Berry Production 100 Hours Certificate Course
Is this certificate accredited in Namibia
Ask a question
Berry Production 100 Hours Certificate Course
Berry Production course online. Berry fruits are popular the world over. Some berries are grown widely, in different climates and countries (eg. strawberries), whilst others might be popular in some regions but not others. This course provides a sound broad based training for commercial growers and/or staff of berry farms. It is equally relevant to the enthusiast hobby grower who wants to get more serious about growing berry fruits.
Learning Goals: Berry Production BHT309
- Differentiate between different types of berry fruit cultivars
- Determine varieties of berry fruit suitable for growing in a specified locality (Part A)
- Determine varieties of berry fruit suitable for growing in a specified locality (Part B)
- Explain the cultural treatment for a range of berry fruits, in specified situations (Part A)
- Determine how to propagate a range of different berry plants
- To explain the cultural treatment for a range of berry fruits, in specified situations (Part B)
- Explain the harvesting of different berry crops
- Develop strategies for commercial success in a berry fruit enterprise
Lesson Structure: Berry Production BHT309
There are 8 lessons:
1 Introduction
- Review of the system of plant identification
- Plant Families, Species, Cultivars, Varieties
- What is a Berry -Botanical Characteristics (Simple fruits, Compound Fruits)
- Information contacts (ie: nurseries, seed, clubs etc.)
2 Which Varieties to Grow
- Site Selection,
- How much land
- Site Chjaracteristics
- Climate
- Winter Chilling Requirements
- Biological Considerations
- Further Considerations affecting what to Grow
- Review of Significant Berries including
- Blackcurrant
- Blueberry
- Brambleberry
- Blackberry
- Other Rubus species
- Cranberry
- Gooseberry
- Grape
- KiwiFruit
- Passionfruit
- Raspberry
- Strawberry
3 Lesser Grown Varieties of Berry Plants
- Alpine Strawberry
- Cape Gooseberry
- Elderberry
- Goji berry
- Guava
- Hardy Kiwi Fruit
- Lignoberry
- Pepino
- Tree Tomato
- Mulberry
- Production Plan for Berry Cropping
4 Culture
- Soils
- Planting
- Staking
- Mulching
- Watering
- Pest & disease
- Feeding
- Pruning
- Protection from wind, salt, air, etc.
5 Propagation
- Methods of propagating berries
- Seed, Cuttings, Layering
- Aids to Propagation
- Hardening off Young Plants
- Propagation of selected varieties
6 Weed Control & Irrigation
- What is a Weed
- How Weeds Spread
- Preventative methods of Control
- Eliminating growing weeds
- Identifying Weeds
- Water Infiltration and Retention
- Drainage
- Improving water Infiltration
- Soil Moisture Classes
- Measuring Water Available to Plants
- When to Irrigate
- Irrigating Berry Crops
7 Harvesting & Marketing Berries
- When and How to Harvest
- Understanding Fruit Ripening
- Harvesting Techniques
- Post Harvest Treatments
8 Commercial Berry Growing
- Marketing Berries
- The Marketing Process
- Understanding Supply and Demand
- Cost, Quality and Quantity characteristics in a Crop
- Farm Layout for Better Management
- 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.
Practicals: Berry Production BHT309
This Hydroponic course would be suitable for:
Hydroponic Shop Managers and Staff,
Hydroponic Equipment and Materials Manufacturers and Suppliers
Other working alongside a hydroponic power supply
If you plan on studying this course, ensure that you do not study more than 1 of Hydroponic I and Home Hydroponics. The difference is that Home Hydroponics is a less intensive academic load and geared for more personal use, while Hydroponics I is a broad based course.
- Distinguish between common and botanical definitions for the term berry.
- Compare the botanical characteristics of berry fruits from four different taxonomic families.
- Prepare a collection of twenty-five plant reviews of different berry varieties,including the following details on each plant:
- Plant names (Common and scientific)
- A photo, illustration or pressed specimen
- Cultural details
- Harvest and post harvest
- Uses (eg. valuable products).
- Develop criteria for the selection of suitable berry fruit varieties.
- Evaluate the performance of four different berry varieties.
- Determine appropriate varieties of different berries to grow in a specified locality, considering a range of types, including:
- Strawberries
- Brambles
- Other berries.
- Describe an appropriate planting method for each of three specified genera of berry fruits.
- Illustrate an appropriate pruning methods for each of four different genera of berry fruits, using sequences of drawings, photographs, or video.
