Greenhouse Management

Learn how to efficiently grow nursery stock, edible crops, cut flowers or other horticultural plant products in a greenhouse. Self paced, in depth online course.

Course Code: BHT257
Fee Code: S3
Duration (approx) Duration (approx) 100 hours
Qualification Statement of Attainment
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LEARN ABOUT EFFICIENT GREENHOUSE CROP PRODUCTION

Many different types of greenhouses are available today, each with their advantages and disadvantages.

  • Learn to choose the right type of greenhouse for your nursery and how to manage it effectively.
  • Learn about greenhouse climate control, disease and pest control, irrigation, fertilisation, lighting and greenhouse automation systems.

Lesson Structure

There are 9 lessons in this course:

  1. Types of Greenhouses
    • Greenhouse Designs for Commercial Nursery Production
    • Greenhouse Construction Methods and Materials
    • What Type of Greenhouse is Appropriate for Your Nursery?
    • Siting Greenhouses
    • Greenhouse Benching
    • What Can You Grow?
    • Environmental Control in Greenhouses
    • Computerised Environmental Control
  2. Growing Systems and Equipment
    • How to Grow Plants
    • Measuring Conditions Inside a Greenhouse
    • Environmental Control Systems
    • Getting Plants to Flower Out of Season
  3. Pest and Disease Management in Greenhouses
    • How to Stop Pests and Diseases Entering the Greenhouse
    • Detecting and Controlling Pests and Diseases in the Greenhouse
    • Common Greenhouse Diseases
    • Disease Control
  4. Temperature Management
    • Temperature Control in a Greenhouse
    • Heating Systems
    • Ventilation Systems
  5. Water Management
    • Greenhouse Irrigation
    • Soil and Water
    • When to Irrigate
    • The Nursery Irrigation Program
    • Plants and Water
    • Equipment and Methods
    • Maintenance of Watering Systems
  6. Nutrition Management
    • Irrigation and Nutrition Control
    • Liquid Feed Systems
  7. Managing Light
    • Importance of Lighting in a Greenhouse
    • Artificial Lighting
    • Measuring Light
    • Controlling Light in the Greenhouse
    • Photoperiod Manipulation
    • Growth Rooms
    • Efficient Lighting Control
  8. Managing Gasses
    • Carbon Dioxide Enrichment
    • Pollutant Gases
    • Temperature Control Systems (Ventilation)
  9. Automation and Robotic Applications for Greenhouse Production
    • Automation in Vegetable Nurseries

Each lesson culminates in an assignment which is submitted to the school, marked by the school's tutors and returned to you with any relevant suggestions, comments, and if necessary, extra reading.

Aims

  • Compare different types of greenhouses to better match the plants to be grown inside the greenhouse to be built.
  • Explain the equipment and measuring devices (manual and automated) used inside a greenhouse to help grow plants more effectively.
  • Explain options for reducing the impact of pests and diseases on plants grown inside greenhouses.
  • Detect and control the temperature within an optimal growing range for plants being grown in a greenhouse.
  • Control water in a greenhouse, including irrigation and humidity.
  • Control nutrient levels in a greenhouse at optimal levels for plant growth and health.
  • Explain how light levels can be maintained in a greenhouse for optimal plant production.
  • Explain how to best manage the air characteristics inside a greenhouse.
  • Explain how greenhouse production can be automated.

Why Would You Use A Greenhouse?

  • You can grow more per square metre
  • You can grow plants faster, and out of season
  • Plants can be grown in places where they are not normally grown
  • You can mitigate the effects of climate change - When extreme weather events happen, crops are lost or just fail to perform; but the controlled environment of a greenhouse allows you to adjust

A greenhouse may be heated or unheated and may incorporate manual or automated systems for controlling temperature, watering, and have have a fully manual ventilation system. The manual, unheated greenhouse may be the least costly to establish, and require less expertise to manage. A fully automated greenhouse can be far more costly and complex, but can also be much more productive.

