CERTIFICATE IN HORTICULTURE (PROPAGATION) VHT002

COURSE STRUCTURE

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.

LESSONS

There are 30 lessons:

1.  Plant Identification
Introduction
Botanical/Horticultural Nomenclature
The Binomial (Taxonomic) System
Botanical Classification
Plant Families and Species
Hybrids, Varieties, Cultivars
Plant Family Names
Pronunciation of Plant Names
Significant Genera and Families they belong to
Meanings and origins of Plant Names
Pressing Plants (to create a herbaria collection for reference)
Introduction to Amenity Plants
Flowering Plants
Lower Plants – Conifers, Ferns
Rhododendrons and Azaleas
Roses
Bulbs
Practical – Plant Review Worksheets

2.  Parts of the Plant
Plant Identification Skills
How to increase your Plant I.D. Skills
Terminology
Lead Types
Structure and Arrangement of Leaves and Leaflets
Common Leaf Shapes
Flower Structure
Parts of a Flower
The Inflorescence
Types of Flowers – bisexual, unisexual, monoecious, dioeceous
How a Seed Forms
Plant Structure
Stems and Stem Modifications
Leaves and Leaf Modifications
Roots and Root Function
Root Modifications
Morphological Changes as a Plant Matures
Cell Structure and Histology
Cell Components
Plant Cell Types
Plant Tissue Comparisons
Photosynthesis
Factors Affecting Photosynthesis
Respiration
Rate of Respiration
Transpiration
Environmental Factors Affecting Transpiration and Water Uptake
The Nitrogen Cycle
Terminology

3.  Plant Culture – Planting
Planting
Environmental Influences on Plants
Potting Up Plants
Potting Shrubs and Trees
Introduction to Gardening Basics
Terminology
Common Mistakes when Planting
Plant Selection Criteria
Economics of Planting
Ongoing Costs
Longevity
General Hardiness
Aesthetic Criteria
Basic Planting Procedure
Fertiliser
Staking
Bare Rooted Plants
Timing of Planting
Considerations, Variety, Time, Locality, Mulching
Laying a New Lawn – Soil Prep, Levels, Sowing, Raking in, Watering
Turf Grass Varieties – Couch, Fescue, Rye, Bent, Kentucky Blue

4.  Plant Culture – Pruning
Fruit or Vegetative Buds
Reasons for Pruning
Removing Dead or Diseased Wood
Controlling Growth Type
Controlling Shape and Size
Rejuvenation
Basic Pruning Rules
Home Orchard Pruning
Fruit Tree Pruning Styles
Before Pruning
Considerations while Pruning
Pruning Terminology

5.  Plant Culture – Irrigation and Machinery
Water and Irrigation
Infiltration and Drainage
Types of Irrigation
Flood Irrigation
Sprinkler Irrigation
Trickle Irrigation
Power Tools
Types of Power Tools
Power Tool Maintenance
Oil
Buying Power Tools
Chainsaws – Use, Starting, Chain Sharpening
Mowers – types. Guidelines for use, Care
Brush Cutters/ Strimmers
Mulchers
Rotary Hoes
Hedge Trimmers
Irrigation Objectives and Feasibility
Understanding Soil, Water and Plants
Gravitational, Capillary and Hygroscopic Water
Measuring Water Available to Plants
Calculations – Field Capacity, Wilting Point
Available Moisture Range
Root Depths for Different Plants
Estimating Plant Water Requirement
When to Irrigate
Symptoms of Water Deficiency and Excess
Types of Sprinkler Systems and Sprinkler Heads
Design and Operation of Irrigation Systems
Cyclic Watering
Pulse Watering
Irrigation Scheduling
Selecting Surface Irrigation Methods

6.  Soils and Media
Potting Mixes
Factors Affecting Fertiliser Application
Soils
Sampling Soils
Soil Composition
Colloids and Peds
Soil Texture and Structure
Soil Chemical Properties
Improving Soils – texture, structure, fertility
Soil Terminology

