This course is designed to develop your ability to select and cultivate appropriate varieties of bulbs as cut flowers, in different situations.

It gives you an understanding of the plant families bulbs belong to, their cultural needs, how to prevent and treat pest and disease problems plus the basis of horticultural knowledge: soil types and plant nutritional needs.

Course Aims:

• Describe cultural practices for production of different cut flower bulbs, including the basis of all good Horticulture with understanding of soils, plant nutrition, and weed control
• Understand the initiation and development of flowers in plants with bulbs, rhizomes, tubers, corms or other specialized parts. A look at the factors affecting the flowering stages
• Learn how to manage any pests and diseases for a crop of cut flower bulbs or in the home garden
• Manage the quantity and quality of a crop of cut flower bulbs, both grown in the open and in a greenhouseIn this lesson we also have a good look at the various systems of growing cut flower bulbs in greenhouses and look at ways to manage the environmental conditions in them
• Learn about the management and the harvest/post-harvest of cut flower bulbs
• Explain the production of Lilium and Gladioli cut flower crops
• Explain the production of Narcissus cut flower crops
• Explain the production of Iris and Gladioli cut flower crops
• We look at the a comparison of a variety of different cut flower bulb crops