Plant Growth In Horticulture 100 Hours Certificate Course

There are 10 lessons:

1. Classification of Plants and the Plant Naming System
   • Botanical and Horticultural Nomenclature: common names, scientific names
   • The Binomial System
   • Botanical Classification levels
   • Horticultural Groups
   • Plant Families and their distinguishing characteristics
   • Species, Hybrids, Varieties, Cultivars
   • Review of significant Dicotyledon and Monocotyledon families
   • Plant Lifecycles
   • Stages in Plant Development
   • Plant Collection Reviews
     
2. The Internal Structure of Higher Plants
   • Plant Cell Structure
   • Cell Components
   • Cell Division; mitosis and meiosis
   • Types of Plant Cells; Parenchyma, Collechyma,Sclerenchyma, Xylem, Phloem, Epidermal
   • Internal Structure of Dicotyledon Stems: Epidermis, endodermis, cortex,
   • vascular bundles, etc
   • Structure of Monocotyledon Stems
   • External Differences between Monocotyledons and Dicotyledons
   • Anatomica features of leaves and stems in cross section
   • Plant Tissues
   • Primary and Secondary Growth
   • Terminology
   • Botanical Keys and their use
     
3. The External Structure of Higher Plants, Roots, Leaves, Stems and Buds
   • Stems; the framework, functions of the stem
   • Stem modifications
   • Leaves
   • Functions of leaves
   • Respiration, transpiration and photosynthesis
   • Leaf shapes
   • Compound leaves
   • Leaf modifications
   • Buds: adventitious, apical, flower, vegetative
   • Root Structure
   • Types of Root Systems
   • Root Modifications
   • Morphological Changes due to Maturation
     
4. Identification and Function of the Reproductive Parts of the Plant
   • Parts of a flower: Sepals, Petals Staemens, Carpel
   • The Inflorescence
   • Flower Structure
   • Types of Fruits
   • Fruit and Seed Terminology
   • Modification of Fruits -dry fruits, succulent fruits, composite fruits, false fruits
   • Key to Main Fruit Types
     
5. Pollination and Fertilisation in Higher Plants
   • Pollination Processes
   • Self Pollination, Cross pollination
   • Pollination Mechanisms
   • Compatibility
   • Fertilisation, Embryo and Seed Formation
   • Post Fertilisation
   • F1 Hybrids
   • Genotype versus Phenotype
   • Male Sterility
   • Parthenocarpy
   • Hybrid Seed Production
   • Terminology
   • Seed and Fruit Development
   • Seed Structure
   • Seed Germination
   • Fruit Set, Growth and Development
     
6. The Fundamental Physiological Processes in Plants, Plant Growth and Developmental Relationships
   • Importance of Photosynthesis
   • The Light Reactions
   • The Dark Reactions
   • Chloplasts in Photosynthesis
   • C3, C4 and CAM Plants
   • Rate of Photosynthesis
   • Chemistry of Respiration
   • Rate of Respiration
   • Stages of Respiration
   • Aerobic versus Anaerobic Respiration
   • Transpiration and Translocation of Water
   • Osmosis
   • Diffusion
   • Mechanisms of Nutrient Uptake
   • How Water, ions and metabolites move through a plant
   • Tropisms; Phototropism, Geotropism, Thigmotropism, etc
   • Chemical Growth Modification; Auxins, Gibberellins, AA, Ethylene, Cytokinin, etc
   • Effects of Chemical hormones
   • Light factors in plant growth
   • Artificial Light
     
7. Soils and the Root Environment
   • Soil Profile
   • Importance of Soil
   • Soil Composition
   • Texture
   • Structure and soil types
   • Soil Horizons (A, B, C and R)
   • Naming the Soil
   • Improving Soil Structure
   • Soil Sampling
   • Improving Fertility
   • Organic Matter
   • Benefits of adding Organic Matter
   • Soil Water and it's Value to Plants
   • Water Loss from Soils
   • Improving Water Retention
   • Hygroscopic Water, Gravitational Water, Field Capacity and other terminology
   • Saturation
   • Rate of Watering
   • Plant Health and Drainage
   • Symptoms of Poor Drainage Improving surface and sub surface Drainage
   • Tensiometer
   • Soil pH
   • Nutrient Availability and pH
   • Calcifuges and Calcicoles
   • Adding Lime
   • Adding Acidic Materials to Lower pH
   • Conservation Issues: Peat
   • Terminology
     
8. Plant Nutrition
   • Soil Life: Earthworms, Mycorrhyzae, Nitrogen Fixing
   • Nitrogen Cycle; Ammonification,Nitrification, Detritrification, Nitrogen Loss
   • Forms of Nitrogen
   • The Nitrogen Cycle
   • The Carbon Cycle
   • The Nutrient Elements
   • The Major Elements
   • The Minor Elements (Trace Elements)
   • Total Salts
   • Diagnosis of Nutrient Problems
   • Fertilisers
   • Types of Fertilisers
   • Applying Fertilisers
   • Natural Fertilisers
   • Manures, Rock Dusts, Seaweed
   • Composting Methods: sheet composting, Indore method, 14 day method, compost bins, trench composting, etc
   • Green Manures
   • Mulch and Mulching
   • Cultivation Techniues
   • Cultivation Tools and Equipment
   • Improving Water Infiltration into Soil
   • Non Dig Growing Method
   • Soil Problems
   • Soil Rehabilitation
   • Properties of Growing Media
   • Potting Media: Components and mixes
   • Choosing Growing Media
   • Air Filled Porosity
   • Hydroponics defined
     
