Study General Horticulture; then build on that foundation with a deeper study of Viticulture.

A 600 hr course for people working, or intending to work, in the production of grapes.

This course is similar to other CVHT002 horticulture certificates in its introductory (core) units, but devotes 50% of the course to topics specifically related to the production of grapes for wine, drying or as fresh fruit.

Fees do not include exam fees. There are two exams for the core and two for the stream.

Lesson Structure

There are 30 lessons in this course:

1. Plant Identification
   • Introduction
   • Botanical/Horticultural Nomenclature
   • The Binomial (Taxonomic) System
   • Botanical Classification
   • Plant Families and Species
   • Hybrids, Varieties, Cultivars
   • Plant Family Names
   • Pronunciation of Plant Names
   • Significant Genera and Families they belong to
   • Meanings and origins of Plant Names
   • Pressing Plants (to create a herbaria collection for reference)
   • Introduction to Amenity Plants
   • Flowering Plants
   • Lower Plants – Conifers, Ferns
   • Rhododendrons and Azaleas
   • Roses
   • Bulbs
   • Practical – Plant Review Worksheets
2. Parts of the Plant
   • Plant Identification Skills
   • How to increase your Plant I.D. Skills
   • Terminology
   • Lead Types
   • Structure and Arrangement of Leaves and Leaflets
   • Common Leaf Shapes
   • Flower Structure
   • Parts of a Flower
   • The Inflorescence
   • Types of Flowers – bisexual, unisexual, monoecious, dioeceous
   • How a Seed Forms
   • Plant Structure
   • Stems and Stem Modifications
   • Leaves and Leaf Modifications
   • Roots and Root Function
   • Root Modifications
   • Morphological Changes as a Plant Matures
   • Cell Structure and Histology
   • Cell Components
   • Plant Cell Types
   • Plant Tissue Comparisons
   • Photosynthesis
   • Factors Affecting Photosynthesis
   • Respiration
   • Rate of Respiration
   • Transpiration
   • Environmental Factors Affecting Transpiration and Water Uptake
   • The Nitrogen Cycle
   • Terminology
3. Plant Culture – Planting
   • Planting
   • Environmental Influences on Plants
   • Potting Up Plants
   • Potting Shrubs and Trees
   • Introduction to Gardening Basics
   • Terminology
   • Common Mistakes when Planting
   • Plant Selection Criteria
   • Economics of Planting
   • Ongoing Costs
   • Longevity
   • General Hardiness
   • Aesthetic Criteria
   • Basic Planting Procedure
   • Fertiliser
   • Staking
   • Bare Rooted Plants
   • Timing of Planting
   • Considerations, Variety, Time, Locality, Mulching
   • Laying a New Lawn – Soil Prep, Levels, Sowing, Raking in, Watering
   • Turf Grass Varieties – Couch, Fescue, Rye, Bent, Kentucky Blue
4. Plant Culture – Pruning
   • Fruit or Vegetative Buds
   • Reasons for Pruning
   • Removing Dead or Diseased Wood
   • Controlling Growth Type
   • Controlling Shape and Size
   • Rejuvenation
   • Basic Pruning Rules
   • Home Orchard Pruning
   • Fruit Tree Pruning Styles
   • Before Pruning
   • Considerations while Pruning
   • Pruning Terminology
5. Plant Culture – Irrigation and Machinery
   • Water and Irrigation
   • Infiltration and Drainage
   • Types of Irrigation
   • Flood Irrigation
   • Sprinkler Irrigation
   • Trickle Irrigation
   • Power Tools
   • Types of Power Tools
   • Power Tool Maintenance
   • Oil
   • Buying Power Tools
   • Chainsaws – Use, Starting, Chain Sharpening
   • Mowers – types. Guidelines for use, Care
   • Brush Cutters/ Strimmers
   • Mulchers
   • Rotary Hoes
   • Hedge Trimmers
   • Irrigation Objectives and Feasibility
   • Understanding Soil, Water and Plants
   • Gravitational, Capillary and Hygroscopic Water
   • Measuring Water Available to Plants
   • Calculations – Field Capacity, Wilting Point
   • Available Moisture Range
   • Root Depths for Different Plants
   • Estimating Plant Water Requirement
   • When to Irrigate
   • Symptoms of Water Deficiency and Excess
   • Types of Sprinkler Systems and Sprinkler Heads
   • Design and Operation of Irrigation Systems
   • Cyclic Watering
   • Pulse Watering
   • Irrigation Scheduling
   • Selecting Surface Irrigation Methods
6. Soils and Media
   • Potting Mixes
   • Factors Affecting Fertiliser Application
   • Soils
   • Sampling Soils
   • Soil Composition
   • Colloids and Peds
   • Soil Texture and Structure
   • Soil Chemical Properties
   • Improving Soils – texture, structure, fertility
   • Soil Terminology
7. Soils ad Nutrition
   • Introduction
   • Nutrient Elements
   • Macronutrients
   • Nitrogen
   • Phosphorus
   • Potassium
   • Magnesium
   • Calcium
   • Sulphur
   • Micronutrients
   • Soil pH and Nutrient Availability
   • Soil Ameliorants
   • Total Salts
   • Salinity
   • Sources of Salt
   • Control Methods for Salinity
   • Soil Sodicity
   • Water, Air and Nutrients
   • Soil Temperature
   • Key to Diagnosis of Nutritional Problems
   • Fertilisers
   • Composting
   • Compost Ingredients
8. Propagation – Seed and Cuttings
   • Introduction
   • Seed Propagation
   • Hygiene
   • How to Sow Seeds in Containers
   • Seed Germination
   • Seed Sources
   • Seed Storage
   • Factors Affecting Seed Storage
   • Germinating Difficult Seeds
   • Seed Dormancy
   • Treatments to Break Dormancy
   • Cutting Propagation
   • Cutting Types – Softwood, Hardwood, Semi Hardwood, Herbaceous, Stem, Tip, Heal. Leaf, etc
   • Factors affecting Rooting of Cuttings
   • Plant Breeding
   • Hybrid Seed Production
   • Maintaining Genetic Identity in Seed
   • Hand Pollination
9. Propagation – Other Techniques
   • Division
   • Aseptic Micro Propagation
   • Grafting
   • Budding
   • Layering
   • Tip Layering
   • Mound Layering
   • Simple Layering
   • Compound Layering
   • Aerial Layering
   • Natural Layering – Suckers, Runners, Offsets, Crowns
   • Propagation with Specialised Stems and Roots – Bulbs, Corms, Tubers, Rhizomes, Pseudobulbs
   • Propagating Bulbs – Bulblets on Scales, Stem Cuttings, Bulbils, Basal Cutting etc
10. Identification and Use of Plants – Landscape Application
    • Plants in the Landscape
    • Choosing Plants – criteria
    • Inspecting Plants Pre Purchase
    • Trees for Landscaping
    • Factors for Tree Selection
    • Potential Tree Problems
    • Choosing Shrubs for Different Purposes
    • Groundcovers
    • Building Plant Knowledge of Many Tree and Shrub Genera
    • Trees for Different Conditions
    • Planting Techniques
    • Soil Restrictions on Planting
11. Identification and Use of Plants-Problem Situations
    • Establishing Trees
    • Tree Size & Age at Planting
    • Root Containment at Planting - Container Type, Bare Rooted or Balled
    • What to look for when Buying a Tree
    • Plant Protection at Planting – Staking, Frost Protection, Sun Protection, Cages
    • Controlling Birds
    • Props
    • Cabling & Bolting
    • Quick Reference Plant Directory
    • Container Growing Outside
    • Street Tree Reporting
12. Identification and Use of Plants – Indoor
    • Introduction to Indoor Plants
    • Why Indoor Plants Die
    • Potting Mixes
    • Drainage holes in Pots
    • How to Pot a small Plant to a Larger Pot
    • Potting up Hanging Baskets
    • Plantscaping with Ferns
    • Fern Families and Genera
13. Pests
    • Chemical Pest Control
    • Law
    • Chemical Labelling
    • Non Chemical Pest Control
    • Care when Using Chemicals
    • Entomology & Insect Control Methods
    • Types of Insect Poisons – contact, intermediate, stomach, translocated or not
    • Integrated Pest Management
    • Insecticide Use with IPM
    • Preventative Actions in the Garden
    • Understanding Pesticides – Reading the Label
    • Toxicity, Activity Spectrum, LD50. Persistence, Volatility, etc.
    • Chemical Types -Inorganic, Biological, Organophosphates, Organochlorines, Carbamates, etc.
    • Review of Specific Chemical Products
    • Diatomaceous earth, Soaps
    • Fungicides
    • Ways of Applying Chemicals – Spraying, Dusting, Granules, Irrigation injection
    • Safety Procedures when Using Agricultural Chemicals
    • Differentiation of Pests, Diseases and Viruses
    • Review of most Common Pests
14. Diseases
    • Fungicides
    • Plant Pathology
    • Identifying a Problem – Parasitic, Non Parasitic
    • Treating a Problem
