Grounds Managers Course
Learn to Grow and Manage Plants and Work in Grounds Management.
- Learn practical skills and a career in professional gardening.
- Self-paced, 600 hour course.
'“This is beyond what you would learn in a Trade Certificate in Horticulture. It teaches you everything a tradesman would learn about plant culture; and more science, plus more plant identification than what an average tradesperson whould know” - John Mason Dip.Hort.Sc., Cert.Supn, FIOH, FPLA, Garden Author and educator.
The Certificate in Horticulture (Grounds Management) is a vocational oriented course comprising core studies (general horticulture) and stream studies in the maintenance of golf courses, parks and other large scale gardens.
The objective of the course is to:
- Develop general and broad based skills in horticultural practices and plant identification.
- Develop skills and knowledge in diagnosis and treatment of pest, disease and weed control problems.
- Develop knowledge and skills in turf selection and maintenance to a required standard.
- Develop skills and knowledge in the establishment and maintenance of ornamental trees and shrubs.
- Develop skills and knowledge in the management and improvement of soils for growing plants.
- Develop knowledge and skills about the selection and operation of a variety of watering systems suitable for the irrigation of plants and turf in amenity horticulture.
Study a 'real' Certificate in
Horticulture that will give you more then the basics (so often the
extent of most courses on offer now), then this course is for you.
Employers want graduates with a sound grounding in horticulture - this
course offers that in the core units, and specialises in grounds
management in the stream units.
A 700 hour course that provides training for gardeners, groundsmen and
others involved in the care and maintenance of parks, gardens and turf
facilities. This course is the same as the other VHT002 horticulture
certificates in its introductory (core) units, but devotes 50% of the
course to topics specifically related to grounds maintenance.
Free Student Membership is offered on enrolment to the Australian Institute of Horticulture.
The Certificate in Horticulture involves:
CORE STUDIES - involves around 350 hours, divided into 15 lessons, approx. half of the course.
STREAM STUDIES FOR GROUNDS MANAGEMENT - a further 350 hours of study specific to irrigation, soils, trees and tree care, plant care, pest, disease and weed control and turf care. These areas of study are comprised of 3 x 100 hour modules listed under the horticulture courses on this site).
CORE UNITS INCLUDE:
1. Introduction to Plants
Nomenclature and taxonomy, the plant kingdom, genus, species, hybrids.
2. Parts of the Plant
How plants grow, plant structure, parts of the flower and leaf, modification of stems and roots.
3. Plant Culture - Planting
How to plant and protect newly planted specimens, terms like: annuals, biennials, perennials, deciduous, evergreen and herbaceous plants.
4. Plant Culture - Pruning
Purpose for pruning, rules for pruning, how to prune.
5. Plant Culture - Irrigation and Machinery
Different irrigation systems, components of an irrigation system, designing an irrigation system, maintenance in the garden and for tools.
6. Soils & Media
Soil classifications, testing soil, potting mixes, the U.C. System, ingredients of potting mixes.
7. Soils & Nutrition
Fertilisers - deficiencies and toxicities, N:P:K ratios, salting, fertiliser programming, compost.
8. Propagation - Seeds & Cuttings
How to propagate plants by seed or cuttings, propagating mixes, cold frame construction, after care for young plants.
9. Propagation - Other Techniques
Other methods to increase plant numbers - budding, grafting, layering, division and tissue culture.
10. Identification and Use of Plants
How are plants used in the landscape, how to choose and purchase plants, selecting plants suitable for the climate and site.
11. Identification and Use of Plants
Problems with plants and choosing plants for problem sites.
12. Identification and Use of Plants
Indoor and tropical plants, flowers, herbs, bulbs, ferns.
13. Pests
Identifying and controlling pests, chemical and natural methods for control, chemical safety precautions.
14. Diseases
Identifying and controlling diseases, plant pathology, fungi, viruses, non-pathogenic problems, interactions with the host and the environment.
15. Weeds
Identifying and controlling weeds, chemical terminology.
STREAM UNITS:
The content of each of the fifteen lessons is as outlined below:
- Pests and Diseases
- Weeds
- Cultural Problems
- Turf Grasses
- Turf Culture
- Cultural Management
- Arboriculture
- Physiology
- Plant Maintenance
- Soil Degradation
- Soil Characteristics
- Soil Management
- Irrigation Equipment
- Understanding Water
- Irrigation Design and Operation
AFTER YOU FINISH THIS COURSE
You will be a different person after you finish this course. That's what any good course should do for a graduate.
- Your awareness and understanding of horticulture will be broader and deeper than it was before.
- You will be able to identify more plants than you could before.
- You will be able to better manage gardens, sports grounds, commercial landscapes and a whole lot more.
- You have possibilities that you had previously not seen, to move your knowledge and career forward
You may use this learning experience to improve the way you go about a job you are already doing; or it may be a stepping stone to a whole new career or business.
Some graduates continue to grow their knowledge and skills even further through additional study (perhaps moving onto something higher); and others may grow through the work experiences that follows their course.
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 feed-back 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.
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