COURSE CONTENTS
There are ten lessons in this course:
Horticulture 1 – Planning, Principles and Production
- The Plant Kingdom (part a)
- The Plant Kingdom (part b)
- The Plant Kingdom (part c)
- Plant Propagation
- Outdoor Food Production
- Garden Planning
Horticulture II – Ornamental, Principles and Maintenance
- The Root Environment and Plant Nutrition
- Protected Cultivation
- Horticultural Plant Selection, Establishment and Maintenance
- Horticultural Plant Health Problems
Duration: Nominally 120 hours (as indicated by the RHS), though we believe only students who already have some prior experience could complete it within this time frame. Most students should budget on spending 150 hours or more doing this course if they hope to be successful when sitting final exams through the RHS (irrespective of whether they study with us or elsewhere).
AIMS
- Demonstrate a broad range of horticultural knowledge; communicate clearly and coherently in writing on horticultural matters; and relate horticultural science to its practical application.
- Understand the classification of higher plants and appreciate the internal structure of higher plants.
- Understand the external structure of higher plants
- Develop an understanding of the principles and main practices of plant propagation in horticulture.
- Understand the fundamental physiological processes within the plant including photosynthesis, respiration, water movement, pollination, fertilisation, seed formation and germination.
- Develop an understanding of the principles and main practices of plant propagation in horticulture.
- Understand basic cultural operations and production methods necessary to obtain outdoor food crops.
- Understand basic surveying and design principles and apply them to basic garden design and planning requirements.
- Develop an understanding of the constituents, properties and management of soils and growing media.
- Develop an understanding of environmental control and plant cultivation in greenhouses and other protected environments.
- Develop an understanding of plant selection, establishment and maintenance of a range of ornamental plants.
- Develop an understanding of pest, diseases and weeds that affect horticultural plants, and the cultural, biological, chemical and integrated systems used to control those problems.
THE EXAMINATIONS
To be awarded the UK accredited certificate by the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), you must sit for two examinations set by the RHS. These are offered twice annually, and sitting of these exams can be generally be arranged without too much difficulty in most regions around the world. Please note that additional examination fees are payable to the RHS if you choose to sit these RHS exams.
Examinations are held in February and June each year, and the units can be taken separately as long as both are passed within a three-year qualifying period.
