Arboriculture I (Basic) 100 Hours Certificate Course

There are 8 lessons:

1 Introduction to Arboriculture

• Trees in the garden
• Planting in the right position
• Choosing the right variety
• Choosing the right specimen
• How to plant different types of trees
• Transplanting
• Tree Guards
• Using a Tree Report Form

2 Tree Biology

• Tree growth
• Photosynthesis
• Respiration
• Transpiration
• Vernilisation
• What makes foliage change colour
• Tree physiology: Roots, Stems, Leaves
• Bud types
• How a tree grows
• Vascular tissue
• Cambium
• Xylem
• Phloem
• Secondary growth
• Growth rings
• Heartwood
• Sapwood
• Compartmentalisation
• Water and plant growth,
• Growth rate factors
• Arboricultural terminology

3 Soils In Relation to Trees

• Fertilising
• Compacted soils
• Tree health and drainage
• Treating soil over winter
• Changed soil levels around trees
• Measuring pH
• Measuring soil organic content
• Measuring water content
• Determining fertiliser solubility
• Testing affect of lime on soil
• Laboratory testing of soils
• Soil texture, Measuring salinity
• Soil horizons
• Soil Naming
• Soil nutrition
• Fertilisers, etc

4 Diagnosing Tree Problems

• Tree health disorders
• Frost protection
• Minimising frost and wind damage
• Mulch and frost, Mistletoe
• Diagnosing problems
• Conducting a Tree inspection

5 Tree Surgery

• Tree surgery-do you need it?
• Review of techniques
• Tree surgery safety
• Safety and the worker
• Public safety
• Safety regulations
• Cavity treatments
• Bracing
• Cabling
• Propping
• Bark wounds
• Tree climbing techniques, Knots, Anchoring points, etc.

6 Pruning Trees

• Pruning objectives
• Removing branches
• Crown cleaning
• Crown thinning
• Crown reduction
• Crown lifting
• Crown renewal
• Fruit tree pruning
• Felling a whole tree
• Felling sections of a tree: terminology.

7 Aboriculture Equipment

• Secateurs
• Hand saws
• Power tools
• Safety with electricity
• Engine and tool maintenance
• Chain saws
• Hedge trimmers
• Ladders
• Harnesses
• Ropes
• Pole belt
• Spurs etc

8 Workplace Health and Safety

• Duty of Care
• Lifting & manual handling
• Protective equipment
• Handling tools and machinery
• Auditing tools and equipment