courses - Crops Courses

This course develops both the skills required to manage a horticultural farm (eg. Market Garden, Orchard), and also the knowledge in the identification, growing, processing and marketing crops and crop related products. This course involves seven units, plus a 200 hr workplace project. There are four core units common to all streams of this Advanced Certificate (ie.  Management, Business... more

Advance your career in Horticulture to a new level. A course designed for people wishing to work or advance their careers in managerial or high technical positions within the horticultural crop industry. A comprehensive course to gain knowledge on all aspects of crop business management.This course is internationally accredited through I.A.R.C.There are 21 modules/subjects to be studied. These... more

Grow berries for the table or to sell - this course is equally applicable to the backyard enthusiast or to the commercial grower. Covering all aspects of the propagation, care and cultivation of common (and uncommon) berry fruit; with the opportunity to specialise to some degree in one type of berry. Become a Berry Fruit Expert Berry fruits are popular the world over. Some berries are grown... more

A course for people working, or intending to work, in orchards or market gardens. This course is similar to other VHT002 horticulture certificates in its introductory (core) units, but devotes 50% of the course to topics specifically related to crop production. The Core Units are divided into the following sections:1. Introduction to Plants -Taxonomy, plant families, pressing plants, basic... more

A 700 hr course for people working or wishing to work in the area of cut flower production. This course is similar to other VHT002 horticulture certificates in its introductory (core) units, but devotes 50% of the course to topics specifically related to the production and marketing of cut flowers. The Core Units are the same as for the above certificates (ie. Introduction to Plants, Plant... more

Accredited through International Accreditation & Recognition CouncilA 600 hour accredited course designed to teach the principles and practices of growing plants using organic methods. This course is similar to other VHT002 horticulture certificates in its introductory (core) units, but devotes 50% of the course to topics specifically related to organic growing. The Core Units comprise... more

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. The Core Units comprise fifteen modules that are divided into the following... more

“Learn the processes required to tap into the commercial organic vegetable market; this extensive course provides a wealth of knowledge and practical skills and shows you how to market your produce. Organic vegetables are crops with a future.” - Adriana Fraser Cert.Hort., Cert.Child Care, Adv.Cert.App.Mgt., Cert 1V Assessment and Training, Adv.Dip.Hort., ACS Tutor.The demand for organically... more

Develop skills and knowledge required for commercial vegetable production, including a variety of production methods. This is a very sound 100 hour foundation course in general vegetable production. (Note: Do not undertake Commercial Organic Vegetable Growing as well as this. The two courses do overlap)Learn about growing crops of vegetables in productive way with these steps. Learning the... more

Have you always wanted to know more about growing your own flowers from bulbs? And would you like to do it commercially? This is a course designed for the flowering bulb enthusiast or the commercial bulb grower supplying the cut flower market. There are ten lessons in this course with loads of practical skills to get you inspired and to get you growing! You will learn the basics of horticultural... more

Would you like to grow orchids for the markets?Orchids are one of the most commercially viable cut flower crops (partially due to their beauty, and also due to their long shelf life). Learn how to produce orchid flowers for the cut flower trade! Orchids occur naturally from very cold temperate climates through to tropical locations; and provided you choose appropriate species and treat them... more

Grow Cut Flowers Commercially or Train to work in the Flower Trade Over recent decades cut flower growing has experienced rapid expansion in increasingly affluent countries. This has resulted in an increased demand for training in the skills and knowledge required by the industry. The course provides a thorough basic training for the commercial cut flower grower.Have you always wanted to know... more

Get Serious anout Fruit Growing An eight lesson course that starts by introducing the fruit growing industry, and moves through most of the skills needed for successful fruit growing in a serious way. Topics covered include management, soils, planting, irrigation, pruning, cultural practices (including pest control), pome and stone fruits, and various vines, fruit trees and nuts.Become an expert... more

There are hundreds of Different Tropical Fruits. Start here to explore their potential and learn how to grow them. This is a course designed for people who want to have a successful warm climate orchard, to develop  skills in the establishment and management of commercial fruit production for warm climates. Similar to the temperate fruit course, but adapted to cover tropical and sub-tropical... more

A course for commercial cut flower growers who are concerned exclusively with greenhouse production. International trade in cut flowers has grown over recent decades. In most countries, developed or in development, it is now possible to get the most popular types of cut flowers almost any time of the year. The industry has made this possible by doing three different things: 1. Expanding trade... more

 “Whilst sharing similarities with other irrigation courses, this highly functional and practical course also has a specific focus on the irrigation of crops. It will be of interest to anyone who grows, or who wishes to grow, crops whether on a large or small scale. All aspects of irrigation from system types and design to pumps and filters are discussed, in light of soil characteristics,... more

Ever wanted to grow mushrooms and didn’t know where to start?  This course is unique and has been evolving over 20 years with a serious revision every 1 to 2 years, since it was first developed. The most commonly grown mushroom worldwide is Agaricus (The Champignon); and for that reason, more attention is given to that type of mushroom. Other commercially grown mushrooms are reviewed in... more

“It’s interesting how much you take for granted when eating those tiny creations that are so well loved. This course will give you an overview of what nuts are commonly grown, and some insight into those that are not.”- Tracey Morris Dip.Hort., Cert.Hort., Cert III Organic Farming, ACS Tutor. For the enthusiast or commercial grower. A detailed study on nut growing with the opportunity to... more

HOW TO START A COMMERCIAL CROP PRODUCTION ...Designed to gain broad knowledge on outdoor crop production, from flowers to fruits and vegetables, this course is a basic step to start a commercial venture on many types of crops. The course consists of ten lessons that cover site selection, crop selection, soil management, cut flowers, vegetables, berries, nuts, herbs, tree fruits, other crops,... more

Learn how to manage your production with less pest and disease problems. Develop your broad understanding of practices and processes involved in successful plant cropping  in greenhouses or other protective structures.Develop a clear understanding of environmental control and plant growth within a protective environment, together with a practical knowledge of plant husbandry techniques. Learn... more

Good soil conditions are critical to the healthy growth of most plants. Over eight lessons this course will develop an understanding of physical & chemical properties of soils, the ability to carry out simple tests and determine soil characteristics, and to decide ways of treating a soil to improve its ability to grow plants. The course is specifically designed for crop production.Good soil... more

Do you want to learn about viticulture? This course will help you develop an ability to select and cultivate appropriate varieties of grapes in different situations, and provide the knowledge to make informed decisions about the management of a vineyard. There are ten lessons covering the history of viticulture, the current state of the industry, wine and table grapes, dried grapes, cultural... more

“We have a lot of interest in this great course. One student chose to study this course while he was living it Europe, with the plan in mind of moving to a warm climate and growing his own food. It would be hard to find a course on Warm Climate Nuts that is more in-depth.”- Tracey Morris Dip.Hort., Cert.Hort., Cert III Organic Farming, ACS Tutor. The content of this course is very similar to... more