7.  Soils and Nutrition
Introduction
Nutrient Elements
Macronutrients
Nitrogen
Phosphorus
Potassium
Magnesium
Calcium
Sulphur
Micronutrients
Soil pH and Nutrient Availability
Soil Ameliorants
Total Salts
Salinity
Sources of Salt
Control Methods for Salinity
Soil Sodicity
Water, Air and Nutrients
Soil Temperature
Key to Diagnosis of Nutritional Problems
Fertilisers
Composting
Compost Ingredients

8.  Propagation – Seed and Cuttings
Introduction
Seed Propagation
Hygiene
How to Sow Seeds in Containers
Seed Germination
Seed Sources
Seed Storage
Factors Affecting Seed Storage
Germinating Difficult Seeds
Seed Dormancy
Treatments to Break Dormancy
Cutting Propagation
Cutting Types – Softwood, Hardwood, Semi Hardwood, Herbaceous, Stem, Tip, Heal. Leaf, etc
Factors affecting Rooting of Cuttings
Plant Breeding
Hybrid Seed Production
Maintaining Genetic Identity in Seed
Hand Pollination

9.  Propagation – Other Techniques
Division
Aseptic Micro Propagation
Grafting
Budding
Layering
Tip Layering
Mound Layering
Simple Layering
Compound Layering
Aerial Layering
Natural Layering – Suckers, Runners, Offsets, Crowns
Propagation with Specialised Stems and Roots – Bulbs, Corms, Tubers, Rhizomes, Pseudobulbs
Propagating Bulbs – Bulblets on Scales, Stem Cuttings, Bulbils, Basal Cutting etc

10. Identification and Use of Plants – Landscape Application
Plants in the Landscape
Choosing Plants – criteria
Inspecting Plants Pre Purchase
Trees for Landscaping
Factors for Tree Selection
Potential Tree Problems
Choosing Shrubs for Different Purposes
Groundcovers
Building Plant Knowledge of Many Tree and Shrub Genera
Trees for Different Conditions
Planting Techniques
Soil Restrictions on Planting

11. Identification and Use of Plants-Problem Situations
Establishing Trees
Tree Size & Age at Planting
Root Containment at Planting - Container Type, Bare Rooted or Balled
What to look for when Buying a Tree
Plant Protection at Planting – Staking, Frost Protection, Sun Protection, Cages
Controlling Birds
Props
Cabling & Bolting
Quick Reference Plant Directory
Container Growing Outside
Street Tree Reporting

12. Identification and Use of Plants – Indoor
Introduction to Indoor Plants
Why Indoor Plants Die
Potting Mixes
Drainage holes in Pots
How to Pot a small Plant to a Larger Pot
Potting up Hanging Baskets
Plantscaping with Ferns
Fern Families and Genera

13. Pests
Chemical Pest Control
Law
Chemical Labelling
Non Chemical Pest Control
Care when Using Chemicals
Entomology & Insect Control Methods
Types of Insect Poisons – contact, intermediate, stomach, translocated or not
Integrated Pest Management
Insecticide Use with IPM
Preventative Actions in the Garden
Understanding Pesticides – Reading the Label
Toxicity, Activity Spectrum, LD50. Persistence, Volatility, etc.
Chemical Types -Inorganic, Biological, Organophosphates, Organochlorines, Carbamates, etc.
Review of Specific Chemical Products
Diatomaceous earth, Soaps
Fungicides
Ways of Applying Chemicals – Spraying, Dusting, Granules, Irrigation injection
Safety Procedures when Using Agricultural Chemicals
Differentiation of Pests, Diseases and Viruses
Review of most Common Pests

14. Diseases
Fungicides
Plant Pathology
Identifying a Problem – Parasitic, Non Parasitic
Treating a Problem
Diagnosis of Plant Disorders – Visual Appearance, Possible Cause, Appropriate Treatment
Common Diseases
Anthracnose
Blight
Canker
Damping Off
Galls
Leaf Spot
Mildew
Rots
Rust
Smut
Mould
Wilt
Other Common Diseases
Turf Fungal Diseases
Plant Virus Detection and Diagnosis
Arboriculture and Tree Health

