Diploma In Horticulture (Propagation) VHT002

A 700 hour course designed principally for plant propagators. 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 plant propagation, dealing with hundreds of different types of plants, and methods used to propagate them.

The Diploma in Horticulture (Plant Propagation) is a vocationally oriented course comprising a core of studies common to all horticulture certificates, plus specialised studies in plant propagation.

The objective of the course is to:

• develop skills and knowledge about propagating different types of plants by seed, cuttings, budding and grafting, separation, division and layering in a commercially viable way.
• develop skills and knowledge about tools, equipment & growing structures used in a nursery for plant production.
• develop general skills in horticultural practices and plant identification.

This Diploma 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 250 hours of study plus 100 hours of work experience.

CORE STUDIES

This involves fifteen lessons as follows:

1. Introduction to Plants - Nomenclature and taxonomy, the plant kingdom, genus, species, hybrids.
2. Parts of the Plant - How plants grow, plant structure, parts of the flower and leaf, stem & root modification.
3. Plant Culture - Planting: How to plant and protect newly planted specimens, terms like: annuals, biennials, perennials, deciduous, evergreen and herbaceous plants.
4. Plant Culture - Pruning: Purpose for pruning, rules for pruning, how to prune.
5. Plant Culture - Irrigation and Machinery: Different irrigation systems, components of an irrigation system, designing an irrigation system, selection, use and maintenance of machinery and tools.
6. Soils & Media - Soil classifications, testing soil, potting mixes, the U.C. System, ingredients of potting mixes.
7. Soils & Nutrition - Fertilisers: deficiencies and toxicities, NPK ratios, salting, fertiliser programming, compost.
8. Propagation - Seeds & Cuttings: How to propagate plants by seed and cuttings, propagating mixes, cold frame construction, after care for young plants.
9. Propagation - Other Techniques: budding, grafting, layering, division and tissue culture.
10. Identification and Use of Plants - How are plants used in the landscape, how to choose and purchase plants, selecting plants suitable for the climate and site.
11. Identification and Use of Plants - Problems with plants and choosing plants for problem sites.
12. Identification and Use of Plants - Indoor and tropical plants, flowers, herbs, bulbs, ferns.
13. Pests - Identifying and controlling pests, chemical and natural methods for control, chemical safety precautions.
14. Diseases - Identifying and controlling diseases, plant pathology, fungi, viruses, non-pathogenic problems, interactions with the host and the environment.
15. Weeds - Identifying and controlling weeds, chemical terminology.

STREAM STUDIES: PLANT PROPAGATION

Through these specialised stream studies, the student will attempt to achieve the following objectives:

• Collect seed from and propagate different varieties of plants with that seed.
• Describe the method and time of year used to propagate at least 200 different plant varieties.
• Draw and label the parts of a seed.
• Explain how a seed germinates, and grows in the early stages of its development.
• Explain a variety of different harvest and post harvest treatments for seed.
• Explain a variety of pre-germination treatments for seed.
• Collect, identify and prepare cuttings for at least 50 different varieties of plants.
• Propagate from cuttings and successfully grow on ten different plant varieties to the stage of a saleable tube.
• Mix and use a propagation media suited to pro