Level 1 Diploma in Practial Horticulture Skills

This course is designed to give school leavers the opportunity to start a career in the horticultural industry. The one year course will give students a good basic understanding of the horticulture industry to help towards getting a job as a gardener, maintaining parks and public areas or working for a commercial horticulture business. Alternatively the qualification could be used towards gaining acceptance onto a more advanced horticultural course or apprenticeship.


What Subjects will I study?

Students will study four core units which include preparing soil and applying organic mulch, preparing an area for sowing/planting then planting and watering plants. Other units cover a large range of subjects including determining soil pH and texture, pruning, pricking out seedlings, using mowers and other garden machinery, identifying trees, shrubs and weeds and maintaining paved areas and repairing dry stone walls.

In addition to training and assessments at the College, students will get the opportunity to visit and help out at other horticulture businesses and gardens in the Isle of Man.