- Determine appropriate irrigation practices for two different, specified berry plantings.
- Develop feeding programs for a twelve month period, for three different berry crops suited to growing in a particular locality.
- Conduct simple soil tests to determine soil characteristics relevant to a proposed berry planting. Soil tests should include:
- Soil type
- Water holding capacity
- pH
- Drainage
- Recommend appropriate soil preparation for the tested soil, prior to planting a specified berry crop.
- Compare four different weed control practices appropriate for specified berry crops.
- Develop soil maintenance programs for a twelve month period, on a monthly basis, for different berry crops.
- Identify different health disorders (e.g. pests and diseases) on berry plants.
- Develop a pest and disease control program for a twelve month period, for a specified berry crop.
- Describe different methods for propagating specified berry plants, including:
- Cuttings
- Runners
- Division
- Layering
- Demonstrate cutting propagation of two different berry species.
- Produce marketable berry plants representing different genera, either as bare rooted or container plants.
- Compare the commercial viability of propagating one specified berry by two alternative propagation techniques.
- Explain how to determine when different types of berries are ready for harvest.
- Describe different methods for harvesting five different types of berries, including:
- Manual
- Mechanical
- Explain the harvesting of five types of berries before they are ripe, and ripening of the berries off the plant.
- Determine appropriate post-harvest treatments for a specified commercial berry crop.
- Develop a resource file of different items of information relevant to the berry fruit industry, including:
- Suppliers of berry plants
- Trade or grower associations
- Publications
- Determine criteria which are significant in the commercial success of a specific berry farm, which you either visit in real life or investigate on the internet.
- Explain how a range of five different berries are prepared for the market.
- Prepare a chart of ten different berry species that lists their shelf life.
- Evaluate the commercial viability of three different methods of packaging and presenting berries for sale.
- Compare common marketing strategies for berry fruits, including:
- Selling at wholesale markets
- Selling on contract to chain stores
- Selling to processors
- Roadside stalls
- U-pick selling
The quality of this course is second to none, from the in-depth learning you will get to the expert individual mentoring you will receive throughout your studies. The mentors for this course are:
Susan Stephenson
BSc in Applied Plant Biology (Botany) Univ. London 1983.
City and guilds: Garden Centre Management, Management and Interior Decor (1984)
Management qualifications in training with retail store. Diploma in Hort level 2 (RHS General) Distinction.

Excerpt From The Course
Most berries are normally propagated by vegetative means. While it is possible to grow berry plants from seed, vegetative propagation ensures that the parent plant’s valuable qualities (such as fruit flavour or frost hardiness) are retained in the new plant stock.
SEXUAL AND ASEXUAL PROPAGATION
Sexual Propagation
Sexual propagation involves growing a plant from a seed or spore which has been produced by fertilization of the female part of one plant by the male part (usually of another plant). Plants grown this way can have some characteristics of one parent - and different characteristics from the other parent. A sexually propagated plant is not always exactly the same as the plant from which the seed or spores was taken.
Most flowering annuals, vegetables, biennials and perennials are grown this way. Ferns and some trees and shrubs are also grown sexually. Berry fruit sometimes grown sexually include the alpine strawberry (Fragaria vesca). The blue berry can also be propagated this way but remember that the off-spring may not be true to type or be of high quality.
Asexual Propagation (Vegetative Propagation)
Propagation involves reproducing a new plant from only one parent. A part of an existing plant is treated in some way so that it can produce a new plant ie. asexual propagation involves growing a new plant from a piece of stem, leaf or root (or possibly all three).
Seed (Sexual) Propagation
Propagating plants from seeds is called sexual propagation.
Seeds however can be variable; in other words they may not always be a replica of the parent plant. The growth habit and colour may vary between plants grown from the same batch of seeds. This is brought about by a random combination of genetic material from the parents. The genetic make-up of each seed is unique. Plant breeders cross-pollinate plants that are genetically different deliberately in order to find interesting features this produces new varieties or cultivars.
In order for seeds to germinate they require:
1. Water and oxygen.
2. An appropriate temperature.
3. Sometimes light (depending on the species).
4. Viable seed.
Given the above, a seed will germinate readily and embryo will develop and the plant will grow. If a seed is not given these requirements or when one is lacking or insufficient the seed will not germinate.
