Horticulture Course

The classification and taxonomic hierarchy of seed-bearing plants
The use of botanical keys to identify plants
Stages of plant growth and life cycles
The structure and function of plant cells and tissues
The processes of meiosis and mitosis
The differences in the external and internal structure of monocotyledons and dicotyledons.
The identification and function of the external vegetative parts of higher plants: roots, leaves, stems and buds
The identification and function of flowers
The identification and function of fruits and seed
The importance of photosynthesis and respiration
Transpiration and translocation of water throughout the plant
Pollination and fertilisation
Seed formation and germination
Growth regulation

How to differentiate between plants produced by seed and plants produced by vegetative propagation methods
Seed propagation
Cutting propagation
Propagation aftercare
Layering
Propagation tools
Grafting
Propagating plants in a greenhouse

Growing outdoor food crops
Timing crops
Making gardens more productive
Sustainable land management
Composting
Companion planting
Vegetable crowing
Fruit crops
Pests and diseases of crops
Windbreaks
Crop harvesting

Collecting pre-planning information
Preparing landscape plans
The principles, elements and procedures of landscape design
Creating landscape effects
Using hard and soft landscaping materials.

The physical properties of soil
Techniques for improving soil
The importance of organic matter in the soil
Soil water
Watering systems
Drainage systems
Soil pH
Carbon and nitrogen cycles
Soil nutrients and their effect on plant growth
Fertilisers
Properties of growing media

Protected cultivation
Greenhouse types and shade houses
Environmental controls in protected environments
Irrigation and nutrition control
Containers and growing media in protected environments
Care and display of indoor plants
Production of selected crops in protected cultivation (tomato, lettuce, begonia, rose).