Crops Courses

Want to Grow Berries?This course is for the enthusiast or 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.

Learn the processes required to tap into the commercial organic vegetable market.

A self paced study program, for serious growers; new farmers and staff working on vegetable farms or market gardens.

The demand for organically grown vegetables is currently a major growth area in commercial horticulture. This course is a good starting point in learning all aspects of organic vegetable production.

Commercial vegetable growing.

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)

Grow better Vegetables, Herbs, Fruit or Cut Flowers

Ten lessons cover site, crop selection, soil management, cut flowers, vegetables, berries, nuts, herbs, tree fruits, other crops, managing a market garden and more.

A module from the UK accredited, RHS Advanced Certificate in Horticulture

Everyone loves getting a bunch of flowers – bulbs growing for the cut flower trade can be a rewarding career; this course will equip you with the skills and knowledge to forge a career in this field.

This is a course designed for the flowering bulb enthusiast or commercial bulb grower interested in starting their own business for 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 all good horticultural practice:  understanding of soil types, plant nutrition, management of pest and diseases, environmental management and also the various types of bulbs used for flower production. If you have always wanted to learn more about flowering bulbs and how to grow them commercially or at home, this is the place to start!

This specialist course is aimed at those that would love to work in the orchid growing sector. Greenhouse growing is covered extensively throughout this very rounded course. Improve your skills and gain work or set up your own business.

Orchids occur naturally from very cold temperate climates through to tropical locations; and provided you choose appropriate species and treat them according to location, it is feasible to grow orchids as cut flowers almost anywhere. Orchids are one of the most commercially viable cut flower crops (partially due to their beaty, and also due to their long shelf life). Learn how to produce orchid flowers for the cut flower trade.

This diverse course introduces you to the fundamental knowledge required to set up your own cut flower business or to work in this exciting field. The cut flower trade is an expanding industry.

This course provides a thorough basic training for the commercial cut flower grower. This is a diverse industry with potential in virtually every corner of the world.  Cut flower growing involves many considerations that require unique knowledge and skills such as:

• How to initiate flowering out of season
• How to ensure blemish free product for optimum prices
• Harvest and post harvest treatments to increase shelf life
• Crop selection in the light of changing fashions and supply/demand fluctuations

Cut flower growing has experienced rapid expansion in recent decades, resulting in increased demand for training in the skills and knowledge required by this industry in increasingly affluent countries.

This course is for the serious grower! A great all rounded course that covers all aspects of fruit temperate fruit growing from soil management through to plant selection and marketing. All you need to know to set up that fruit growing farm.

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.

Fruit growing in tropical and sub-tropical climates

Similar to the temperate fruit course, but adapted to cover tropical and sub-tropical conditions. The course includes sections on Avocados, Pineapples, Macadamias, Paw Paws and Cashews.

Learn how you can extend the growing season by expanding your cut flower range and supplying markets year-round. This is a diverse course for the serious grower.

Greenhouse Cut Flower Production is intensive horticulture. It requires less land but a greater investment inequipment (compared with production in the open). This form of proddiction can also be more complex -requiring not only an understanding of the plants and related horticultural skills; but also an understanding of how to provide and manage artificial environments.

This course is unique and ideal training for anyone looking to work in this exciting and rewarding field of horticulture.

A detailed introduction to hydroponics

Develop a sound understanding of the theory and practice of hydroponics. This is a serious grounding for working in the hydroponic industry and concentrates on the horticulturally valuable crops, such as cut flowers and vegetables.

Design and maintenance of crop irrigation systems.

 Water is a precious and often scarce resource. Using it effectively can make all the difference to whether a crop is profitable or not. This ten lesson course develops an understanding of how plants use water and how to deliver it more effectively to the plant. Learn about the design, installation, maintenance, operation and evaluation of simple irrigation systems.

This course is similar to BHT210 and BAG213, but focuses on irrigation systems for row crops (eg. vegetables & cut flowers) and orchards.

Ever wanted to grow mushrooms and didn’t know where to start?

Here is a comprehensive 8 lesson course covering how to grow mushrooms on either a small or large scale. Emphasis is placed on the Agaricus species (the Champignon), though other commercially important edible fungi are also considered. Growing, harvesting, marketing, storage, pest and diseases and even ways of cooking and using mushrooms are covered.

For the enthusiast or commercial grower.

Gain a sound foundation for growing a wide variety of nuts, particularly in temperate climates. This course also provides opportunities for you to focus more on types of nuts that are of greater interest and relevance to you.

Nuts have some distinct advantages over other crops:

• Long shelf life (so you don't need to sell them quickly) or use costly storage or processing to extend the marketing period
• High in protein - nutritionally intensive foods

  A detailed study on nut growing with the opportunity to specialise, to some degree, according to your interests.

  Nuts can be grown in most parts of the world - there are species suited to a variety of climates.

  Nuts are an exceptionally valuable food crop that can be harvested and stored for long periods and can also be processed into a variety of products. These characteristics make them particularly useful for commercial growers, for the home gardener, or those striving towards self sufficiency.

Successful protective plant cropping requires the practical skills and knowledge you will gain when undertaking this course. A specialized field of growing covering all types of crops and ornamentals – this course with give you broad practical plant husbandry skills.

Develop your broad understanding of practices and processes involved in successful plant cropping. It will develop a clear understanding of enviromental control and plant growth within a protective enviroment, together with a practical knowledge of plant husbandry techniques.

This course is similar to our other soil management courses, but relates specifically to crops.

THE FOUNDATION OF PROFITABLE FARMING. There are many things that can be wrong with your soil.. Poor nutrition, chemical imbalance, structural problems such as drainage, and lack of microbial life  are some examples of problems that can beset your soil. Often minor and relatively inexpensive treatments can make a huge difference to productivity, but the problems need to be identified first, and that requires a solid understanding of soil theory and management practice. Learn about soil properties and requirements in agriculture, and how to apply that knowledge at a management level. Topics covered include the chemical and physical properties of soil, soil testing, soil management, earthworks, land degradation, and container growing. “Whether you are living or working on a grazing property or work in the area of land restoration, the study of soil management goes hand-in-hand with the study of pasture management. This is a good course that covers the topic effectively” M. Cullen - Dip. Landcare & Natural Resources, Assoc. Dip. SMI, B. Teaching.

Grape growing

Ten lessons covering the history of viticulture, the current state of the industry, wine and table grapes, dried grapes, cultural practices (trellising, soils, planting, pruning, irrigation, pests & diseases); vineyard design, improving quality, harvest & post harvest procedures, winemaking, marketing and more.