Certificate of Cut Flower Orchids

Unit 1 – Introduction

• An overview of Floriculture
• Orchids
• The scientific naming system (plant names)
• Common names
• Scientific names
• Classification
• The main levels of division
• The main plant phyla
• Anthophyta
• What’s in a name?
• Sub families
• Flower structure (general)
• Male and female parts
• Development of a flower
• Compete and incomplete flowers
• Structure of orchids
• Orchid characteristic
• Reference books and resources

Unit 2 – Culture

• General guidelines for growing orchids
• Cultural requirements
• Temperature, light and humidity
• Ventilation and watering
• Fertilisers
• Salting up
• Growing media for orchids
• Substrates
• Physical and chemical properties of soil
• Soil profile
• Soil texture
• Identifying your soil type
• Soil structure
• Soil chemical characteristics
• Understanding ph
• Cation exchange capacity
• Mycorrhiza and orchids
• Adjusting ph
• Ph and nutrient availability
• Buffering capacity
• Water and air
• Soil temperature
• Humus
• The nutrients elements
• The macronutrients
• The micronutrients
• Potting up container grown orchids
• Choosing a container
• Re-potting
• Growing orchids as indoor plants
• Growing orchids in baskets
• Orchids in hydroponics
• Growing conditions
• Nutrient requirements
• Pruning
• A-Z list of orchid names

Unit 3 – Propagation A

• Propagation of orchids
• Sexual versus asexual propagation
• Sympodial epiphytic orchids
• Monopodial epiphytes
• Aerial offsets
• Propagation by seed
• Hybrid seed production
• Harvesting orchid seed
• Sowing seed – flasking method
• Propagating aids
• Plant container requirements

Unit 4 – Propagation B – Tissue Culture

• Tissue culture
• The main uses of tissue culture
• Advantages
• Main problems of tissue culture
• Tissue culture procedures
• Explants
• Sterilisation
• Nutrient medium
• Other types of media
• Methods of shoot induction and proliferation
• Multiplication by adventitious roots
• Growing conditions
• Hormones
• Rooting and planting out
• Laboratory requirements
• Glossary of terms

Unit 5 – Greenhouse Management A

• Greenhouses
• Greenhouse designs
• Gable or even span
• Igloo or raised arch
• Greenhouse designs for commercial production
• Venlo
• Wide-span or multi-span
• Plastic clad tunnels/igloos
• Saw-tooth
• Single-span greenhouses
• Retractable roof greenhouse
• Comparison of multi-span and single-span greenhouses
• Framing materials
• Covering materials
• Glass, core-flute/poly-flute, corrugated PVC sheet
• Polycarbonate
• Corrugated fibreglass sheet
• PVC film
• Siting greenhouses
• Greenhouse benching
• Ground beds
• Raised beds
• Pot crops
• Shade houses
• Shade house designs

Unit 6 – Greenhouse Management B

• Plant needs
• Environmental factors affecting plant growth
• Environmental controls
• Natural light
• Temperature of air – cooling
• Temperature of air – heating
• Ventilation and ventilation systems
• Controlling light in the greenhouse
• Lamps
• Thermal screens
• Blackout and shading
• Day length manipulation
• Methods of temperature control
• Heating systems
• Localised heating systems
• Centralised heating system
• Cooling
• Cooling equipment
• Carbon dioxide enrichment
• Greenhouse irrigation methods
• Overhead spray lines
• Flood benches
• Capillary watering
• Irrigation practices
• Greenhouse hygiene
• Other problems with greenhouses
• Spacing

Unit 7 – Pests and Diseases

• Manage pests and diseases on an orchid flower crop
• Law in relation to chemical use
• Diseases – common in orchids
• Bacterial diseases
• Fungal diseases
• Viral diseases
• Pests – common to orchids

Unit 8 – Management, Harvest and Post Harvest

• Managing a flower farm/nursery
• Deciding what to grow
• Production plan
• Crop scheduling
• Standards
• Cost efficiency
• Profit
• Sales price
• Quality standards
• Quantity standards
• Nursery or farm layout
• Design of a store
• Nursery costing
• Capital costs
• Operating costs
• Labour costs
• Harvest and post-harvest of orchids
• Bud opening
• Conditioning for market
• Transport
• Storing flowers
• Requirements of some orchids

Unit 9 – Marketing

• Considering your market
• Small-scale growers
• The international system
• Exporting to specific countries
• Aspects of export
• Individuals as marketers
• Export documentation
• Gearing up for an international flower market
• Size and funding of a production unit to meet market demand
• Validating the markets
• Production technology, planning and cash flow management
• Selling the product
• Future developments
• Marketing an overview
• The activities of marketing
• Market research
• Steps involved in market research
• Gathering information
• What do you need to research?
• How to sell successfully
• Key rules every salesperson should follow
• Economically valuable species of orchids

Unit 10 – Problem Based Learning (PBL) Project