Set Yourself Up for Success in Hydroponics
Duration: 600 hours (approximately)
General Objectives:
1. Provide a sound basis of knowledge in horticultural principles as they apply to the culture, use and management of plants in various production situations.
2. Provide new and existing employees who are unable to undertake on campus training with the opportunity to gain appropriate knowledge in the field of plant culture, use and management.
3. Prepare employees for supervisory and managerial positions in the field of plant culture, use and management.
4. Provide horticultural business owner/operators (or those contemplating ownership) with appropriate training to apply technical skills to the management of the physical, financial and human resources in which they have made, or will make, a substantial investment.
5. Provide an understanding of modern technology and its application to growing plants, with emphasis being placed on hydroponics production of commercially valuable plants.
Course structure
This subject has 30 lessons, each requiring about 15 hours of study:
1. Introduction to Hydroponic Technology
2. Plant Growth Requirements - Light , artificial light, light balancers
3. Plant Growth Requirements ...Nuttrition, nutrient requirements, deficiencies, toxicities, pH, conductivity, salinity, growth regulators
4. Plant Growth Requirements... Temperature
5. Hydroponic Growing Systems ... basic concepts and designs, site considerations.
6. Growing Media ... types, properties, uses.
7. Hydroponic Nutrient Solutions... nutrient formulae, preparing solutions.
8. Hydroponic Equipment ... componentry, nutrient delivery, pumping, testing
9. Growing Structures ... Design and Construction ‑ types
10. Environmental Control A ... Heating, Cooling
11. Environmental Control B ... Lighting, Shading.
12. Environmental Control C ... Carbon Dioxide Enrichment
13. Plant Culture In Hydroponics A... trellising, pruning, pollination, transplanting.
14. Plant Culture In Hydroponics B
15. Aggregate Culture
16. Nutrient Film Technique (NFT) Culture
17. Rockwool Culture
18. Other Techniques ...wick systems, flood & drain, bag culture, aeroponics, etc.
19. Irrigation ... Soil Requirements
20. Irrigation Systems
21. Plant Propagation ... seed & cutting propagation & tissue culture
22. Market Gardening ...Cut Flowers
23. Market Gardening ... Vegetables
24. Other Plants In Hydroponics ...herbs, grasses, indoor plants
25. Pest and Diseases - dentifying the problem, pests and diseases in hydroponics
26. Weeds ... identification and control
27. Managing A Commercial Hydroponics Farm ... crop scheduling & selection standards
28. Management ... Organisation and Supervision
29. Marketing ... Promotion and Selling
30. Special Project -Prepare a detailed report of at least 2,000 words, plus photos or diagrams, on a particular aspect of technology which you have studied that significantly assists growing.
THE ACS TEAM APPROACH
ACS was founded by John Mason in 1979 as Australian Horticultural Correspondence School.
Right from these very early times, we've always believed that the best education only comes when the student is learning from the experience of a whole range of industry experts (rather than just a single teacher).
Every ACS course is a work in progress, continually evolving, with new information being added and old information being updated by our team of internationally renowned professional horticulturists.
Over the decades more than 100 horticulture experts from across the world have contributed to these courses, bringing their individual knowledge and experiences from as wide afield as England and Spain to Australia and America.
While may colleges and universities focus on providing courses that relate only to the country where they are based, ACS has always strived to make it's courses relevant to all parts of the world; any climate, economic or cultural situation. This has been achieved by involving a large number of professionals in the course development.
When it comes to tutoring, marking papers and mentoring students, the team approach is just as strong as with our writing. ACS students have the ability to obtain advice and support from staff across the world, with horticulture tutors located in the UK, Australia (both the north and south) and New Zealand.
The ACS team approach and global focus to both course content and student support, ensures our graduates have a unique and "real world" skills set. This unique approach is highly regarded by our colleagues in horticulture.
Contributors to ACS Courses over the years have included:
John Mason -former parks director (Melton, Essendon and Heidelberg), Landscape Designer (Playgrounds and recreation Association of Victoria), Nurseryman, President Australian Institute of Horticulture (Victoria), Committee International Year of the Child (Australia), Author ove over 40 books, Editor Garden Guide Magazine, Editor Your Backyard Magazine.
Maggi Brown - Education officer, Henry Doubleday Research Association (UK), gold medal winner Chelsea Flower Show, Garden consultant.
Adriana Fraser - Horticultural Consultant, TAFE Lecturer, Project Manager - Parks and Gardens, Horticultural writer.
Iain Harrison -Garden Manager Fibremakers, Garden Consultant, Lecturer Swinburn TAFE
Katie Freeth - Manager Commonwealth War Graves (France), Horticultural Consultant (France & UK), Board member Institute of Horticulture, and International Federation Parks & Recreation Administration
Tony Bundock -Horticulture Businessman, Consultant, Head of Horticulture Dept. TAFE
Jim Davis -Horticulture Businessman, Lecturer TAFE (NSW), Principal VCAH Burnley College
Dr Lyn Morgan -author and internationally renowned hydroponics consultant (New Zealand)
Dr Valeria Astorga -horticultural consultant, lecturer (Spain, Peru, Australia)
Alison Bundock -Editor (Kangaroo Press; Southern Cross University), Technical Writer (APM), Consultant
Rosemary Davies -Horticultural concultant, journalist, media personality (Victoria)
