Floriculture Course

Lesson 1 • The Floriculture Industry Overview

Maps the global flower trade, key market segments, and career pathways. Grounds all subsequent technical content in real-world professional context.

Lesson 2 • Plant Growth and Development Cycles

Explains germination, vegetative growth, flowering, and senescence stages. Students use this framework to time production schedules in later chapters.

Lesson 3 • Classification of Floricultural Crops

Organizes crops by use category: cut flowers, potted plants, bedding plants, and foliage. Enables students to apply appropriate production strategies per crop type.

Lesson 1 • Soilless Growing Media

Introduces peat, coir, perlite, vermiculite, and bark-based substrates used in container production. Students evaluate media components for drainage, aeration, and water retention.

Lesson 2 • Soil Composition and Properties

Examines mineral particles, organic matter, water, and air ratios in soil. Connects soil texture and structure to root health and nutrient availability.

Lesson 3 • Container and Bed Preparation

Covers sterilization, filling, and pre-plant conditioning of containers and raised beds. Prepares students to set up production units before planting.

Lesson 1 • Water Conservation Strategies

Introduces recirculating systems, rainwater harvesting, and leachate management. Connects conservation practices to cost reduction and environmental compliance.

Lesson 2 • Irrigation Scheduling and Monitoring

Teaches evapotranspiration-based scheduling and substrate moisture monitoring tools. Students build daily and weekly irrigation plans tied to crop growth stage.

Lesson 3 • Irrigation System Types

Compares overhead, drip, ebb-and-flood, and capillary mat systems for floricultural use. Students match system type to crop, scale, and facility constraints.

Lesson 1 • Nutrient Deficiency Diagnosis

Trains visual identification of deficiency and toxicity symptoms across major crops. Students use tissue and media testing to confirm diagnoses and prescribe corrections.

Lesson 2 • Essential Plant Nutrients

Identifies the 17 essential elements, their functions, and mobility within the plant. Provides the diagnostic foundation for recognizing deficiency and toxicity symptoms.

Lesson 3 • Fertilizer Types and Formulations

Compares granular, controlled-release, water-soluble, and organic fertilizers. Students select formulations based on crop need, application method, and cost.

Lesson 4 • Fertigation and Injector Systems

Covers proportional injector calibration and stock solution preparation for fertigation. Links accurate delivery to consistent crop growth and reduced waste.

Lesson 1 • Greenhouse Structures and Coverings

Reviews Quonset, gutter-connected, and glass greenhouse designs and covering materials. Students evaluate structural choices against climate, crop, and budget requirements.

Lesson 2 • Humidity and Air Circulation

Explains vapor pressure deficit, condensation risks, and airflow strategies to reduce disease. Students set humidity targets and specify fan placement for uniform air movement.

Lesson 3 • Temperature Management

Covers heating systems, cooling methods, and thermoperiod manipulation for crop control. Students calculate heat loads and select equipment for target temperature ranges.

Lesson 4 • CO2 Enrichment and Climate Control Systems

Introduces CO2 supplementation benefits and automated climate controller programming. Students integrate all environmental parameters into a unified control strategy.

Lesson 1 • Vegetative Cutting Propagation

Teaches stem, leaf, and root cutting techniques for herbaceous and woody floricultural crops. Students apply rooting hormones and manage mist systems for callus and root formation.

Lesson 2 • Grafting and Budding

Introduces cleft, whip-and-tongue, and T-budding techniques for roses and woody ornamentals. Students practice union formation and aftercare to achieve high graft success.

Lesson 3 • Division and Separation

Explains crown division, offset separation, and corm and bulb propagation methods. Students apply these techniques to perennial and bulbous floricultural crops.

Lesson 4 • Seed Propagation

Covers seed selection, germination requirements, and plug production protocols. Students manage germination chambers and transplant seedlings at the correct stage.

Lesson 1 • Integrated Pest Management Principles

Establishes IPM philosophy: prevention, monitoring, thresholds, and least-toxic intervention. Frames all subsequent pest and disease content within a systematic decision process.

Lesson 2 • Fungal, Bacterial, and Viral Diseases

Identifies Botrytis, powdery mildew, root rots, bacterial blights, and common viruses. Students distinguish symptom patterns and select appropriate cultural and chemical controls.

Lesson 3 • Weed Identification and Control

Identifies common greenhouse and field weeds and evaluates cultural, mechanical, and chemical controls. Students develop a weed management plan for a production scenario.

Lesson 4 • Biological Control Methods

Introduces predatory insects, parasitic wasps, and beneficial nematodes for pest suppression. Students design release programs compatible with chemical inputs used in the operation.

Lesson 5 • Chemical Control and Safety

Covers pesticide label reading, mixing, application equipment calibration, and re-entry intervals. Students demonstrate safe handling, personal protective equipment use, and disposal.

Lesson 1 • Grading, Bunching, and Packaging

Teaches industry grading standards, stem counting, bunching, and protective packaging methods. Students grade and pack a sample lot to meet wholesale buyer specifications.

Lesson 2 • Cold Chain Management

Explains temperature requirements, cold storage design, and refrigerated transport logistics. Students trace a flower shipment from farm to retail to identify quality loss points.

Lesson 3 • Marketing Channels and Pricing

Compares wholesale auction, direct retail, farmers market, and online sales channels. Students calculate break-even pricing and select channels suited to their production scale.

Lesson 4 • Post-Harvest Conditioning

Covers hydration solutions, preservative pulsing, and ethylene management for cut flowers. Students apply conditioning protocols that extend vase life and reduce shrinkage.