Sneak Peek

Self Paced 20-hour course to help you understand more about managing plants in a wholesale setting.

Knowing the most efficient and practical way in which to grow plants in bulk will make the difference between whether your garden centre or nursery is profitable or not so much. This course covers the practical components of nursery production, such as knowing and understanding plant propagation, the potting and transportation of plants, helping you decide on appropriate plants that you would like to grow and sell, plant breeding and ownership, effectively managing plant pests and diseases and selecting the appropriate growing media for your plants.

Get a good start in nursery management with this course that you can complete in just 20 hours. This course would suit helping your foundation understanding, whether for a small backyard start-up, or even a large-scale production.

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.

Content- What do you learn?

LESSON 1 PROPAGATION
Sexual propagation
Asexual propagation
Propagation efficiency
Practical exercise
Review what you have been learning

LESSON 2 POTTING AND TRANSPLANTING
Transplanting
Potting up plants
Growing on
In-ground production
Review what you have been learning

LESSON 3 SELECTING AND MANAGING NURSERY STOCK
Considering your stock options
Criteria for selecting plants
Developing a nursery stock list – an example
Nursery stocklist worksheet
Stock plants for production/propagation nurseries
Propagation material
Quarantine issues when selecting stock
Environmental weeds and plant selection
Managing plants in retail nurseries
Exercise: nursery inspection sheet
Holding stock
Plant modification
Making flowers out of season
Using light to modify plant growth
Examples of flowering control
Review what you have been learning

LESSON 4 PLANT BREEDING AND OWNERSHIP
Genetic improvement of plants
Plant reproduction
Genetic variations
Male sterility
Genetics versus environment
Monohybrid and dihybrid crosses
Quantitative traits
Plant breeding programs
Hybrid seed production – an outline
Hybridising techniques
Micropropagation
Plant breeders’ rights/plants varieties rights and trademarks
Review what you have been learning

LESSON 5 PEST AND DISEASE MANAGEMENT
Integrated pest management
Identifying the problem
Resistant plants
Hygiene
Cultural controls
Quarantine
Physical controls
Biological controls
Chemical controls
Minimising chemical use
Types of chemicals
A review of chemicals
Ways of applying chemicals
Weed control
Some chemicals and their modes of action
Noxious weeds
Using chemicals
Safe use of weed killers
Review what you have been learning

LESSON 6 GROWING MEDIA
Understanding soils
Soil testing and sampling
Improving soils
Potting mixes
Propagation media
The nutrient elements
Nutrition management
Review what you have been learning
Final assessment

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