Learn to Grow a Bigger, Better, Home Vegetable Garden
At one time everyone grew vegetables at home. In fact, the garden came into existence for growing food. There was then a departure to growing exotic plants and people became more interested in using the garden as a place of repose. These days many people are going back to productive and sustainable gardening practices and chief amongst edible plants is the resurgence in home vegetable growing.
Once you have eaten your own home grown, chemical-free vegetables you will never go back to the supermarket again! This course works through key horticultural principles in relation to vegetable production and as well as enhancing your general understanding of growing techniques you will also learn about different types of vegetables and how best to grow them. It is hands-on as well as theoretical so that by the time you have finished you will confidently be able to set up and maintain your own garden big or small.
What this Course Covers
- Introduction
- Knowing plant names and the botanical naming system
- Compile a list of useful resources
- Cultivation and Planting
- Water
- Organic and other alternative growing methods
- Planting vegetables and sowing seeds
- Improving and maintaining soil health
- Plant nutrition
- Review of Major Vegetable Varieties
- Major vegetables plant varieties including:
- Brassicas, legumes and other varieties
- Pest and disease and Weed Control
- Natural and cultural: crop rotation, choosing the right varieties
- Physical controls
- Hydroponic and Greenhouse Growing
- Choosing the right greenhouse
- Heating, lighting, other equipment and benches
- Greenhouse problems and management
- Hydroponics systems
- Growing greenhouse vegetables
- Lesser Grown Varieties and herbs
- Crop scheduling
- Directory of vegetables and their growing requirement
- Irrigation
- The dos and don’ts of watering
- Reducing watering needs
- Choosing the right watering system
- Different watering needs for different gardens
- Designing your system
- Directory of vegetables
- Harvesting, Storing and Using Vegetables
- Harvesting
- Storing
- Using
- Processing, preserving and freezing
Workload
Study when, where and however much you want. For most students, the course can be completed with a total of around 100 hours of study; and a commitment close to that may be needed to achieve desired learning outcomes.
Extra Reading
The following books, available through this web site are relevant supplementary reading for this course
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Fruit,Vegetables and Herbs
- Growing and Using Capsicums and Chillis
Assessment
Self Assessment Tests are presented throughout the course. These are essentially an automated quiz. When you undertake a "SAT" or "Self Assessment Test", you will be able to see what you got correct, and what was incorrect; and in that way, you can identify your weaknesses.
Assignments are given at the end of each lesson. You should complete this assignment, paying careful attention to follow what is asked of you. It can be just as important to learn to work to specification, as it is to learn about the topic you are studying. Graduates who develop a habit of working to specification with vegetable growing, will impress others, and will be more efficient when self employed.
A Final Exam is offered upon satisfactory completion of all assignments. This is optional. If you choose to apply for and do this exam, you will have the possibility of obtaining a "formal credit" or "Pass Certification" for this course. A fee applies. The exam may be sat under prearranged conditions anywhere in the world. This college will award you a formal transcript, upon successful completion of the exam, as proof of your results.
Recognition and Ethics
This college is a member of the ACS Affiliates Network; a group of colleges from several countries, affiliated with each other through ACS Distance Education.. Courses are developed with input from all of these colleges, aspiring to reflect internationally accepted standards and needs.
A strict "No Plagiarism" and "No fraud" policy exists. Assignments are checked for plagiarism, and assignments will not be deemed to have been completed, if work is not your own original creation, and is found to have been copied from elsewhere. If the person doing the course is discovered to be different to the name enrolled, the enrolment and any results will be recorded as invalid and any fees paid will be forfeited.
Refund Policy
A full refund less expenses (up to 15% of fees applied) is provided to anyone wishing to withdraw from a course, within 2 weeks of enrolment. This does not apply after the first assignment has been submitted and marked; or after the two weeks has expired.
WHAT IS DIFFERENT ABOUT THIS INSTITUTION?
We believe that we have an ethical responsibility to make good use of the fees you pay and the time you invest into an education through our college. To this end, our first priority is always your learning. This comes before issues such as formal accreditations, speculative marketing and bureaucratic processes which all too often add considerable costs to the running of colleges, and take resources away from the provision of more valuable services to the student.
This college focuses on facilitating your learning and support to optimise that learning. We recognise that learning is all about improving knowledge and skills in your long term memory. While some colleges may focus on getting you to pass exams, by committing knowledge to short term memory; we understand that such an approach is not true education, and does little to improve your long term career or business prospects.
How This Course Could Help You
This course is full of practical tips and growing ideas to help enthusiastic home growers to make the most of their vegetable plots. However, the wealth of information may also be of benefit to those wishing to set up a market garden from home or who would like to produce enough to supply friends and family.
Take this course by itself or along with some of our other home garden expert courses to make the most of your own garden space. Use it as a stepping stone onto other more detailed or higher level courses. Anyone with an interest in self-sufficiency will benefit from this course.