Become a Skilled Propagator
With its two-part format this course lays a solid foundation in horticulture so students are able to build up their knowledge of plant processes and biology, before teaching propagation. This helps students to appreciate the way plants grow before discovering how to grow them.
This certificate involves the following areas of work:
- CORE STUDIES - fifteen lessons involving at least 350 hours.
- STREAM STUDIES - stream studies on plant propagation involving at least 350 hours of study.
ACS student comments: "I have learnt so much from this course. I have learnt how easy and how much material strikes and grows, if you follow the rules. I learnt to propagate bulb leaves and grow them on. There are so many more plants that can be propagated and its not hard to do. I hope more people take up the challenge. As I don't have the internet, it's good to be able to use what may be an old fashioned way of learning. Please don't change, I don't think I'm the only one wanting to learn without the internet." Pauline Ross - Australia, Cutting Propagation course.
Lesson Structure
There are 30 lessons in this course:
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Plant Identification
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Introduction
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Botanical/Horticultural Nomenclature
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The Binomial (Taxonomic) System
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Botanical Classification
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Plant Families and Species
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Hybrids, Varieties, Cultivars
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Plant Family Names
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Pronunciation of Plant Names
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Significant Genera and Families they belong to
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Meanings and origins of Plant Names
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Pressing Plants (to create a herbaria collection for reference)
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Introduction to Amenity Plants
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Flowering Plants
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Lower Plants – Conifers, Ferns
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Rhododendrons and Azaleas
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Roses
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Bulbs
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Practical – Plant Review Worksheets
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Parts of the Plant
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Plant Identification Skills
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How to increase your Plant I.D. Skills
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Terminology
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Lead Types
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Structure and Arrangement of Leaves and Leaflets
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Common Leaf Shapes
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Flower Structure
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Parts of a Flower
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The Inflorescence
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Types of Flowers – bisexual, unisexual, monoecious, dioeceous
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How a Seed Forms
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Plant Structure
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Stems and Stem Modifications
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Leaves and Leaf Modifications
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Roots and Root Function
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Root Modifications
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Morphological Changes as a Plant Matures
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Cell Structure and Histology
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Cell Components
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Plant Cell Types
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Plant Tissue Comparisons
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Photosynthesis
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Factors Affecting Photosynthesis
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Respiration
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Rate of Respiration
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Transpiration
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Environmental Factors Affecting Transpiration and Water Uptake
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The Nitrogen Cycle
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Terminology
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Plant Culture – Planting
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Planting
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Environmental Influences on Plants
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Potting Up Plants
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Potting Shrubs and Trees
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Introduction to Gardening Basics
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Terminology
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Common Mistakes when Planting
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Plant Selection Criteria
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Economics of Planting
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Ongoing Costs
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Longevity
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General Hardiness
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Aesthetic Criteria
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Basic Planting Procedure
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Fertiliser
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Staking
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Bare Rooted Plants
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Timing of Planting
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Considerations, Variety, Time, Locality, Mulching
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Laying a New Lawn – Soil Prep, Levels, Sowing, Raking in, Watering
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Turf Grass Varieties – Couch, Fescue, Rye, Bent, Kentucky Blue
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Plant Culture – Pruning
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Fruit or Vegetative Buds
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Reasons for Pruning
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Removing Dead or Diseased Wood
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Controlling Growth Type
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Controlling Shape and Size
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Rejuvenation
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Basic Pruning Rules
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Home Orchard Pruning
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Fruit Tree Pruning Styles
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Before Pruning
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Considerations while Pruning
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Pruning Terminology
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Plant Culture – Irrigation and Machinery
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Water and Irrigation
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Infiltration and Drainage
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Types of Irrigation
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Flood Irrigation
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Sprinkler Irrigation
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Trickle Irrigation
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Power Tools
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Types of Power Tools
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Power Tool Maintenance
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Oil
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Buying Power Tools
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Chainsaws – Use, Starting, Chain Sharpening
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Mowers – types. Guidelines for use, Care
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Brush Cutters/ Strimmers
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Mulchers
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Rotary Hoes
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Hedge Trimmers
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Irrigation Objectives and Feasibility
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Understanding Soil, Water and Plants
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Gravitational, Capillary and Hygroscopic Water
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Measuring Water Available to Plants
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Calculations – Field Capacity, Wilting Point
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Available Moisture Range
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Root Depths for Different Plants
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Estimating Plant Water Requirement
