University of Florida Offering Online Courses for Hort Professionals

The University of Florida’s IFAS Extension has started providing online courses designed for people already working in the ornamental plant industry. “Nutrient management for container-grown crops: Level 1” will be offered in English and Spanish from August 24 to September 18.

Click here to enroll for the course.

Earlier this year, the university offered nutrient and greenhouse management courses for the first time, with a great response. The courses run for about 4 weeks, cost $200 per participant, and include a personalized certificate of completion.

Each week there are two streaming classes and one activity (about 3-4 hours commitment per week), which can be accessed at any time of day. There are live instructors available using text chat and discussion features. For more information, go to backpocketgrower.org under “training” and “online courses”, and check the attached flier for the next course.

The schedule of online courses planned for 2015 include :

* Nutrient Management for Container-Grown Crops: Level 1 (Aug. 24 to Sept. 18) — This course covers the basics of essential plant nutrients, fertilizer types, substrate-pH and electrical conductivity (EC). Participants will know how to recognize typical pH and EC problems, select a fertilizer, and conduct an onsite soil test. The course is designed for employees who do not have formal training in horticulture. The typical participant will be a section grower who has practical experience and is responsible for irrigating and fertilizing greenhouse or nursery crops.

* Nutrient Management for Container-Grown Crops: Level 2 (Oct. 5 to Nov. 6) — The course goes into depth on aspects such as pH management, fertilizer formulation, and corrective actions. The course is appropriate for employees who already took the introductory course, are experienced growers, or are in technical or sales roles.