HND COMMERCIAL HORTICULTURE

Resources

• Extensive glasshouse facilities
  
• Field nursery stock production
  
• Computer controlled environmental and irrigation systems
  
• Fruit and container production units
  
• Plant propagation centre
  
• Fully equipped landscape training centre
  
• Demonstration garden for leading national retailers
  
• Fully labelled plant collectiopn throughout the College grounds
  
• 10 acres of landscaped gardens and two National Collections within Broadview Gardens
  
• Fully commercial garden centre
  

Typical Employers
Local authorities, nurseries, garden centres, publicly and privately owned gardens, commercial landscaping companies.

Industry Links

Students benefit from a wide range of links with commercial nurseries, research institutes, organic producers, public and privately owned gardens as well as exposure to the retail world through our onsite garden centre. The College is also a member of the Royal Horticultural Society; NCCPG and the Hardy Plant Society.

More about Horticulture, Landscape & Design Courses faculty

Providing students with an in-depth knowledge and practical skills in plant propagation and production, the programme studies a variety of disciplines including fruit, vegetable, nursery stock and glass house crops. The horticultural knowledge is supported by the science of growing to maximise production, the business skills required to run or manage a business and the post harvest knowledge to stort crops prior to sale.

UCAS Course Code: 154D H HND/Hort

Entry Requirements

80 UCAS points: 1 A level at Grade C or above or National Diploma at PPM or equivalent supported by GCSEs.

Additional Experience
Life experiences are taken into account when considering applications.

Location
Hadlow

Course Duration
2 years (3 years with a sandwich year), 3 days per week.

Course Content

Year 1

• Plant science
• Soil science
• Protected and ornamental cropping 1
• Protected and ornamental cropping 2
• Field cropping
• Plant protection
• Principles of management
• Field cropping and mechanisation

Year 2

• Industrial placement (optional)

Year 3

• Crop thesis
• Horticulture resource planning
• Intensive cropping 1
• Intensive cropping 2
• Post harvest technology
• Production science
• Crop physiology
• Work based learning

Students are required to undertake some work experience for this work-based learning unit.

Assessment Method
Coursework (assignments, written reports, case studies and presentations) as well as final examinations.

Progression Routes
Successful students can progress onto the BSc (Hons) Commercial Horticulture programme. Alternatively, career prospects are excellent at a technical sales and managerial levels. This programme is recognised by the Institute of Horticulture as leading towards membership.

Specialist Equipment Needed
Protective clothing, footwear, a horticultural knife and secateurs.

• How to apply