It must however be remembered that although a cold greenhouse will trap heat from the sun during the day, thereby extending the growing season, temperatures within the structure overnight can be as cold as the temperature outside. Plants that are frost sensitive cannot be grow in an unheated house over winter. Heating systems will add to the cost of running a greenhouse however simple systems are available for the small grower. Ensuring that the temperature within the house does not fall below 5-7 degrees Celsius will extend the range of crops that can be grown.

Whatever your reason for growing plants in your greenhouse e.g. to propagate new plants, to grow tropical plants in cooler climates, to protect cold or frost sensitive over winter, etc. it is not usually advisable to try to use the greenhouse for more than one purpose.  This may be acceptable for the hobbyist, but not for the commercial grower.  The hobbyist who uses their greenhouse for multiple purposes must resign themself to the fact that they will not be able to get the best from their greenhouse in all areas of use.

THIS COURSE will give you the foundation for working in any type of greenhouse, in any location.
Member of Study Gold Coast Education Network.
Member of Study Gold Coast Education Network.
ACS Global Partner - Affiliated with colleges in seven countries around the world.
ACS Global Partner - Affiliated with colleges in seven countries around the world.
Member Nursery and Garden Industry Association.
Member Nursery and Garden Industry Association.
Since 1999 ACS has been a recognised member of IARC (International Approval and Registration Centre). A non-profit quality management organisation servicing education.
Since 1999 ACS has been a recognised member of IARC (International Approval and Registration Centre). A non-profit quality management organisation servicing education.
ACS is a Silver Sponsor of the AIH; and students studying designated courses are given free student membership. ACS and it's principal have had an association with AIH since the 1980's
ACS is a Silver Sponsor of the AIH; and students studying designated courses are given free student membership. ACS and it's principal have had an association with AIH since the 1980's
ACS is an organisational member of the Future Farmers Network.
ACS is an organisational member of the Future Farmers Network.
UK Register of Learning Providers, UK PRN10000112
UK Register of Learning Providers, UK PRN10000112

How can I start this course?

You can enrol at anytime and start the course when you are ready. Enrolments are accepted all year - students can commence study at any time. All study is self paced and ACS does not set assignment deadlines.

Please note that if a student is being assisted by someone else (e.g. an employer or government subsidy), the body offering the assistance may set deadlines. Students in such situations are advised to check with their sponsor prior to enrolling. The nominal duration of a course is approximately how long a course takes to complete. A course with a nominal duration of 100 hours is expected to take roughly 100 hours of study time to complete. However, this will vary from student to student. Short courses (eg. 100 hrs duration) should be completed within 12 months of enrolment. Certificates, Advanced Certificates and Awards (eg. over 500 hours duration) would normally be completed within 3 -5 years of enrolment. Additional fees may apply if a student requires an extended period to complete.
If a student cannot submit their assignments for 6 months to ACS, they should advise the school to avoid cancellation of their student
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It’s up to you. The study hours listed in the course are a rough guide, however if you were to study a short course (100 hours) at 10 hours per week, you could finish the course in 10 weeks (just an example). Our courses are self-paced, so you can work through the courses in your own time. We recommend that you wait for your tutor to mark and return your assignment before your start your next one, so you get the benefits of their feedback.

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Each module (short course) is completed with one exam.

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More information is here

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Course Contributors

The following academics were involved in the development and/or updating of this course.

Mitchell Skiller

Mitchell has over 25 year’s experience in the horticultural industry. He has held positions as a supervising horticulturist, landscaper, consultant, and a business owner growing cut flowers, specialising in tropicals.

Marie Beermann

Marie has more than 10 years experience in horticulture and education in both Australia and Germany. Marie's qualifications include B. Sc., M. Sc. Hort., Dip. Bus., Cert. Ldscp.

John Mason (Horticulturist)

Parks Manager, Nurseryman, Landscape Designer, Garden Writer and Consultant.
Over 40 years experience; working in Victoria, Queensland and the UK.
He is one of the most widely published garden writers in the world.

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