Sneak Peek
LAWN MOWING & TURF CARE
Self Paced 20-hour course to help you understand more about turf.
Lots of people mow lawns, but very few mow them really well.
This course teaches you to be a cut above everyone else – whether you are a home gardener, a tradesman gardener, a groundsman, mowing contractor or someone preparing to work in the horticulture industry.
It will teach you more about mowing grass than what most professional horticulturists ever learn; but beyond that you also learn to understand lawns, evaluate turf quality, maintain turf and manage the business of providing a turf care service.
Our 20 hour courses are self paced and will help you understand a topic in a short amount of time. You can work through the course when you like- test yourself with mini-tests along the way. There are extra case studies or research you can undertake if you would really like to get into the topic. Once you have completed the lessons and self assessment tasks, there is a final exam undertaken online- you can then download your personalised certificate.
WHAT THE COURSE COVERS
There are 5 lessons as follows:
Lesson 1 TURF QUALITY
What varieties
In unexpected drought conditions
Evaluating turf quality and needs
Lesson 2 MOWING
Mowing calculations
Basic calculations
Mowing
Understanding how grass grows
Understanding how lawn mowers cut grass
Other considerations for mowers
How to mow grass
Before you mow
Length of cut
Direction of cut or pattern of cutting
Other considerations
Mowing newly established turf
Raking before cutting?
Collecting grass clippings
Summary of points
Cutting steep slopes
Using growth regulators
Problems that may occur by mowing
Mowing safety
Mowing and its impact on the environment
Lesson 3 MAINTAINING TURF QUALITY
Maintaining turf
Maintenance tasks
Turf/lawn aeration
Soil pH
Other ways to improve soils
Weeding
Dealing with pest and diseases
Environmental problems in turf
Watering
Lesson 4 TURF EQUIPMENT AND TOOLS
Types of mowing equipment
Cylinder mowers
Rotary mowers
Tractor mounted
Ride on mower
Push type mowers
Hover mowers
Options for power
Deciding what you need
Mower maintenance
Electric mowers
Petrol mowers
Changing mower blades
Other turf maintenance equipment
Edger
Leaf rakes/vacuums
Forks
Rollers
Wheelbarrows
Strimmer/brush cutter/whipper snipper
Spray equipment
Should you buy, lease or hire?
Lesson 5 TURF BUSINESS MANAGEMENT
Starting your business
Before you start
Be informed
Developing a customer base
Location
Employees
Equipment
Finance
Buying into a franchise
Avoiding disputes
Other services you might offer
Legal requirements
Professional advice
Keeping business records
Taxation
Understanding contract law
Developing your business
Managing growth
WHO IS THIS COURSE FOR
- Gardeners – Tradesmen
- Horticulturists
- Turf Industry Employees (Mower shops, turf farms, etc)
- Parks Staff
- Sportsground Staff
- Mowing Contractors
- Home Gardeners
- Students
- Anyone planning to buy or establish a mowing business
How does this course work?
You can enrol at any time.
Once you have paid for the course, you will be able to start straight away.
Study when and where you like. Work through at your own pace.
You can download your study-guide to your smart phone, tablet or laptop to read offline.
There are automated self-assessment tests you can complete at the end of each lesson. You can attempt these as many times as you wish and each time, upon completion, you can see your results. You will need internet access to complete the self assessment tests.
At the end of the course, you are presented with a large assessment which can be attempted online, anywhere, anytime. If you achieve a 60% pass in the exam; you immediately receive a downloadable certificate of completion with your name on it. If you do not achieve a 60% pass rate, you can contact us to re-sit your exam. ( email- admin@acs.edu.au )
Contact us at anytime if you have any issues with the course. admin@acs.edu.au