9. Plant Health Problems
   • Factors Affecting Plant Health and Growth
   • Types of Problems
   • Conducting an Inspection
   • Determining and Recommending Treatments
   • Responding to Difficult to Diagnose Problems
   • Plant Pests -major groups
   • Pest Treatments - Sanitation, Physical control methods, Resistant varieties, Biological controls, Chemical controls, Soil drenches
   • Insect Biology; structure, lifecycles, etc
   • Review of Major Pests and their Treatments
   • Review of Major Diseases and their Treatments
   • Review of Environmental Problems and their Control
   • Types of Weeds
   • Identifying Weeds
   • Weed Control Methods; suffocation, burning, cultivation, grazing, mowing, solarisation, chemicals, etc
     
     
10. Plant Propagation Principles and Practice
    • Sexual Propagation
    • When to Sow Seed
    • Why Some Seeds Don't Germinate
    • Dormancy Factors in Seed -Hard Seed Coat, Chemical Inhibitors, Undeveloped Embryos etc
    • Difficult to Germinate Seeds
    • Treatments to Break Seed Dormancy
    • Seed Sources
    • Seed Saving; Seed Storage
    • Sowing Seed Indoors
    • Seed Sowing: Germination, Temperature Control Hygeine
    • Seed Propagating Media
    • Sowing Seed Outside
    • Handling and caring for Seedlings
    • Potting Up
    • Propagation after care
    • Propagation from Cuttings
    • Succeeding with Cuttings
    • Types of Cuttings
    • Softwood, Semi Hardwood and Hard wood Cuttings
    • Variations on Cuttings: nodal, heel, tip, etc
    • Leaf Cuttings, Leaf bud cuttings, Root Cuttings, Bulb Cuttings, etc
    • Stock Plants for Cuttings
    • Layering
    • Propagation from Specialised Stems and Roots; Offsets, Division, etc
    • Propagating Tools: Secateurs, How to Cut, Knives
    • Grafting
    • Propagating Plants in a Greenhouse
    • Cold Frames
    • Heated Propagators

The quality of this course is second to none, from the in-depth learning you will get to the expert individual mentoring you will receive throughout your studies. The mentors for this course are:

Susan Stephenson

BSc in Applied Plant Biology (Botany) Univ. London 1983.

City and guilds: Garden Centre Management, Management and Interior Decor (1984)

Management qualifications in training with retail store. Diploma in Hort level 2 (RHS General) Distinction.

Susan Stephenson is a passionate and experienced horticulturist and garden designer. She has authored three books, lectures at 2 Further and Higher Education Colleges, teaching people of all ages and backgrounds about the wonders of plants and garden design, and tutors many students by correspondence from all over the world.

Susan studied botany at Royal Holloway College (Univ of London) and worked in the trading industry before returning to her first love plants and garden design. She is therefore, well placed to combine business knowledge with horticulture and design skills. Her experience is wide and varied and she has designed gardens for families and individuals. Susan is a mentor for garden designers who are just starting out, offering her support and advice and she also writes, delivers and assesses courses for colleges, introducing and encouraging people into horticulture and garden design.

In 2010, Susan authored a complete module for a Foundation degree (FDSC) in Arboriculture.

Susan holds the RHS General with Distinction. She continues to actively learn about horticulture and plants and (as her students will tell you) remains passionate and interested in design and horticulture.

Steven Whitaker

Diploma in Garden Design (Distinction) – The Blackford Centre, Gold Certificate of Achievement in Horticulture, Level 2 NVQ in Amenity Horticulture, Level 1 NOCN Introduction to Gardening, – Joseph Priestly College, BTEC Diploma in Hotel, Catering and Institutional Operations (Merit), Trainer Skills 1, & 2, Group trainer, Interview and Selection Skills – Kirby College of Further Education

Steven has a wealth of Horticultural knowledge, having ran his own Design and Build service, Landscaping company, and been a Head Gardener. His awards include five Gold awards at Leeds in Bloom, two Gold awards at Yorkshire in Bloom and The Yorkshire Rose Award for Permanent Landscaping. Steven has worked with TV’s Phil Spencer as his garden advisor on the Channel 4 TV Programme, “Secret Agent”.

He is qualified to Level 2 NVQ in Amenity Horticulture and has a Diploma in Garden Design which he passed with Distinction. Steven’s Tutor and Mentor was the Chelsea Flower Show Gold Award-winning Garden Designer, Tracy Foster. He also works for a major Horticultural Commercial Grower in the field of Propagation and Craft Gardening. Steven lives in Leeds where he is a Freelance Garden Designer and Garden Advice Consultant.

How Can This Course Help You Begin Your Horticulture Career and Where Can It Take You?

Many thousands of budding horticulturists and keen gardening enthusiasts have studied this course and have gainful employment in the horticultural industry. Many have also started their own businesses specialising in landscaping, garden designing, nursery business. Some look after golf courses, work for park departments and provide various garden supply services and much more. Many have become successful in horticulture media while others have used the course to go onto higher qualifications in horticulture.

These courses have trained many thousands of students to become horticulturists. Our horticultural tutors all have university degrees, are experts in their respective fields and are active within the industry. They also have many years experience in teaching horticulture through distance learning and understand the needs of students when studying online.

If you only have the time to study one qualification then this would be the one to choose.

The opportunities that this course can add to your career include:

• Employment in a Garden Centre and nursery.
• Work as a qualified gardener - many gardeners lack formal training. With this qualification your expertise will show.
• Turn your passion for gardening as a hobby into a professional career.
• Use this course as entry to the first rung of the horticultural ladder and then proceed onto further study.