LESSON STRUCUTRE:    HORTICULTURE – LEARN THE BASICS 

There are 18 lessons:

1.  Introduction

2.  Lawns and Grassland Part 1

• site, clearing, levelling and preparation for planting a lawn,
• different kinds of lawns and their uses
• grass seed, principal grass genera and species used in lawn seed mixtures, and their characteristics
• sowing, after care and maintenance

3.  Lawns and Grasslands Part 2

• Maintenance of lawns
• Non grass lawns
• Floral meadows

4.  How Plants Work

• cells
• roots
• stems
• leaves
• buds
• other structures

5.  Vegetables

•  siting vegetables, soil and fertility, drainage
•  the vegetable garden layout
•  climate
•  cropping
•  seeds
•  sowing vegetables
•  thinning, planting
•  water, feeding
•  weeds, mulching, crop protection

6.  Ornamental Plants and Propagation

• the different types of flowering plants
• gymnosperms, monocotyledons, dictoyledons, annuals, biennials, perennials, woody, herbaceous.
• Propagation – cuttings, division, many other kinds, grafting.

7.  Soils

• types of soil
• structure
• mulches
• fertilisers
• organic matter and manures CE, AFP etc.
• base and top dressings
• lime
• water

8.  Trees and Shrubs

• trees
• shrubs
• climbers
• pruning
• maintenance

9.  Flowers

• general structure
• sepals and petals
• stamens
• The Carpel – ovary, style and stigma
• Types of inflorescence
• nectaries

10.   Pollination and Fertilisation

• pollination
• fertilization
• fruit/seed structure and germination requirements

11. Fruit

• types of fruit
• planting and requirements
• cultivation
• pruning

12.   Genetics and Breeding

• the genetic code
• chromosomes
• genes
• mito· sis and meiosis
• Mendelian inheritance
• mono and dihybrid inheritance
• genotype and phenotype
• F1 hybrids and hybrid vigour
• Heterozygosity and homozygosity
• dominance and recessiveness

13.  Pest, Diseases and Disorders

• damage caused by pests, diseases and disorder
• identification, symptoms and modes of attack
• control – chemical
• control – biological
• control – organic
• control – physical
• control – cultural
• A large pest
• A mite
• A Mollusc
• Insects with complete metamorphosis
• Insects with incomplete metamorphosis
• A fungus
• A virus
• A bacteria
• A nematode
• environmental disorder
• nutritional disorder
• IPM (Integrated Pest Management)

14.  Plant Physiology

• photosynthesis
• respiration
• photoperiodism
• nutrient cycles
• CEC, humus and organic material – breakdown pathways (macro & micro-organisms)

15.  Plant Protection and Artificial Environments

• plant protection
• why protect?
• types of protection
• Controlling environmental factors
• artificial environments
• container growing – air filled porosity, stability
• non-soil growing medium – composts, loam and non-loam based
• types of containers, modules
• hydroponics

16.   Water

• transpiration
• uptake of water by plant roots – osmosis and diffusion explained
• conduction of water
• relative humidity
• turgor
• water in the soil – availability, field capacity, wilting point – permanent wilting point.
• Soil structure, water and nutrients – pores sizes, nutrient uptake effect of water on micro-organisms.
• Irrigation – types and situations for

17.  Weeds and soil management

• what are weeds? Invasive plants, cultivated plants as weeds, and why they are successful
• types of weed
• treatments and control – organic, chemical and biological
• green manures, erosion control, soil management

18.  Ecology and the Environment

• a brief background to ecology
• changes in agricultural practices and their effects
• carbon sinks and release
• conservation in the garden
• encouraging wildlife and the ‘green’ garden
• large scale practices to help

Please Note:  There are self-assessments in each lesson and an assignment for each.

Ideally, soil provides the perfect environment for plants to grow.
Soil should provide:

• A source of valuable nutrients and trace elements.
• A good environment for beneficial soil organisms to flourish.
• A good habitat for beneficial soil fauna such as earthworms which excavate drainage channels.
• Free drainage whilst retaining enough moisture for the plant roots obtain enough.
• Good structure: not too compact so plant roots may easily grow to provide anchorage and obtain water and nutrients, but not too crumbly so the plants have enough support.
• The soil is very delicately balanced environment and it is important to have a good understanding of its structure, ways to improve it and maintain fertility. The formation of soils begins with parent rock. The parent rock is exposed to the elements and is weathered. Weathering is the breakdown of parent material and erosion is the movement of fragments of rock and soil.Weathering occurs under three processes Chemical, physical and biological. Chemical weathering – is mainly brought about by the action of carbonic acid. This is produced wherever carbon dioxide and water mix, as in rainfall. Some minerals dissolve and are washed away. Others are altered chemically when the surface is exposed to water or the atmosphere.All but the inert particles are decomposed and the rock eventually crumbles as new minerals are formed and soluble material is released.Hydrolysis is the reaction that occurs when water reacts with parent rock.
  
