Start Your Own Nursery

This course is designed to help set up and run a successful nursery. This is the way many plant nurseries start. If you want to avoid some of the big pitfalls, and minimize the chances of wasting time and money; a course like this is a very wise move before you begin.

Course Aims:

• Understand plant identification and culture.
• Describe a range of growing structures including a greenhouse, glasshouse and shade house.
• Understand the differences between sexual and asexual plant propagation.
• Have and understanding of basic nursery management principles.
• Understand the uses of a range of different materials used in plant propagation.
• Explain the main components of common potting mixes and how they contribute to the final product.
• Describe seed sources and how to store a range of different seeds for maximum viability.
• Explain how to overcome dormancy in seeds.
• Understand a range of cutting techniques including hardwood cuttings, softwood cuttings, semi hardwood cuttings, tip cuttings, heel cuttings, nodal cuttings, can cuttings and basal cuttings.

There are 6 lessons in this course:

1. Plant Identification and Culture. How plants are named, scientific and common names, watering, weed control, when and how to use a glasshouse/shadehouse.
2. Plant Propagation. Overview of propagation techniques, propagating mixes, pots, hormones, propagating structures and aids.
3. Soils and Nutrition. Soil structure, soil additives, major nutrients, minor nutrients, nutrient deficiencies, salt toxicity, soil mixes, fertilisers.
4. Seed Propagation and Nursery Business. Handling seed, pre-germination treatments, handling seedlings, propagating selected species.
5. Cutting Propagation. Stem cuttings, leaf cuttings, leaf bud cuttings, propagating selected species by cuttings.
6. Pest and Disease. Identifying a problem, insects, fungal diseases, nursery hygiene.