Why study this Cut Flower Production course?

Want to grow cut flowers? Interested in producing your own cut flower? Then this cut flower production course online will help you achieve that and much more!

This diverse course introduces you to the fundamental knowledge required to set up your own cut flower business or to work for a commercial grower.

Cut flower growing has experienced rapid expansion in recent decades, resulting in increased demand for training in the skills and knowledge required by this industry, and increased opportunity for profit by the small business operator or advanced hobbyist. This course provides a thorough basic training for the commercial cut flower grower.

Course Aims:

Explain the physiological processes which affect flower development in plants
Identify plant varieties suitable for commercial cut flower production
Evaluate the suitability of different plants as cut flower crops
Determine soil and nutrition requirements for cut flower growing
Determine the cultural requirements for commercial production of a cut flower crop
Determine harvest and post-harvest management practices for cut flower crops
Develop a production plan for a cut flower crop
Determine export market opportunities for cut flowers

Lesson Structure

1. Introduction to Cut Flower Production

Scope and Nature of the Flower Industry
International Flower Market
Succeeding in the Trade
Flower Structure
Development of a Flower
Introduction to Hydroponic Culture
Understanding plant growth, roots, stems, flowers, leaves
Types of flowers, perennials, bulbs.
Review of Flower Crops, Alstroemeria, Antirrhinum, Amaryllis, Anigozanthus, Aster Carnation, Chrysanthemum, Dahlia, Freesia, Gerbera, Gladiolus, Iris, Narcissus, Orchids, Rose, Stock and others.

2. Soils and Nutrition

Soil composition
Soil texture
Soil structure
Colloids
Peds
Characteristics of clay, sand and loam soils
Naming the Soil
Improving Soil Structure
Improving fertility
Benefits of adding organic matter to soils
Soil life, earthworms, mycorrhyzae, nitrogen fixing, etc.
Soil Water
Understanding dynamics of water loss
Improving soil water retention
Types of soil water (Hygroscopic, Gravitational)
Soil analysis
Plant tissue analysis for soil management
Measuring pH
Other soil testing (testing salinity, colorimetry, etc)
Measuring Water availability to plants
Soil Degradation and rehabilitation (Erosion, Salinity, Acidification, etc)
Soil Chemical Characteristics
Nutrient availability and pH
The nutrient elemernts, major, minor, total salts
Diagnosing nutritional problems
Fertilisers (types, application, etc)
Natural Fertilisers
Fertiliser Selection
Composting methods
Soil mixes and potting media

3. Cultural Practices

Site selection
Production
Cultivation techniques
Using cover crops
Green manure cover crops
Nitrogen Fixation in legumes
Crop rotation
Planting procedure
Staking
Bare rooted plants
Time of planting
Mulching
Frost protection
Managing sun
Managing animal pests, birds, etc.
Pruning
Water management and Irrigation
When to irrigate
Period of watering, cyclic watering, pulse watering, etc
Sprinkler irrigation
Trickle irrigation
Sprinkler systems, portable, permenant, semi permenant, travelling
Types of sprinler heads
Sprinkler spacings
Selecting surface irrigation methods
Weed control
Preventative weed management
Hand weeding
Mechanical weeding
Chemical weed control
Classification of weedicides
Natural Weed Control Methods
Review of common weeds

4. Flower Initiation and Development

How flowers Age
Managing flower longevity
Effects of Carbon Dioxide
Getting plants to flower out of season
Types of flower response to temperature
Ways to cause controlled flowering
Narcissus flower management
Managing Azalea flowering
Seed sources
Hydroponics for controlled growth

5. Pest and Disease Control

Integrated Pest Management
Chemical Methods of Pest Control
Chemical labels
Non Chemical methods of pest control
Pest and Disease Identification and Management on flower crops
Anthracnose
Blight
Canker
Damping off
Galls
Leaf Spot
Mildew
Rots
Rust
Smut
Sooty Mould
Virus
Wilt
Caterpillars
Leafhoppers
Mealy Bugs
Millipedes
Mites
Nematodes
Scale
Slugs or Snails
Thrip
Whitefly
Viruses,
Others
Environmental Problems

6. Australian Natives and Related Plants

Proteaceae Plants (Aulax, Banksia, Dryandra, Grevillea, Hakea, Isopogon, Leucadendron, Leucospermum, Macadamia, Mimetes, Persoonia Protea, Serruria and Telopea.)
Culture of Proteaceae cut flowers
Proteaceae propagation
Anigozanthus
Other Australian Cut Flowers

7. Greenhouse Culture

The greenhouse business
Greenhouse system
Components of a greenhouse
What can be grown in a greenhouse
Siting greenhouses
Types of greenhouses
Shadehouses
Cold frames
Heated propagators
Framing and cover materials
Thermal screens
Wind breaks
Benches and beds
Environmental control; Temperature, moisture, irrigation, shading -both natural and with blinds/curtains, light-including supplemented light if needed, ventilation, levels of CO2, mist/fogging
Photosynthesis
Plants that respond to Carbon dioxide
Day length manipulation
Lighting and heating equipment
Horticultural management within the greenhouse

8. Harvest and Post Harvest

Harvesting
Flower deterioration
Post harvest
Shelf life
Major factors that affect shelf life
Post harvest treatments
Other treatments
Grading standards
Conditioning flowers for market
Harvesting and grading carnations
Harvest and post harvest of selected orchids; Bud opening, transport, storing flowers
Cost Efficiency Standards
Quality Standards
Quantity Standards
Judging flowers

9. Developing a Production Plan

Managing a cut flower farm
Deciding what to grow
Production plans
Decisions that need to be made
Farm layout
Design of a store

10. Export Marketing

International flower marketing system
Aspects of export
Flower Exporting case study
Understanding marketing your produce
Consider your markets
Market research
What to research
How to sell successfully

Enrol Now

Experienced Tutor support
Certificate sent to you
Online study (Printed notes available)
Self paced - no set timetable
12 months to complete course

From: $25.00 / week for 26 weeks

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