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When to Irrigate
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Symptoms of Water Deficiency and Excess
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Types of Sprinkler Systems and Sprinkler Heads
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Design and Operation of Irrigation Systems
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Cyclic Watering
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Pulse Watering
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Irrigation Scheduling
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Selecting Surface Irrigation Methods
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Soils and Media
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Potting Mixes
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Factors Affecting Fertiliser Application
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Soils
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Sampling Soils
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Soil Composition
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Colloids and Peds
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Soil Texture and Structure
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Soil Chemical Properties
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Improving Soils – texture, structure, fertility
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Soil Terminology
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Soils and Nutrition
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Introduction
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Nutrient Elements
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Macronutrients
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Nitrogen
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Phosphorus
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Potassium
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Magnesium
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Calcium
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Sulphur
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Micronutrients
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Soil pH and Nutrient Availability
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Soil Ameliorants
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Total Salts
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Salinity
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Sources of Salt
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Control Methods for Salinity
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Soil Sodicity
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Water, Air and Nutrients
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Soil Temperature
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Key to Diagnosis of Nutritional Problems
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Fertilisers
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Composting
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Compost Ingredients
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Propagation – Seed and Cuttings
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Introduction
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Seed Propagation
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Hygiene
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How to Sow Seeds in Containers
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Seed Germination
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Seed Sources
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Seed Storage
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Factors Affecting Seed Storage
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Germinating Difficult Seeds
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Seed Dormancy
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Treatments to Break Dormancy
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Cutting Propagation
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Cutting Types – Softwood, Hardwood, Semi Hardwood, Herbaceous, Stem, Tip, Heal. Leaf, etc
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Factors affecting Rooting of Cuttings
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Plant Breeding
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Hybrid Seed Production
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Maintaining Genetic Identity in Seed
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Hand Pollination
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Propagation – Other Techniques
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Division
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Aseptic Micro Propagation
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Grafting
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Budding
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Layering
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Tip Layering
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Mound Layering
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Simple Layering
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Compound Layering
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Aerial Layering
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Natural Layering – Suckers, Runners, Offsets, Crowns
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Propagation with Specialised Stems and Roots – Bulbs, Corms, Tubers, Rhizomes, Pseudobulbs
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Propagating Bulbs – Bulblets on Scales, Stem Cuttings, Bulbils, Basal Cutting etc
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Identification and Use of Plants – Landscape Application
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Plants in the Landscape
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Choosing Plants – criteria
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Inspecting Plants Pre Purchase
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Trees for Landscaping
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Factors for Tree Selection
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Potential Tree Problems
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Choosing Shrubs for Different Purposes
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Groundcovers
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Building Plant Knowledge of Many Tree and Shrub Genera
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Trees for Different Conditions
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Planting Techniques
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Soil Restrictions on Planting
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Identification and Use of Plants-Problem Situations
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Establishing Trees
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Tree Size & Age at Planting
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Root Containment at Planting - Container Type, Bare Rooted or Balled
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What to look for when Buying a Tree
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Plant Protection at Planting – Staking, Frost Protection, Sun Protection, Cages
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Controlling Birds
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Props
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Cabling & Bolting
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Quick Reference Plant Directory
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Container Growing Outside
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Street Tree Reporting
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Identification and Use of Plants – Indoor
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Introduction to Indoor Plants
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Why Indoor Plants Die
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Potting Mixes
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Drainage holes in Pots
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How to Pot a small Plant to a Larger Pot
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Potting up Hanging Baskets
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Plantscaping with Ferns
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Fern Families and Genera
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Pests
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Chemical Pest Control
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Law
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Chemical Labelling
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Non Chemical Pest Control
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Care when Using Chemicals
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Entomology & Insect Control Methods
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Types of Insect Poisons – contact, intermediate, stomach, translocated or not
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Integrated Pest Management
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Insecticide Use with IPM
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Preventative Actions in the Garden
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Understanding Pesticides – Reading the Label
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Toxicity, Activity Spectrum, LD50. Persistence, Volatility, etc.
