Cut Flower Production Online Course
Exam Optional
Tutor Support Yes unlimited by email
Qualification Certificate
This diverse course introduces you to the fundamental knowledge required to set up your own cut flower business or to work for a commercial grower.
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, and increased opportunity for profit by the small business operator or advanced hobbyist. This course provides a thorough basic training for the commercial cut flower grower.
Course Aims:
- Explain the physiological processes which affect flower development in plants
- Identify plant varieties suitable for commercial cut flower production
- Evaluate the suitability of different plants as cut flower crops
- Determine soil and nutrition requirements for cut flower growing
- Determine the cultural requirements for commercial production of a cut flower crop
- Determine harvest and post-harvest management practices for cut flower crops
- Develop a production plan for a cut flower crop
- Determine export market opportunities for cut flowers
Detailed Course Outline
This course is made up a number of lessons or units. Each of these has self assessment questions, a set task (practical homework) and an assignment which you can upload online. Click below to read about each of the lessons and what you will learn.
There are 10 Lessons in this course:
Introduction to Cut Flower Production
- Scope and Nature of the Flower Industry
- International Flower Market
- Succeeding in the Trade
- Flower Structure
- Development of a Flower
- Introduction to Hydroponic Culture
- Understanding plant growth, roots, stems, flowers, leaves
- Types of flowers, perennials, bulbs.
- Review of Flower Crops, Alstroemeria, Antirrhinum, Amaryllis, Anigozanthus, Aster Carnation, Chrysanthemum, Dahlia, Freesia, Gerbera, Gladiolus, Iris, Narcissus, Orchids, Rose, Stock and others.
Soils and Nutrition
- Soil composition
- Soil texture
- Soil structure
- Colloids
- Peds
- Characteristics of clay, sand and loam soils
- Naming the Soil
- Improving Soil Structure
- Improving fertility
- Benefits of adding organic matter to soils
- Soil life, earthworms, mycorrhyzae, nitrogen fixing, etc.
- Soil Water
- Understanding dynamics of water loss
- Improving soil water retention
- Types of soil water (Hygroscopic, Gravitational)
- Soil analysis
- Plant tissue analysis for soil management
- Measuring pH
- Other soil testing (testing salinity, colorimetry, etc)
- Measuring Water availability to plants
- Soil Degradation and rehabilitation (Erosion, Salinity, Acidification, etc)
- Soil Chemical Characteristics
- Nutrient availability and pH
- The nutrient elemernts, major, minor, total salts
- Diagnosing nutritional problems
- Fertilisers (types, application, etc)
- Natural Fertilisers
- Fertiliser Selection
- Composting methods
- Soil mixes and potting media
Cultural Practices
- Site selection
- Production
- Cultivation techniques
- Using cover crops
- Green manure cover crops
- Nitrogen Fixation in legumes
- Crop rotation
- Planting procedure
- Staking
- Bare rooted plants
- Time of planting
- Mulching
- Frost protection
- Managing sun
- Managing animal pests, birds, etc.
- Pruning
- Water management and Irrigation
- When to irrigate
- Period of watering, cyclic watering, pulse watering, etc
- Sprinkler irrigation
- Trickle irrigation
- Sprinkler systems, portable, permenant, semi permenant, travelling
- Types of sprinler heads
- Sprinkler spacings
- Selecting surface irrigation methods
- Weed control
- Preventative weed management
- Hand weeding
- Mechanical weeding
- Chemical weed control
- Classification of weedicides
- Natural Weed Control Methods
- Review of common weeds
Flower Initiation and Development
- How flowers Age
- Managing flower longevity
- Effects of Carbon Dioxide
- Getting plants to flower out of season
- Types of flower response to temperature
- Ways to cause controlled flowering
- Narcissus flower management
- Managing Azalea flowering
- Seed sources
- Hydroponics for controlled growth
Pest and Disease Control
- Integrated Pest Management
- Chemical Methods of Pest Control
- Chemical labels
- Non Chemical methods of pest control
- Pest and Disease Identification and Management on flower crops
- Anthracnose
- Blight
- Canker
- Damping off
- Galls
- Leaf Spot
- Mildew
- Rots
- Rust
- Smut
- Sooty Mould
- Virus
- Wilt
- Caterpillars
- Leafhoppers
- Mealy Bugs
- Millipedes
- Mites
- Nematodes
- Scale
- Slugs or Snails
- Thrip
- Whitefly
- Viruses,
- Others
- Environmental Problems
Australian Natives and Related Plants
- Proteaceae Plants (Aulax, Banksia, Dryandra, Grevillea, Hakea, Isopogon, Leucadendron, Leucospermum, Macadamia, Mimetes, Persoonia Protea, Serruria and Telopea.)