    • Diagnosis of Plant Disorders – Visual Appearance, Possible Cause, Appropriate Treatment
    • Common Diseases
    • Anthracnose
    • Blight
    • Canker
    • Damping Off
    • Galls
    • Leaf Spot
    • Mildew
    • Rots
    • Rust
    • Smut
    • Mould
    • Wilt
    • Other Common Diseases
    • Turf Fungal Diseases
    • Plant Virus Detection and Diagnosis
    • Arboriculture and Tree Health
15. Weeds
    • What is a Weed
    • Steps to Controlling Weeds
    • Weed Control with Suffocation
    • Weed Control with Burning
    • Cultivation to Control Weeds
    • Other Non Chemical Weed Control Methods – Grazing, Mowing, Flooding, pH change, Biological Controls
    • Weed Control with Herbicides
    • Modes of Action
    • Regulations and Laws - Restricted Use & Supply
    • Avoiding Spray Drift
    • Types of Herbicide Chemicals – Aliphatics, Amides, Ureas, Carbamates etc.
    • Herbicide Resistance and Tolerance
    • Safe Use of Weed killers
    • Safety Guidelines and First Aid in relation to Chemical Use
    • Cleaning Up a Chemical Spill
    • Identifying Weeds
    • Controlling Weeds in Different Places – fence lines, base of trees, garden Beds, Hard Surfaces
    • Types of Weeds
    • Noxious Weeds
    • Environmental Weeds
    • Common Weeds
    • Terminology
    • THIS CONCLUDES THE CORE STUDIES AFTER WHICH YOU CHOOSE A STREAM FOR THE SECOND HALF OF THIS COURSE.
16. Overview of the Viticulture Industry
    • Global Viticulture
    • Climate Change Impacts
    • Major Wine Growing Areas around the World
    • The Grape
    • Genus Vitus and Muscadinia
    • Variety Classification
    • Table Grapes, Wine Grapes, Dried Fruit, Juice, Canned.
17. Introduction to Grapevines
    • Hoe Plants Grow
    • Roots, Stems, Leaves
    • Reproductive Parts
    • Pollination
    • Fruit Set, Development and Growth
    • Plant Cells & Parts
    • Cell Walls
    • Types of Plant Cells
    • Plant Tissues - Xylem, Phloem, etc
    • Photosynthesis
    • Chloroplasts
    • Environmental Factors affecting Photosynthesis
    • Respiration
    • Transpiration
    • Water Use in Plants
    • Growth in the Grape Vine
18. Propagation Of Grapevines
    • Introduction to Grafting
    • Why Budding or Grafting
    • How a Graft Forms
    • Factors Influencing Graft Formation
    • Carpentry of Grafting
    • Types of Grafts
    • Grafting Tapes
    • Bench Grafting
    • Phylloxera
    • Characteristics of Commonly Used Rootstocks
    • Cutting Propagation
    • Hardwood Cuttings
    • Softwood Cuttings
    • Leaf Bud Single Node Cuttings
    • Hormone Treatment
    • Terminology
19. Improving Grape Quality
    • Flower Set
    • Second Set
    • Girdling
    • Berry Thinning - Hand or Chemically
    • Pest and Diseases in Grapes
    • Integrated Pest Management in Vineyards
    • Pests
    • Grape Phylloxera
    • Management
    • Monitoring and Treatments
    • Chemical Controls
    • Grape Berry Moth
    • Mealy Bug
    • Grape Leaf Folder
    • Nematodes
    • Leaf Hoppers
    • Rust Mite
    • Midge
    • Beetles
    • Larger Animals
    • Grape Diseases
    • Fungal - Mould, Mildew, Dieback etc
    • Bacterial Disease
    • Viruses
    • Organic Grape Culture
    • Birds
20. Climate and Other Factors for Siting Vineyards
    • Temperature
    • Temperature Index and Degree Days
    • Sunlight
    • Rainfall
    • Soil
    • Soil Types and Wine regions
    • Terroir
    • Physical Soil Characteristics
    • Chemical Soil Characteristics
    • Understanding Plant Nutrition
    • Soil Water Content
    • Simple Soil Tests
    • Measuring Soil Water Content
21. Grape Varieties & Selection
    • Grape Types
    • Selection Considerations
    • What to Plant
    • What is First - Site or Variety
    • Matching Variety to Site
    • Varietal Characteristics
    • Selecting Wine Grapes
    • Yield
    • Available Clones
    • Significant Varieties
    • Chenin Blanc
    • Chardonnay
    • Pinot Blanc
    • Semillon
    • Muscat Ottonel
    • Muscadelle
    • Gewürztraminer
    • Cabernet Sauvignon
    • Vitus rotundifolia
    • Wine Grapes
    • Raisin Grapes
    • Juice Grapes