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Chemical Types -Inorganic, Biological, Organophosphates, Organochlorines, Carbamates, etc.
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Review of Specific Chemical Products
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Diatomaceous earth, Soaps
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Fungicides
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Ways of Applying Chemicals – Spraying, Dusting, Granules, Irrigation injection
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Safety Procedures when Using Agricultural Chemicals
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Differentiation of Pests, Diseases and Viruses
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Review of most Common Pests
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Diseases
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Fungicides
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Plant Pathology
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Identifying a Problem – Parasitic, Non Parasitic
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Treating a Problem
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Diagnosis of Plant Disorders – Visual Appearance, Possible Cause, Appropriate Treatment
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Common Diseases
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Anthracnose
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Blight
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Canker
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Damping Off
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Galls
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Leaf Spot
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Mildew
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Rots
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Rust
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Smut
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Mould
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Wilt
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Other Common Diseases
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Turf Fungal Diseases
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Plant Virus Detection and Diagnosis
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Arboriculture and Tree Health
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Weeds
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What is a Weed
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Steps to Controlling Weeds
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Weed Control with Suffocation
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Weed Control with Burning
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Cultivation to Control Weeds
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Other Non Chemical Weed Control Methods – Grazing, Mowing, Flooding, pH change, Biological Controls
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Weed Control with Herbicides
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Modes of Action
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Regulations and Laws - Restricted Use & Supply
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Avoiding Spray Drift
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Types of Herbicide Chemicals – Aliphatics, Amides, Ureas, Carbamates etc.
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Herbicide Resistance and Tolerance
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Safe Use of Weed killers
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Safety Guidelines and First Aid in relation to Chemical Use
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Cleaning Up a Chemical Spill
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Identifying Weeds
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Controlling Weeds in Different Places – fence lines, base of trees, garden Beds, Hard Surfaces
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Types of Weeds
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Noxious Weeds
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Environmental Weeds
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Common Weeds
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Terminology
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Methods of Propagation
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Sexual Propagation Introduction & Seed Treatments
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Asexual Propagation Introduction
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Scope of Commercial Seed Production
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Seed Growing Methods
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Choosing a Method
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General Soil Preparation
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Open Ground Production
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Seed Propagation A.
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Seed Germination
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Maintaining Genetic Purity
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Methods to Breed Self Pollinated Crops
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Importance of Genetic Purity in Agriculture & Horticulture
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Seed Certification
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Preventing Cross Pollination
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Hand Pollination
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Hybrid Seed Production
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Hybridising Techniques
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Collecting Wild Seed
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Selecting Plants to Collect From
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Timing Collection
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Collection Methods
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Removing Seed
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Choosing Seed for Vegetable Crops
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Collecting Vegetable Seed
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Seed Storage Behaviour
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Factors Affecting Seed Storage
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Types of Seed Storage
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Disease Control in Seeds
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Germination Testing
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Seed Physiology and Germination
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Flower Parts
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Pollination
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Seed Formation
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Parts of a Seed - Embryo, Endosperm, Hilum
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Germination - Epigeal, Hypogeal
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Phases of Plant Reproduction
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Fruits
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Fruit Types
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Seed Propagation B
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Difficult to Germinate Seeds
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Endospermic and Non endospermic
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Germinating Seeds
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Failure to Germinate
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Dormancy Factors Affecting Germination
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Types of Dormancy
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Germination Treatments
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Propagation by Cuttings A
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Importance of Cuttings
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Other Reasons to Use Cuttings
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Where to Source Cutting Material
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Genotype versus Phenotype
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How to Grow a Cutting
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Level of Difficulty Striking Cuttings
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Classifying Cutting Types
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Softwood Cuttings
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Semi Hardwood Cuttings
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Hardwood Cuttings
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Other Cuttings: Herbaceous, Tip, Heel, Nodal, Basal, Cane
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Taking Cuttings
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Improving Strike Rates
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Rooting
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Propagation by Cuttings B
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Leaf Cuttings
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Leaf Bud Cuttings
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Root Cuttings
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Stock Plants for Root Cuttings
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Bulb Cuttings
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Scaling
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Sectioning
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Basal Cuttage
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Propagating Succulents
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Efficiencies in Cutting Propagation
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Success with Cuttings - Work Quality, Technique Selection, Aftercare etc.
