale Symptoms
- Is There More Than One Problem?
- Develop A Systematic and Logical Approach to Inspecting the Plant
- Conducting An Inspection
- Diagnosis Of Plant Disorders
- Shortcuts To Problem Identification
- Difficult To Diagnose Problems
- Integrated Pest Management (IPM)
- Weeds
- Common Terms
Practical Plant Identification – Non-Woody Plants Including Grasses and Indoor Plants
- Choosing The Right Lawn
- Turf Varieties
- Lawn Mixes
- What To Grow Where
- Cool Winters/Dry Summers
- Mild Summers/Cold Winters
- Fescues, Kentucky Blue Grass, Rye Grass, Couch.
- Tropical
- Bulbs
- What Spring Bulbs Need
- How To Grow Bulbs
- Bulbs In Subtropical and Tropical Areas
- Indoor Plants
- Potting
Risk Assessment
- Identifying Risk in The Workplace
- Chainsaw Use & Safety
- Save The Back, Use the Head! Hard Work Solutions
- Cleaning & Sharpening Tools
- Secateurs And Branch Pruning Tools
- Shovels And Spades
- Saws And Chainsaws
- Protecting Tools from Rust
- Maintaining Timber Handles
- Maintaining Plastic Handles
- Storage
Who This Course Is For?
- Those who are considering employment in the horticulture trade e.g., garden maintenance, parks & gardens, landscaping, nursery & propagation.
- Gardeners, landscapers, and horticulturists seeking to build on existing skills.
- People with access to community gardens or who wish to volunteer for local gardening projects.
- People who wish to enhance their knowledge of gardening techniques to care for their own garden or perhaps to do their own garden makeover.
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