Become an expert in growing and maintaining annual flowering plants

Become an expert with annual flowers. Learn to identify and grow them, to produce a continual blaze of colour through the seasons. An annual is any plant which completes its full lifecycle in one year. Generally annuals are grown in the garden for a period of less than one year, with the expressed purpose of providing flowers and colour. Annuals are grown both as commercial cut flower crops and as bedding plants (bedding plants are plants grown in a garden bed on a temporary basis). Annuals can be grown as a bedding plant; in a tub or pot; as a hanging basket, or even as a cut flower. They can be grown organically, through hydroponics or using standard horticultural practices. The what, when, where, how and why of growing annuals will vary from place to place and person to person.

Course Aims:

• Discuss the classification of annual flowering plants through the plant naming system.
• Discuss culture requirements of annuals.
• Propagate annuals.
• Explain methods of hydroponic culture in relation to annuals
• Identify pest and diseases of annuals
• Describe various types of irrigation systems and the water requirements of annuals.
• Describe various greenhouses and related equipment available.
• Determine procedures for the handling of annuals during and after harvest.
• Design annual flower beds.