22. Establishing a Vineyard
    • Planning
    • Making Decisions
    • Site Planning
    • Vineyard Layout
    • Site Preparation
    • Soil Preparation
    • Shelter Belts
    • Planting the Vines
    • Vine Spacing
    • Cropping Infrastructure
    • Sloping and Terraced Sites
    • Equipment
    • How to Plant a Grape Vine
    • Planting Bare Rooted Vines
    • Pruning and Training
    • Shoot Spacing
    • Vine Spacing
    • Bud Numbers
    • Machine Pruning
    • Summer Pruning
    • Combination Pruning
    • Stages in Pruning a Sultana Vine
    • Trellising
    • Trellis Construction - End Assembly, Posts, Wire, etc
    • Geneva Double Curtain System
    • Kniffen Systems
    • Head Training System
    • Cordoning
    • Guyot System
    • Umbrella System
    • Pergola System
23. Harvesting and Post Harvest
    • Introduction
    • Harvesting
    • Ripeness Testing
    • The Ripening Process
    • Influence of Weather
    • Pathogen Life Cycles
    • Harvest Techniques
    • Selling Grapes
    • Guidelines for Selling to a Winery
    • Vineyard Resume
    • Strategies for Selling Grapes
    • Contracts
    • Selling Online
    • Brokers
    • The Salesperson
    • Marketing and Economics
    • Developing a Marketing Plan
    • Advertising
    • Publicity
    • Market Research
    • Market Legalities
    • Wine Making
    • Fermentation
    • White vs Red Processes
    • Clearing and Finishing
24. Managing a Vineyard
    • Work Scheduling
    • Health and Safety
    • Communication Skills
    • Written Communication
    • Conciseness
    • Preciseness
    • Office Functions
    • Office Processes
    • Flow Charts
    • Statistics
    • Data Storage and Management
    • Financial Records
    • Bookkeeping Basics
25. Machinery and Equipment
    • Equipment Used in Vineyards
    • Small Tools
    • Winery Specific Tools
    • Secateurs
    • Spades and Shovels
    • Wheelbarrows
    • Sprayers
    • Tractors
    • Cultivators
    • Tractor Safety and Maintenance
26. Irrigation
    • Water Management
    • Runoff
    • Water Saving Measures
    • Irrigating and Feeding Grapes
    • Excessive Irrigation
    • Seasonal Effects
    • Irrigation Monitoring and Timing
    • Drip Irrigation
    • Irrigation Design Considerations
    • Soil and Water
    • Gravitational Water
    • Capillary Water
    • Hygroscopic Water
    • Water Deficiency and Excess
    • Timing of Irrigations
    • Cyclic Watering
    • Calculating Field Capacity
    • Calculating Permanent Wilting Point
    • Available Moisture Range
    • Calculating Air Filled Porosity
    • Estimating Water Required
    • Vineyard Drainage
    • Improving Sub Soil and Surface Drainage
27. Plant Nutrition
    • Basic Chemistry and Plant Nutrition
    • Writing Chemical Names
    • What chemicals a Plant Needs
    • Calculating Formulae
    • Plant Nutritional Elements
    • Soil Fertility
    • Type and Timing of Fertilising
    • Fertigation
28. Agricultural Chemicals
    • Chemical Use
    • Herbicides
    • Knockdown, Residual, Contact, Systemic Herbicides
    • Pre emergent herbicides
    • Selective Herbicides
    • Characteristics of Insecticides
    • Chemical Herbicide Control Methods
    • Review of Various Pesticides that may be Used in Vineyards
29. Supervision
    • Management Fundamentals
    • Planning
    • Organising
    • Leading
    • Controlling
    • Supervision Fundamentals
    • Communication Skills for Supervisors
    • Listening Skills
    • Active Listening
    • Organisation Structures
    • Supervision Tasks
    • Supervision Styles
    • Influence in the Workplace
    • Familiarity
    • Giving Directives and Orders
    • Making Instructions Clear
    • Employee Evaluation Systems
    • Job Analysis
30. Increasing Efficiency
    • Production Plan
    • Information Collection for Planning
    • Decisions that May be Required
    • Propagation Production System
    • Organising & Re-organising a Workplace
    • Performance Management
    • Staff Appraisals
    • Labour Wastage
    • Age Profiling
    • Staff Training
    • Improving Efficiency- Vineyard Layout
    • Designing a Store
    • Customer Service