- Culture of Proteaceae cut flowers
- Proteaceae propagation
- Anigozanthus
- Other Australian Cut Flowers
Greenhouse Culture
- The greenhouse business
- Greenhouse system
- Components of a greenhouse
- What can be grown in a greenhouse
- Siting greenhouses
- Types of greenhouses
- Shadehouses
- Cold frames
- Heated propagators
- Framing and cover materials
- Thermal screens
- Wind breaks
- Benches and beds
- Environmental control; Temperature, moisture, irrigation, shading -both natural and with blinds/curtains, light-including supplemented light if needed, ventilation, levels of CO2, mist/fogging
- Photosynthesis
- Plants that respond to Carbon dioxide
- Day length manipulation
- Lighting and heating equipment
- Horticultural management within the greenhouse
Harvest and Post Harvest
- Harvesting
- Flower deterioration
- Post harvest
- Shelf life
- Major factors that affect shelf life
- Post harvest treatments
- Other treatments
- Grading standards
- Conditioning flowers for market
- Harvesting and grading carnations
- Harvest and post harvest of selected orchids; Bud opening, transport, storing flowers
- Cost Efficiency Standards
- Quality Standards
- Quantity Standards
- Judging flowers
Developing a Production Plan
- Managing a cut flower farm
- Deciding what to grow
- Production plans
- Decisions that need to be made
- Farm layout
- Design of a store
Export Marketing
- International flower marketing system
- Aspects of export
- Flower Exporting case study
- Understanding marketing your produce
- Consider your markets
- Market research
- What to research
- How to sell successfully
When you have completed the lessons of your Certificate course, you will be given the option of taking the optional exam. It's okay if you don't want the exam, we still issue your Careerline Certificate. For Advanced Certificates however, the exam is compulsory (per module) and are included in the course fee.
Get Free Info Pack
Get your free info pack, just fill in the form below and we'll send it out.
Course Tutor
Agriculture spans a wide variety of specializations. Who your tutor is will depend on which area of agriculture you are studying. Upon enrollment you will be assigned your own personal tutor who is there to support you throughout your studies.
How It Works
1. Learn Online
Get access to your course content anywhere, anytime and study at your own pace.
2. Get Help & Support
Connect with other like-minded students and get help from the teacher whenever you have a question.
3. Receive Certificate
Graduate from your course knowing that you have what it takes to reach your next step.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I pay in installments?
Yes! We offer great payment plans, however full payment up front is the cheapest. You can choose the best payment plan for you from the course page, or call us on 07 55368782 to talk to one of our course consultants for a custom plan.
Can I study from anywhere in the world?
We have many international students. Careerline's range of courses are suitable for any one, anywhere in the world.
Do I get a discount if I enroll in a second course?
Yes. You may claim a 5% fee discount when you enroll in a second course, and a further 10% off a three-course package.
Do I have to sit an Exam?
No. If you are enrolled in a Certificate course (100hrs), the exam is optional. You will be issued with a certificate which proves that you are competent in all units, if you choose not to sit the exam.
Do you have set start dates?
There are no set start dates, you may start at any time. Our courses are all self-paced. As our home page says, ‘Courses for Anyone, Anywhere, Anytime’. ‘Anytime’ includes the start time of your choice. However, we do encourage our students to submit assignments on a regular basis. Wherever possible, we suggest developing a study routine.