Horticulture is the art of cultivating plants to produce food and medicinal ingredients or for comfort and ornamental purposes. It can involve growing everything from flowers and herbs to a range of fruit and vegetables. So if you want to expand on your love of gardening and are keen to apply for horticulture jobs, here are a range of courses that will help your passion flourish!
This course will enable you to apply for a range of horticultural jobs that encompass an expanding sector, including landscaper, gardener, horticulturalist or retail nursery or garden centre worker. It will teach you how to identify a wide range of plants scientifically and systematically to maximise their care and prolong their growth cycle. You will study planting procedures, plant taxonomy, propagation, landscaping, water management, soils, nutrition, pruning, maintenance, diseases, pests, arboriculture and alternative growing techniques. This is perhaps our most important course to pursue horticultural jobs that will indulge your love of gardening.
Botany, also known as “plant science”, is the science of plant life. This course is ideal for anyone working with pants, from horticulturalists, botanists, farmers and agriculturalists to nursery workers, landscapers, etc., even those in the ecotourism industry. You will gain insights into plant morphology, physiology and anatomy, and plants’ taxonomic classification. You will study respiration, photosynthesis, the specific vegetative parts of plants and the respiration, photoperiodism and phytochrome systems. Learn about the effects of plant associations, growth manipulation, growth regulators and how to harvest, store, transport and improve the shelf life of edible plants.
Consumers are increasingly seeking organic alternatives to standard supermarket produce, so demand for organic goods grows. Hence, knowledge of these practices will look great on your CV if you’re on the lookout for horticultural jobs. This course explores the viable economic gains in pursuing organic farming and the benefits to consumers and the environment. You will learn about the scope, history and types of organic farming and how to handle management issues from environmental concerns and certification to promotion and marketing. You will also gain insights into managing weeds, pests, pasture, soil, livestock and crops and study integrated farm management systems for organic farming, including biodynamics, waste management systems and rotation design.
The increasing impacts of climate on the environment requires rural managers to consider, evaluate and reassess factors that may affect their business. This course will help sales officers, agents, farmers, farm cooperatives or anyone who sells produce or provides supplies or services understand your market and capitalise on market forces to maximise your business profit. You will learn about farm marketing objectives and strategies, agricultural marketing concepts, and customer relations to maximise your communications and service. You will also study how market research, targeted marketing, promotions and a good brand and marketing plan can increase sales and ultimately income.
A permaculture system is a unique landscape where plants and animals live in a balanced, self-sustaining ecosystem, and one that is becoming increasingly popular. In this course, you will gain an in-depth understanding of the basic principles of permaculture planning and design and how to establish and use a permaculture garden. You will understand the role of “zones”, the different types of garden systems, and learn more about companion planting and natural weed, pest and disease control methods. You will also study the wide range of vegetable, herb and tree crops and their applications with the appropriate technologies in permaculture design. If you’re looking to pursue a horticultural job, this is an ideal choice and platform into this exciting industry.
Agronomy primarily relates to the physical and biological factors of field crop production. This course is ideal for the agricultural sector — from agricultural suppliers, farmers and farm product agents to students and professionals like research scientists, educators and plant breeders. In this course, you will learn how to grow oil, grain and fibre crops on a broad acre farm and understand the scope and nature of agronomic practices across the globe. You will study how to achieve seed germination for different crops under different conditions in the field and identify practices and factors that affect crop success. You will also gain insights into the different harvesting equipment and techniques and the practices used to farm broadleaf crops for sale as cash crops and produce a successful crop management plan.
Hydroponics is essentially the process of growing plants without soil. But to do this successfully, you need a good understanding of how plants grow so you can control humidity, light, oxygen, water, nutrients and temperature. Ideal for smaller growers and gardeners, this course will introduce you to the theory behind space-efficient methods of growing everything from fruit and vegetables to cut flowers and herbs. You will learn about the types of hydroponic systems and how to manage plants’ nutrition, control pests and diseases, and dry, cool, freeze and store plants. You will also gain insights into learning how to manage and operate a greenhouse and plan your hydroponic enterprise.
This course will introduce you to various types of greenhouses and how to manage one for successful crop production. You will learn how to grow edible crops, nursery stock and other horticultural plants in a greenhouse. You will also gain insights into disease and pest management, climate control, irrigation techniques, growing systems and equipment and lighting and greenhouse automation systems.