Each lesson culminates in an assignment which is submitted to the school, marked by the school's tutors and returned to you with any relevant suggestions, comments, and if necessary, extra reading.

Aims

• Describe the nature and scope of the Viticulture industry throughout the world.
• Explain the physiology of the grape and the physiological processes of the plant.
• Outline propagation techniques used for grapevines.
• Describe the processes behind the improvement of grape quality (including pest and disease problems).
• Outline the climatic and other factors that should be considered in selecting a site for a vineyard.
• Describe commonly grown grape varieties that would and would not be suitable for growing in your area.
• Develop a procedure to establish a vineyard.
• Outline the harvesting and post handling procedures for grapes.
• Outline the management procedures and work program for a vineyard.
• Describe the type of equipment you will need to set and manage a vineyard.
• Outline irrigation equipment and procedures required in a vineyard.
• Explain plant nutritional requirements and outline a fertiliser program for a vineyard.
• Outline the characteristics of pesticides and herbicides and health and safety procedures for their use.
• Outline the supervisory structure in a vine yard.
• Outline methods of how to increase efficiency in a vineyard.

THE GRAPE

Grapes belong to the Vitaceae family. Within this family, only the genus Vitis is of any great interest to viticulture, although four of the nine genera in this family yield grapes. The Vitis genus includes some 60 to 80 evergreen and deciduous shrubs, mainly of a climbing habit, supporting themselves by tendrils.

