Organic Plant Culture Online Course
Exam Optional
Tutor Support Yes unlimited by email
Qualification Certificate
Minimize pest problems, and creating productive farms and healthy gardens without relying upon artificial chemicals – all that takes knowledge, and sometimes a little more hard work.
Through this course you can lay a foundation in the skills needed to be an effective organic gardener or farmer.
Course Aims:
- Explain the concepts and principles of organic growing, including the common techniques used in organic growing systems.
- Explain the concepts and principles of organic growing, including the common techniques used in organic growing systems.
- Determine soil management procedures, which are consistent with organic growing principles.
- Determine soil management procedures, which are consistent with organic growing principles.
- Determine soil management procedures, which are consistent with organic growing principles.
- Explain how pests and diseases are controlled using organic growing principles.
- To determine appropriate mulches for use in different organic growing situations.
- Determine the appropriate use of seed propagation, in organic plant culture.
- Plan the production of an organically grown vegetable food crop.
- Plan the production of an organically grown fruit crop.
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
- Scope and Nature of Organic Growing
- Definitions
- Influential People in the Organic movement: Lady Balfour, Sir Albert Howard, Jerome Irving Rodale
- Different Ways to Garden Organically. Biodynamics, Permaculture
- Resources
Plant Culture
- Different Cultivation Methods
- Crop Rotation
- Green Manure
- No Dig Culture
- Not Till Planting into Grass
Understanding Soils
- Physical and Chemical Soil Properties
- Soil Profiles
- Identifying Soil Type
- Soil Structure
- pH
- Cation Exchange Capacity
- Buffering Capacity
- Soil water and air, temperature, humus, etc
- Organic Matter
Fertilizers and Plant Nutrition
- Organic Fertilizers; scope, nature, comparing different types of fertilizer and manure
- Animal Manures
- Seaweed and seaweed extracts
- Liquid Feeds in Organics
- Rock Dusts
Management
- Importance of Soil
- Cultivation Techniques and their affects on soil
- Cover Crops
- Using Cover Crops
- Green Manures as Cover Crops
- Nitrogen Fixation
- The Rhizobium Bacteria
- Mycorrhyzae
- Composting
- Compost Bins
- What can be Composted
- Carbon Nitrogen Ratio
- Compost heap conditions; cold and hot heaps
- How to build a compost heap
- Using Compost
- Water in the Soil; infiltration, retention, when to water, period of watering
Pests and Diseases
- Pest and Disease Prevention
- Management Techniques; early intervention, using predators
- Allowable inputs
- Understanding Plant Problems
- Disease Life cycles
- Review of Disease Types and their management
- Viruses
- Review of Pests and their management
- Review of Environmental Problems and their Management
- Companion Planting
- Nutrient Accumulating Plants
Mulching
- Scope and Nature
- Mulching Materials
- Living Mulch
- Weed Management, preventative measures, other weed control methods
Seeds
- Organic Seeds
- Reproduction
- Pollination and preventing cross pollination
- Choosing Seed Plants for Vegetable Crops
- Collection, cleaning, storing seeds
- Sowing
Vegetable Growing in your locality
- Site Selection
- Planning the Crop
- Getting the most from a Vegetable Plot
- Sowing Vegetable Seeds; outdoors, indoors
- Transplanting Seedlings
- Crowns, Offsets, Tubers
- Selected Vegetables, their culture, production, harvest, etc
- Broccoli
- Brussels sprouts
- Beetroot
- Silver beet
- Cabbage
- Capsicum
- Carrots
- Cauliflowers
- Celery
- Chicory
- Cucumbers
- Egg plants
- Kohl rabi
- Leek
- Lettuce
- Onions
- Parsnips
- Potatoes
- Pumpkins
- Radish
- Spinach
- Turnip
- Tomatoes
Fruit Growing in your locality
- Establishing an Orchard; site, climate, water
- Designing an Orchard
- Soil Management for Organic Orchards
- Winter Chilling, Pollination and other fruit set factors
- Choosing Fruit Varieties
- Temperate and Cool Climate Fruits Review
- Review of Tropical and Sub Tropical Fruits
- Vine Fruits
- Berry Fruits
- Nuts
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.