HOME STUDY - HORTICULTURE COURSE
Students use this prestigious qualification to step up the horticultural ladder. An extremely informative course in horticultural practice and principles, underpinned by sound scientific knowledge. All qualities sought by employers - world-wide.
Student Comment: "I have found the course material to be comprehensive and informative and have learnt a lot and really enjoyed my year of study. The office staff at ACS have always been helpful and efficient and quick to respond to requests or queries. My tutor, Adriana, was encouraging and supportive, as well as being really thorough in the way she marked my assignments. I had not studied for 20 years before I started my RHS Certificate 2 in Horticulture and the feedback and reassurance I received from my tutor made all the difference." Katherine Parry, Australia - RHS Certificate II in Horticulture course (now referred to as Foundation Certificate in Horticulture).
This vocationally-oriented course comprises core studies in general horticulture plus specialised elective studies. The course is designed to lay a foundation for a long-term career in horticulture by developing the ability to identify a large range of plants, knowledge of essential horticultural principles and practices and practical skills in plant propagation, growth and care.
Student Comments (K.Eastwell):"I am very impressed by the standard of the core materials, by the professional and ever helpful and supportive admin ......" ..."I also like the green, environmentally sensitive approach to the course"
This course was developed and run as the RHS Certificate II up until July 2010, when it was replaced by the RHS due to changes in the UK accreditation system. Due to popular demand from students, we continue to offer this as a "foundation certificate" examined and awarded by ACS Distance Education in Australia (It no longer holds any endorsement from the RHS).
COURSE CONTENTS
There are ten lessons in this course:
- The Plant Kingdom (part a)
- The Plant Kingdom (part b)
- The Plant Kingdom (part c)
- Plant Propagation
- Outdoor Food Production
- Garden Planning
- The Root Environment and Plant Nutrition
- Protected Cultivation
- Horticultural Plant Selection, Establishment and Maintenance
- Horticultural Plant Health Problems
DURATION
Nominally 120 hours (as indicated by the RHS), though we believe only students who already have some prior experience could complete it within this time frame. Most students should budget on spending 150 hours or more doing this course if they hope to be successful when sitting final exams through the RHS (irrespective of whether they study with us or elsewhere).
AIMS
- Demonstrate a broad range of horticultural knowledge; communicate clearly and coherently in writing on horticultural matters; and relate horticultural science to its practical application.
- Understand the classification of higher plants and appreciate the internal structure of higher plants.
- Understand the external structure of higher plants
- Develop an understanding of the principles and main practices of plant propagation in horticulture.
- Understand the fundamental physiological processes within the plant including photosynthesis, respiration, water movement, pollination, fertilisation, seed formation and germination.
- Develop an understanding of the principles and main practices of plant propagation in horticulture.
- Understand basic cultural operations and production methods necessary to obtain outdoor food crops.
- Understand basic surveying and design principles and apply them to basic garden design and planning requirements.
- Develop an understanding of the constituents, properties and management of soils and growing media.
- Develop an understanding of environmental control and plant cultivation in greenhouses and other protected environments.
- Develop an understanding of plant selection, establishment and maintenance of a range of ornamental plants.
- Develop an understanding of pest, diseases and weeds that affect horticultural plants, and the cultural, biological, chemical and integrated systems used to control those problems.
THE EXAMS
One Exam
Recommended e books - by our principal and founder, John Mason
Buy, download and read immediately; or download an extract for free
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.
- Iain Harrison -Garden Manager Fibremakers, Garden Consultant, Lecturer Swinburn TAFE
- Adriana Fraser - Horticultural Consultant, TAFE Lecturer, Project Manager - Parks and Gardens, Horticultural writer.
- 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)
REFERENCE BOOKS
ACS operates a student bookshop that supplies a range of horticulture texts to supplement our courses.
Many are written by the principal (well known gardening author John Mason), or other staff. All have been reviewed and approved by our academic experts (to be accurate and relevant to students studying our horticulture courses).
- Student discounts are available to anyone studying with ACS Distance Education.
- Both printed books and ebooks (as downloads) available
GARDEN DESIGN Part I by John Mason (publisher ACS) EBook
GARDEN DESIGN Part 2 by John Mason (publisher ACS) EBook
GROWING TREES and SHRUBS for SMALL GARDENS by John Mason
by John Mason (publisher Bay Books) Printed Book
ORCHIDS: A BEGINNERS GUIDE by John Mason (publisher: Highland House) Printed Book
GROWING CONIFERS by John Mason (publisher: Kangaroo Press) Printed book
GROWING FERNS by John Mason (publisher: Kangaroo Press) Printed book
NURSERY MANAGEMENT 2nd Edition by John Mason (publisher :andlinks Press) Printed Book
GROWING AUSTRALIAN NATIVES 2nd edition Printed Book
COMMERCIAL HYDROPONICS 3rd Edition by John Mason (publisher: ACS) Ebook
- Click on above link for info
- Sample pages available to download for all ebook
- E Books can be purchased online for immediate download (Can be read on a computer, ipad, iphone, lap top, most book readers or similar devices).
- GO TO www.acsbookshop.com for more titles