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Why do Cuttings Form Roots
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Juvenility
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Cutting Treatments - Hormones
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Other Chemical Treatments - Fungacides, Anti Transpirants, Disinfectants, Acid/Base Treatments
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Non Chemical Treatments = Wounding, Callusing
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Other Treatments - Mycorrhizae, VAM, Carbon Dioxide Enrichment
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Miscellaneous Propagating Techniques
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Division
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Division of Herbs
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Separation
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Lifting and Storing Bulbs
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Budding & Grafting
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Reasons for Budding & Grafting
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How a Graft Forms
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Factors Influencing Graft Healing
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Carpentry of Grafting
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What Can be Grafted on What
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Types of Grafts & Budding
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Grafting Tapes
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Bench Grafting
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Root Grafting
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Soft Tissue Grafting
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Grafting Fruit Trees
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Establishing Rootstocks
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Double Working
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Tissue Culture
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Uses of Tissue CultureDifferent Environments
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Nutrient Medium
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Cleanliness
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Growing Conditions
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Procedures - Explants, Sterilisation, Nutrient Media
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Methods of Shoot INduction & Proliferation
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Multiplication by Adventitious Roots
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Rooting & Planting Out
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Laboratory Requirements
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Terminology
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Biotechnology in Horticulture
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Cell Fusions
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Overcoming Pollination Incompatibility
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Pollination Biology use in Plant Breeding
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Layering
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Why Use Layering
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Types of Layers
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Tip Layering
-
Mound Layering
-
Simple Layering
-
Compound Layering
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Trench Layering
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Aerial Layering
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Natural Layers - Suckers, Runners, Offsets, Crowns
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Propagating Structures and Equipment
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What can be Grtown in a Protected Environment
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Greenhouse Systems
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Components of a Greenhouse
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Types of Greenhouses
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Propagating Materials
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Growing in Containers
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Care of Containers
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Preventing Moss and Algae Growth
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Pots
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Comparing Materials - Plastic, Terracotta, Glazed, etc
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Potting Up Plants
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Potting Media
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History of Potting Mixes
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Testing for Toxins in Media
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Mixes/Substrates for Seed or Cuttings
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Rockwool
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Problems with Organic Components
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Qualities of Potting Soils
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Components of Potting Mixes
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Cleanliness with Soils
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Maintaining Sanitation
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Potting up Different Types of Plants
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Nursery Management A
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The Nursery Site
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Size
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Planning Restrictions
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Site Characteristics
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Location
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Designing Facilities for the Site
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Production Areas
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Production Systems
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Flow Charts
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The U.C. System
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U.C. Mixes
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Sanitation Rules
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Nursery Management B
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Plant Modification to Achieve Uniformity
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Developing a Thicker, Sturdier Stem or Trunk
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Making a Plant Taller Developing a Compact Root System
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Encouraging Compact Growth
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Improving Foliage Colour & Vigour
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Promoting Flower Development
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Getting Plants to Flower Out of Season
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Other Factors - Spacing, Staking, Chemical Growth modification
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Management Policies
ACS student comments: I have learnt so much from this course. I have learnt how easy and how much material strikes and grows, if you follow the rules. I learnt to propagate bulb leaves and grow them on. There are so many more plants that can be propagated and its not hard to do. I hope more people take up the challenge. As I don't have the internet, it's good to be able to use what may be an old fashioned way of learning. Please don't change, I don't think I'm the only one wanting to elarn without the internet. Pauline Ross - Australia, Cutting Propagation course.