• Oxidation is particularly important in the formation of iron oxides which give soils their red or yellow colouring in aerobic conditions and blue or grey in anaerobic conditions. Physical or mechanical weathering – rock is broken into smaller pieces without chemical change. Occurs on exposed rock faces. Often combined with chemical weathering.Main agents are heat, frost, water, wind and ice. In temperate zones frost is a major weathering element. Water percolates into cracks, expands when it freezes.
• Layers build up and slowly, under pressure and chemical weathering, they become rock.e.g. limestone, shale and chalk. Sands which accumulate at great depths form sandstone. Due to seismic movement of the Earth many now raised above sea level. Moving water and winds are able to carry rock particles – the greater their speed, the more they can carry (their load increases) and the more they erode, carrying pageparticles away and fast-moving rivers can carry sizeable rocks whilst slow-moving ones will drop the heavier ones.
• Soil development – Occurs in the loose fragments of rock overlying the earth’s crust. This is the parent material that has an important effect on the nature of the soil formed. However, it is also influenced by vegetation, climate, topography, drainage, as well as animals including man and time. Young soils are those (regosoils) that have just formed but over time they take on the characteristics that depend on the influence of the other factors to give rise to the main soil types.Topography of the land effect how fast erosion will be at points where rock is exposed. In hollows or even small undulations, particles may become trapped and tiny plants can get hold e.g. mosses, ferns, algae, lichens.
• Weathering is extended due to the increased amount of carbonic acid produced by larger root systems and depth of weathered material increases. The process of weathering which may have taken thousands of years now accelerates as living organisms become established and particles become more finely divided.The physical characteristics of a soil are usually established by referring to the layers or horizons in the soil profile. L layer – the litter layer which has not yet been incorporated into the soil. O layer – organic layer – semi-decomposed organic material and humus.
• A layer – topsoil – the upper layer of soil from which nutrients are washed downwards. Usually darker due to significant levels of humus present. Humus is decayed organic material incorporated well into the soil profile.Layer -The lighter layer below is the B layer where finer materials accumulate. In horticulture, the A horizon is referred to as topsoil and B as subsoil. The parent material below the layers is the C layer and is parent material. Its characteristics will affect the entire soil profile. The depth of each layer will vary according to the way in which the soil develops and conditions (compare brown earth and chalk upland).
• Subsoil is usually more compact, lighter in colour and devoid of life apart from perhaps some long roots. It may be very different in structure and texture to the topsoil due to the fact that accumulations of washed down substances gather there, water drainage may not be good, it is compacted often so pore spaces are compressed. It offers anaerobic conditions.The topsoil is far better usually for plant growth and subsoil is not mixed with topsoil. Soil texture is largely how the particle sizes are distributed or their proportions.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Here is a list of the most often asked FAQ’s.

General

Q. Why should I enrol with the Academy for Distance Learning?
A. Here at ADL, our students are our priority – we treat everyone as a unique individual.

Q. Do I need to buy text books?
A. No, as each module has been written by highly qualified industry professionals. The content of the material is presented in such a way that text books are not required. However, if you require additional reading your tutor will be able to supply a list.

Q. What happens if I have to stop studying for a while? (eg. become sick, go on holidays, have a baby, move house, etc)
A. It’s OK to take a break and start up your study at a later point in time. Just let us know.

Q. Is there an age limit?
A. There is no maximum age limit. We do however, have a minimum age limit of 18 years. Below that age parental consent would be required.

Q. Are your courses up-to date?
A. Our courses are revised and updated on a rotation system.

Q. Do you have a Cancellation policy?
A. Yes. We have a cancellation policy that is fair and equitable. For further details please click here.

Q. Will I have any opportunity to engage with other students?
A. We have a Student Community group based on facebook! If you don’t have a facebook account already, you could make one just for talking with fellow students on the group.

Enrolment

Q. When can I enrol/start?
A. You may enrol and start at any time of the year – it’s all self- paced.

Q. Can I study from anywhere in the world?
A. Our courses are available to anyone, anywhere in the world from the comfort of your own home. The course content is relevant to any country, culture or economy.

Q. How long do I have to complete the course?
A. You complete the course at any time that is convenient for you.

Q. Completing a 100 hour module – how long will it take?
A. For some students a 100 hour module will take approximately to 3- 6 months to complete. Others take less time and some even longer.

Assessment

Q. Assessment – how does it work?
A. For each 100 hour module you are assessed by assignments (at the end of each lesson) and a final one and a half hour exam (or you may elect to complete a Project, instead of sitting the exam) – the choice is yours – you sit for the exam in your own location.

Q. I don’t cope well with exams – what can I do?
A. You may elect to undertake a Project (set by your tutor) instead of sitting the exam. Projects are completed from your home and can usually take a couple of weeks to complete.

Q. If my assignment is not up to standard is there an opportunity to resubmit my work?
A. Yes –

Q. How many assignments do I need to complete for each module?
A. At the end of each lesson, there is an assignment – so if a course has say, 10 lessons, there would be 10 assignments.

Q. I am having difficulty attending workshops/industry meetings, what can be done?
A. If your course requires attendance at workshops, conferences, or industry meetings; alternative arrangements can be made in your country.

Qualifications

Q. What qualification will I receive?
A. For individual modules, you would be awarded a Certificate endorsed by TQUK (Training Qualifications, UK), providing you complete all assignments and the exam. If you just want to complete only the assignments and not sit for the exam or finish a Project, then a Letter of Achievement would be awarded. For more details on qualifications available please click here.

Q. Can I customize my diploma/higher qualification?
A. Not all educational institution’s certificates /diplomas meet everyone’s needs. The opportunity to Design Your Own Diploma at the Academy (subject to our approval) is an added bonus, not found at other colleges. You choose modules that you think will help you in achieving your goal.

Q. What do I get when I complete the course? Will I receive a transcript?
A. At the completion of all courses and providing all assignments and exam requirements have been met, you will receive your Award and a Transcript.

Tutors

Q. Our tutors – who are they?
A. We appoint Tutors and require that they must be currently active in their industry, with at least 5 years’ experience in their chosen profession.

Q. Can I contact my tutor at any time?
A. Yes – you have unlimited access to your tutor via email through our Online Classroom. You can always leave a message with ADL requesting your tutor to contact you. You decide on how much or how little contact you wish to have.

Q. Practical work – How is this done?
A. To find out more about this part of the course please visit the section on How Our Courses Work here.