In terms of horticultural jobs, there is a range of specific crops relevant to this practice, and hence, several courses we offer that will suit your interests down to a tee!
Certain berry varieties prefer certain climates and regions over others, so knowing the intricacies of berry production can help you choose what to grow where successfully. Whether you are keen to grow blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, cranberries, goji berries (and more!) or a combination of species, this course is ideal for hobby farmers, commercial growers and horticultural students. It covers the botanical characteristics of berries, which varieties to grow, and how to plant, stake, irrigate, mulch, protect, feed and prune them. You will also learn how to control weeds, harvest and market berries, and navigate the sometimes challenging world of commercial berry growing.
Whether you are keen to try rose farming for the cut flower trade, for rose oil, to harvest the hips, or for perfume extraction, this course will help you identify, propagate and grow many different types of roses for a commercial rose crop. You will study the different rose species and propagation, pest control, pruning and soil management techniques. You will also learn about the components of greenhouses and hydroponic systems and how to prepare a plan for a rose garden and produce drawings to scale.
Ideal for gardeners, cooks, chefs, herb farmers or anyone interested in enhancing their culinary skills, this course will teach you how to grow, harvest and use herbs. You will learn how to identify, grow and propagate edible herbs, the methods for improving soil and drying to preserve flavour, and how to deal with disease, pests and environmental problems. You will also study how to harvest the leaves, roots, fruit and seeds of herbs and gain insights into using herbs for cooking, including herbal teas, oils, butters, vinegars, salts, cheeses, honey and sugars.
This course is ideal for those keen to learn how to grow flowers commercially or work in flower farming and will provide you with the fundamentals of growing cut flowers as a commercial enterprise. You will learn to determine soil, cultural and nutritional requirements, the best varieties to grow in your region, and harvest and post-harvest management practices. You will also study how to develop a production plan for a cut flower crop, determine export market opportunities and prepare a management plan, including tasks, equipment lists, production costs, contingency plans and marketing strategies.
Ideal for those wanting to establish and manage a commercial orchid or fruit production business, this course explores the wide variety of fruits grown in temperature climates. You will learn how to grow vines, tree fruits, berries, nuts and citrus and the optimum soils and growing techniques for self-sufficiency or commercial production. You will also study the cultural management of an orchid or fruit plantation and market and sell produce.
If you are keen to manage a commercial fruit production or follow your passion for tropical fruit, this course will give you insights into the wide variety of fruits grown in warm climates. You will learn about varieties, growing techniques, soils, pruning and how to manage pests, weeds and disease. You will also discover how to establish an orchid, the cultural management of a fruit plantation, marketing and selling your products and how many fruits can be adapted to cooler climates using containers or greenhouses.
Herbs are used in many products to enhance health and wellbeing, including beauty and household cleaning products. This course is ideal for those keen to use botanicals and plants to create their products — whether as a hobby or to start their own business. You will study how to harvest, preserve, store and treat herbs for product manufacturing. You will gain insights into hydrosols, steam distillation, essential oil extraction and how compounds in herbs affect human senses. Learn about cosmetics and skincare, including working with allergies and skin sensitivities and discover important handling, storage, packaging and presentation techniques, including business planning strategies.
Mushroom production and consumption are becoming increasingly popular across the globe. This course is ideal for self-sufficiency growers, commercial mushroom workers and producers, or anyone keen to grow mushrooms in their garden. It will give you insights into the most widely cultivated mushrooms and how to produce them, fungi identification, growing mediums and methods, spawn production and how to make compost. You will also learn about bacteria, pests and diseases that can affect mushrooms, the ideal growing conditions and how to harvest, store, use and market mushrooms.
This course will develop your gardening skills so you can start growing your fruit at home or as a self-sufficiency project. In this course, you will explore how to select the best fruit, nuts and berries for your garden, how to grow them economically and efficiently, and how to control pests naturally and improve soil fertility.
This course will teach you how to grow your vegetables year-round, either at home or as a self-sufficiency project. You will learn how to create healthy compost, build a vegetable garden (including via container-raised and organic growing), and make the optimal use of water, land and fertiliser to reap the most bountiful harvest. You will also gain insights into implementing irrigation and watering systems, how to control disease, pests and weeds, grow and harvest veggies via hydroponic or greenhouse growing, and how to store and use them.
Gain the skills and knowledge to expand on your love of gardening and enhance your CV with a range of horticultural courses that will enable you to apply for a range of horticultural jobs.