15. Weeds
What is a Weed
Steps to Controlling Weeds
Weed Control with Suffocation
Weed Control with Burning
Cultivation to Control Weeds
Other Non Chemical Weed Control Methods – Grazing, Mowing, Flooding, pH change, Biological Controls
Weed Control with Herbicides
Modes of Action
Regulations and Laws - Restricted Use & Supply
Avoiding Spray Drift
Types of Herbicide Chemicals – Aliphatics, Amides, Ureas, Carbamates etc.
Herbicide Resistance and Tolerance
Safe Use of Weed killers
Safety Guidelines and First Aid in relation to Chemical Use
Cleaning Up a Chemical Spill
Identifying Weeds
Controlling Weeds in Different Places – fence lines, base of trees, garden Beds, Hard Surfaces
Types of Weeds
Noxious Weeds
Environmental Weeds
Common Weeds
Terminology

16. Methods of Propagation
Sexual Propagation Introduction & Seed Treatments
Asexual Propagation Introduction
Scope of Commercial Seed Production
Seed Growing Methods
Choosing a Method
General Soil Preparation
Open Ground Production

17. Seed Propagation A.
Seed Germination
Maintaining Genetic Purity
Methods to Breed Self Pollinated Crops
Importance of Genetic Purity in Agriculture & Horticulture
Seed Certification
Preventing Cross Pollination
Hand Pollination
Hybrid Seed Production
Hybridising Techniques
Collecting Wild Seed
Selecting Plants to Collect From
Timing Collection
Collection Methods
Removing Seed
Choosing Seed for Vegetable Crops
Collecting Vegetable Seed
Seed Storage Behaviour
Factors Affecting Seed Storage
Types of Seed Storage
Disease Control in Seeds
Germination Testing

18. Seed Physiology and Germination
Flower Parts
Pollination
Seed Formation
Parts of a Seed - Embryo, Endosperm, Hilum
Germination - Epigeal, Hypogeal
Phases of Plant Reproduction
Fruits
Fruit Types

19. Seed Propagation B
Difficult to Germinate Seeds
Endospermic and Non endospermic
Germinating Seeds
Failure to Germinate
Dormancy Factors Affecting Germination
Types of Dormancy
Germination Treatments

20. Propagation by Cuttings A
Importance of Cuttings
Other Reasons to Use Cuttings
Where to Source Cutting Material
Genotype versus Phenotype
How to Grow a Cutting
Level of Difficulty Striking Cuttings
Classifying Cutting Types
Softwood Cuttings
Semi Hardwood Cuttings
Hardwood Cuttings
Other Cuttings: Herbaceous, Tip, Heel, Nodal, Basal, Cane
Taking Cuttings
Improving Strike Rates
Rooting

21. Propagation by Cuttings B
Leaf Cuttings
Leaf Bud Cuttings
Root Cuttings
Stock Plants for Root Cuttings
Bulb Cuttings
Scaling
Sectioning
Basal Cuttage
Propagating Succulents

22. Efficiencies in Cutting Propagation
Success with Cuttings - Work Quality, Technique Selection, Aftercare etc.
Why do Cuttings Form Roots
Juvenility
Cutting Treatments - Hormones
Other Chemical Treatments - Fungacides, Anti Transpirants, Disinfectants, Acid/Base Treatments
Non Chemical Treatments = Wounding, Callusing
Other Treatments - Mycorrhizae, VAM, Carbon Dioxide Enrichment

23. Miscellaneous Propagating Techniques
Division
Division of Herbs
Separation
Lifting and Storing Bulbs

24. Budding & Grafting
Reasons for Budding & Grafting
How a Graft Forms
Factors Influencing Graft Healing
Carpentry of Grafting
What Can be Grafted on What
Types of Grafts & Budding
Grafting Tapes
Bench Grafting
Root Grafting
Soft Tissue Grafting
Grafting Fruit Trees
Establishing Rootstocks
Double Working

25. Tissue Culture
Uses of Tissue CultureDifferent Environments
Nutrient Medium
Cleanliness
Growing Conditions
Procedures - Explants, Sterilisation, Nutrient Media
Methods of Shoot INduction & Proliferation
Multiplication by Adventitious Roots
Rooting & Planting Out
Laboratory Requirements
Terminology
Biotechnology in Horticulture
Cell Fusions
Overcoming Pollination Incompatibility
Pollination Biology use in Plant Breeding

26. Layering
Why Use Layering
Types of Layers
Tip Layering
Mound Layering
Simple Layering
Compound Layering
Trench Layering
Aerial Layering
Natural Layers - Suckers, Runners, Offsets, Crowns

27. Propagating Structures and Equipment
What can be Grtown in a Protected Environment
Greenhouse Systems
Components of a Greenhouse
Types of Greenhouses

28. Propagating Materials
Growing in Containers
Care of Containers
Preventing Moss and Algae Growth
Pots
Comparing Materials - Plastic, Terracotta, Glazed, etc
Potting Up Plants
Potting Media
History of Potting Mixes
Testing for Toxins in Media
Mixes/Substrates for Seed or Cuttings
Rockwool
Problems with Organic Components
Qualities of Potting Soils
Components of Potting Mixes
Cleanliness with Soils
Maintaining Sanitation
Potting up Different Types of Plants

29. Nursery Management A
The Nursery Site
Size
Planning Restrictions
Site Characteristics
Location
Designing Facilities for the Site
Production Areas
Production Systems
Flow Charts
The U.C. System
U.C. Mixes
Sanitation Rules

30. Nursery Management B
Plant Modification to Achieve Uniformity
Developing a Thicker, Sturdier Stem or Trunk
Making a Plant Taller Developing a Compact Root System
Encouraging Compact Growth
Improving Foliage Colour & Vigour
Promoting Flower Development
Getting Plants to Flower Out of Season
Other Factors - Spacing, Staking, Chemical Growth modification
Management Policies

What do our students think about the course? I have learnt so much from this course. I have learnt how easy and how much material strikes and grows, if you follow the rules. I learnt to propagate bulb leaves and grow them on. There are so many more plants that can be propagated and its not hard to do. I hope more people take up the challenge. As I don't have the internet, it's good to be able to use what may be an old fashioned way of learning. Please don't change, I don't think I'm the only one wanting to learn without the internet. Pauline Ross, Cutting Propagation course.

What You Will Do

• 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.
• AND LOTS MORE
• Explain growing structures and equipment used to enhance the propagation of plants including, hot beds, misting, fogging, cold frames and greenhouses.

How This Course Could Help You

Graduates of this course emerge with a thorough grounding in horticultural principles and practices which is essential if you are to become an expert grower. On top of that the stream studies in propagation ensure that you will also have all the necessary knowledge to successfully grow plants using a variety of propagation techniques. This is a perfectly balanced course for anyone interested in propagation and will appeal to people working in the following areas:

• Nursery & propagation
• Market gardening
• Crops
• Parks & gardens
• General horticulture

WHAT SETS ACS APART?

Service – We put the student first.  Tutors and administration can be contacted 5 days a week, 50 weeks of the year, by phone or email.

We provide Better Learning – We’ve been delivering distance education for over 3 decades, and we understand how people learn by home study.

Our methods are unique, developed through experience with a focus squarely on helping you learn.

Up to Date – We are continually revising and updating courses. We listen to our students feedback and we always improve the course if a change is identified that will help significantly improve your learning.

More Choice – Graduates need a set of skills that will set them apart and give them an advantage over competition in the world after study. We have a wide variety of study choices, and give you lots of options to choose different paths throughout a course. Doing this has meant our graduates very successful.

No Short Cuts –You can’t take short cuts in learning, and that is why our courses are often longer than you will find elsewhere. You could choose to study a short course, quickly sit an exam (while the information is fresh) and pass, but if you want to really understand something and retain it, that takes time.

More than just Learning Facts – We understand that success in the workplace or business requires you to not only learn things, but also build networks, understand the commercial world, be able to solve problems, communicate with people, and have an attitude that will function in your chosen industry.