Home Hydroponics Online Course
| Full Fee | $595.00 incl GST - Best Value! |
| Payment Plan | $800.00 incl GST |
Exam Optional
Tutor Support Yes unlimited by email
Qualification Certificate
Grow plants without soil in your own home!
A great beginner’s course for those wanting to learn about hydroponics. Designed specifically for those wanting to use hydroponics at home. Learn the theory behind hydroponic culture. Set up your own practical hydroponic system.
Course Aims:
- Describe the nature and scope of hydroponic growing in a hobby situation.
- Explain basic plant nutrition chemistry in order to describe the composition and function of hydroponic nutrients.
- Differentiate between a variety of fertilisers and hydroponic nutrients, and suggest how these might be used appropriately in the growing of different types of plants in a hydroponic garden.
- Compare options for media and systems, in order to choose what is appropriate to a specific home situation.
- Design a hydroponic system suited to a particular home situation
- Diagnose common ailments in a hydroponic system, make a determine appropriate action.
- Describe the course of a hydroponic crop in a home situation from initial planting to harvest, and treatment of the harvested crop.
- Differentiate between solid media and nutrient film hydroponic techniques, and the way in which plants may be treated differently in each.
- Plan the production of a sequence of vegetable and herb produce for household use from hydroponic production.
- Determine appropriate methods for hydroponic cut flower production in a home situation.
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Detailed Course Outline
This course is made up of 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 Hydroponics and Plant Growth
- Scope and Nature of Hydroponics and terminology (Water Culture, Sand and Gravel Culture, Rockwool, Vermiculaponics, Hydroculture, etc)
- How it Works
- A Simple Manual System to Create
- History of Hydroponics
- Understanding How Plants Grow
- Understanding the Water Requirements and Management
- Photosynthesis
Basic Chemistry, Nutrition & Nutrient Solutions
- Significance of understanding chemistry for hydroponics
- Understanding Basic Chemistry
- Atoms and Compounds
- The important Plant Nutrients
- Writing Chemical Names
- What concentrations of different nutrients does a plant need?
- Nutrient solutions
- Preparing Nutrient Solutions
- Mechanisms of Nutrient Uptake
More on Nutrient Solutions
- Understanding differences between Soil Culture and Soil less Culture
- The nitrogen Cycle
- Mycorrhyzae
- Summary of fertilizers used in Hydroponic Nutrients
- Calculating Chemical Formulae
- Hydroponic Nutrition
Media and Types of Systems
- Classification of Hydroponic Systems
- What Makes up a System; system variables; Solution Dispensation, Closed or open, Drip, slop, capillary feed, wicks, misting, dry fertilizing etc,
- Automatic or Manual Operation, Type of Medium, Construction Materials, Rate & Frequency of Irrigation & Feeding, Air Injection (In water culture),
- Plant Support, Environment controls.
- Choosing a System
- Types of Media
- Rockwool
- Vermiculite
- Sand
- Leca, (Expanded Clay)
- The Bentley System
Designing a System
- Nutrient Film Technique
- Alternative NFT Layouts
- Solution Dispensation Options (closed or open system, drip, slop, flood, capillary, dry, mist, etc)
- 16 Other System Options
Problems in Hydroponics
- Pest and Disease
- Nutrition
- Environmental
- Diagnosis of Nutritional Problems
- Controlling Acidity
Plant Culture
- Flow Charting a Crop
- Greenhouse Management
- Controllers (Salinity, pH)
- Adjusting Solutions using an Electroconductivity Meter
Solid Media vs Water Culture
- Indoor Plants
- Berries
- Gravel Culture compared with NFT
Growing Vegetables in Hydroponics
- Fresh Cut Herbs in Hydroponics
- Lettuce
- Tomatoes
- Cucumber
- Review of all other common vegetables that are suited to hydroponics
Growing Cut Flowers in Hydroponics
- Overview
- Roses
- Chrysanthemums
- Carnations
- Review of many other common flowers that are suited to hydroponics
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.
Course Tutor(s)
Barbara Tremain BSc. (Hons) Horticulture, RHS Adv. Cert,. RHS General, City & Guilds Garden Design, Permaculture Level 3 (UK)
Barbara brings to Careerline a wide range of horticultural experience and knowledge Barbara has a keen interest in herbalism, edible wild plants and has lead into studies of many plant based complementary medicinal systems, qualification as a Bach Flower remedy practitioner and studying Ethnobotany. Barbara has practiced and studied horticulture as well as combining it with her love of travel in many countries including the UK, US and Australia and has also studied Permaculture and runs her own horticulture business. Within the past two years she have also worked for Groundwork SW with 18-24 year old unemployed people, this work and the mentoring scheme has allowed me to teach informally. It has been a delight to nurture the interests of keen learners in horticulture and garden design. Meanwhile the business has covered a variety of Garden Design projects, from wildflower gardens to seaside situations, and has included some work with Chelsea Gold multi-winner John Moreland.
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.