Almost all commonly cultivated grapevines belong to the species Vitis vinifera, although other species have some use in viticulture: for rootstocks, materials for hybridisation and, in some circumstances, for actual grape production. The commonly grown grape vine (Vitus vinifera – also known as the European Grape) originated from Asia Minor and has been carried with civilisation for thousands of years throughout history. V. vinifera was taken to Mexico by the Spaniards. English settlers took Old World grapes with them and planted them along the Atlantic seaboard.

These however failed due to the presence of the insect phylloxera, and fungus diseases like Black Rot, Downy Mildew and Powdery Mildew, as well as deleterious effect of low winter temperatures and hot humid summers.

V. vinifera requires a warm temperate climate, with minimum temperatures of -2°C while dormant,
-1°C at bud burst and -0.5°C when in full flower. The root system is deep, and as such can draw water from lower levels of the soil; hence the need for high rainfall or irrigation is only moderate. Effective irrigation methods in suitable climates can, however, improve quality and quantity of yields.

The vine does not tolerate wet soils in summer but will tolerate some wetness in winter.

When on a trellis it will tolerate wind reasonably well, but not strong gale force winds. Though sandy soils are preferred, grapes will tolerate most soils provided they are deep and well drained.

Some other grape species that are of significance to viticulture include:

Vitis amurensis

Vitis labrusca

Vitis riparia

Vitis rupestris

Vitis berlandeieri

Vitis aestivalis

Vitis cinerea

Vitis rotundifolia

The Genera Vitis and Muscadinia

Plants from both of these genera are called “grapes”. The world viticulture industry concentrates on growing cultivars of Vitis vinifera. Cultivars of other species from both genera are however grown for edible fruit in various parts of the world.

Vitis has forked tendrils, sheds its bark, has a diaphragm (continuous pith) at the nodes, and elongated clusters with berries that stick to the pedicels at maturity.

Muscadinia has tight bark that does not shed, simple tendrils that do not fork, nodes without a diaphragm, and small clusterlets with berries that detach as they mature.

V. vinifera also have intermittent tendrils, thin, smooth shiny leaves with 3, 5, or 7 lobes. The berry size varies.

Species used for grape production

V. vinifera cultivars produce over 90% of the world's grapes, whether as pure vinifera or hybridised. The most important grape species used in North America are:

V. aestivalis ‑ Norton, Delaware

V. vulpina ‑ Elvira, Clinton

V. rotundifolia ‑ Scuppernong, Eden, Muscadine

V. rupestris ‑ Rupestris St. George

V. labrusca ‑ Concord, Niagara

The Concord variety makes about 80% of the total American production. Many grape varieties have been crossbred between species and even other hybrids to produce improved characteristics of the fruit, growth habit or even disease resistance. 

Root stocks

Root stocks that exhibit resistance to phylloxera have become invaluable in the industry. Some of the American species used as root stock that have resistance are Vitus riparia, V. berlandieri, V. rupestris, V. aestivalis, V. cordifolia, and V. monticola.

Rootstocks that exhibit resistance to nematodes are also important. These include from America: Vitus rotundifolia, V. champini, V. candicans, and V. longii.

HOW MIGHT THIS COURSE HELP YOU?

This certificate does two things:
1.  In the first half, you learn about general, broad based horticulture. You learn more about soils, pest control, propagation and growing plants - beyond just viticulture (and that keeps your options for work in the future a bit broader).

BUT

2. In the second half of the course you learn about viticulture; and having the foundation you developed earlier, your specialised study of viticulture will be understood and retained more easily.

In the grand scheme of things the final outcome is a far more solid understanding of viticulture, more embedded in your long term memory, and providing an extremely solid foundation to build a career or business on.

Your direction and level of success after you complete either course will depend more upon your motivation and enthusiasm and the experience you strive for after graduation.