Course Info | |
How Do Our Tuition Fees Compare? | Full time classroom based Further Education Courses - Approx. £5,000 per year - Part-time classroom based Adult Education Courses - Approx. £7.00 per hour - N.B. classroom tuition means you learn at the pace of the class. One-to-one private tuition - from £15.00 per hour - ADL one-to-one tution fees - From £340 per 100 Hour Course = Average of £3.40 per hour - N.B. one-to-one tuition is tailored to your own individual learning availability and pace. |
Course Start | Begin your learning at any time. |
Course Prerequisite | None - Our course levels are an indication of the depth of learning you should receive. They do not describe the level of difficulty. |
Course Qualification (Study Option A) | Endorsed Qualification from TQUK - Training Qualifications UK, an Ofqual Approved Awarding Organisation - Completed written assignments and final evaluation per course/module to be taken. |
Course Qualification (Study Option B) | Certificate of Attainment from ADL - Completed written assignments only - no final evaluation. |
Comparative Credits Information | UK Course Credits: 10 - U.S. Credit Hours: 3 - when compared to regulated courses. |
Course Duration and Deadlines | Course hours given are a guide only. You will be encouraged to work at your own pace to learn as much as you can, with no assignment deadlines or end date by which you must complete your course by. You are in control! |
Study Support | Personal tutor/mentor support from industry relevant professionals throughout your whole course. Mentors are contactable by e-mail, telephone and through the Moodle online classroom. They provide assistance with your course material, plus discuss, explain and give advice when needed. They will also mark and grade your assignments, plus provide constructive and helpful feedback vital to your success. |
Suitability for Self Employment and Small Businesses | Our courses are ideal for sole traders and small business owners and their staff. Customer confidence in what you can do will determine how successful you are in getting clients. Doing the job right using the correct knowledge and skills, leads to repeat business and referrals to friends, family and work colleagues. Completing one or more of our courses for the service you have to offer, will give you the tools to achieve this and grow your business. |
Recognition of Your Course By Employers | We aim to achieve the correct balance between your qualification being recognised and providing you with the in-depth learning, to empower you to succeed. If you can demonstrate that you have the level of knowledge and transferable skills necessary to an employer, you should stand out from someone who has only received a superficial understanding of what's required - Select study option A when enrolling, so an employer can check the status of the awarding organisation for your qualification on the Ofqual Register. |
Recognition of Your Course By Universities | As you will see on our Testimonials page, previous students have used their qualification from us to get into university. However each one will have its own entrance criteria and acceptance may also depend on your other qualifications and experience. We can approach up to three universities on your behalf with details of our course before you enrol, so you will know whether it will be accepted as part of their application process. Please complete our contact form and we will begin the process. |
Designing Your Own Qualification | Bundle up your choice of related courses to form your own qualification. Our Advanced Certificates (4 courses), Diplomas (6 courses), Advanced Diplomas (8 courses) and Higher Advanced Diplomas (12 courses), are used to differentiate between the in-depth knowledge and skills you will acquire in your chosen area of study. e.g. Advanced Certificate in Turf Care Management, which includes individual courses: Turf Care, Sports Turf Care, Turf Repair and Renovation and Turf Grasses. |
How Can I Enrol? | Online by selecting your study option, learning materials, plus payment option and then clicking the Enrol Now button - By contacting us for an application form - By telephoning us on 01227 789 649 (International: 0044 1227 789 649). Lines open 9am till 5pm Monday to Friday, excluding Bank Holidays and between Christmas and New Year. |
How Can I Get a Pro-forma Invoice for my Employer? | Contact us with details and we will email your employer an invoice. We will need: employer's name, address, telephone number, email address and contact name. We will also require your name, telephone number, email address, date of birth and the course and code you wish to enrol for. |
![]()
![]()
Previous Customer Experiences with our Courses
"Fantastic Teacher. Well organised modules. Assignments force me to learn and research more so I can prepare well for exams. I really enjoyed studying via ADL. I can now continue study at Ulster University which accept my certificate from ADL". Level 4, Advanced Certificate in Applied Science, VSC001, Stanislawa, Poland.
Its with great pleasure I am announcing you my new job as 'Park Manager' for a 5 star hotel in Reunion Island. Its definitely my courses with ADL (Botany, Agronomy and Trees for Rehabilitation) which were decisive for my nomination. Accordingly, my sincere thanks goes to all the ADL team.
"The course was a valuable learning experience as it provided me with the knowledge and understanding for me as a Careers Advisor. The feedback was very good from my tutor, and allowed me to build upon my assignments that were marked. The comments were very informative and very useful. Well written course material." Andrew W, Careers Counselling, UK
More Reviews....
Email Address:
Phone Number:
Enquiry: