Horticulture & Landscape TechnologyOperations Concentration

This course further develops essential communications skills with a focus on basic writing. This course provides the student with the opportunity to develop written work typical of the industry related to their program of study.

The work experience component provides the learner with an opportunity to apply skills and concepts appropriate for entry level positions within the occupation. Learners will assess their own performance and be evaluated by an industry partner. Learners will identify personal outcomes they wish to attain during the work experience and will keep a journal.

The work experience component provides the learner with an opportunity to apply skills and concepts appropriate for entry level positions within the occupation. Learners will assess their own performance and be evaluated by an industry partner. Learners will identify personal outcomes they wish to attain during the work experience and will keep a journal.

Propagation I introduces learners to the reproduction of woody and herbaceous plant material, focusing on developing various practical and technical skills applicable in the greenhouse and nursery industries. The course uses the Canadian Standards for Nursery Stock (Canadian Nursery Landscape Association) for the production of greenhouse and nursery stock.

This course focuses on specialized propagation methods for woody and herbaceous plant material. Technical skills developed during the course will use the Canadian Standard for Nursery Stock for the production of greenhouse and nursery stock for winter and spring propagation.

"The focus of Landscape Plant Materials II will be on identifying plant material in the autumn season using skills acquired in Landscape Plant Materials I and the universal language of Botanical Latin. Learners will be exposed to specific plant species, cultivar and variety. All plant material will be researched as they relate to family organization and their relationship with other plant communities. "

This course will introduce the concepts and control methods for a holistic approach to Integrated Pest Management, learning to identify and solve plant health problems. Learners will be introduced to pests and their impacts on the economic and aesthetic value of horticultural and landscape plants, providing a fundamental knowledge in recognizing and managing disease in the horticulture industry.

Landscape Plant Materials III will focus on native plants and their allies in the natural environment. The emphasis will be on recognizing dormant plants building on skills developed in Horticulture Science and Landscape Plant Materials I and II. Plant Identification Keys will be introduced and applied throughout the course. The effective use of “keys” requires an integrated, in-depth knowledge that can be applied across the horticulture industry.

This course will provide the learner with well-rounded horticulture growing and retail knowledge as well as the skills required for success working in an economy that is focused on the greening of the environment. Learners will have the opportunity to practice greenhouse and nursery operations, select crops for production and retail sales while applying their learning by planning and managing a retail sales event.

Research is an important skill used in the Horticulture industry that contributes to the development of critical thinking skills. This course will introduce learners to various research methods, providing the background necessary to support independent learning and self-discovery. Learners will have the opportunity to research topics of interest and how they relate to industry, field of study and future career path. This course will focus on developing the essential skills of Reading, Document Use, Writing, Oral Communications and Critical Thinking. All project submissions will be professionally presented using a variety of computer applications (i.e. Microsoft Office). Proper use of grammar and syntax, as required by industry, is expected of all final project submissions.

Green Project II will provide an opportunity for learners to apply their learning by developing inputs and making decisions that impact sustainable plant growth. Learners will manage either a closed environment site, i.e. greenhouse, or a landscape site. Learners will further develop independent learning, self-discovery and practice “project management” skills. As the “green industry” moves to environmental sustainability and increased regulatory practices, learners can develop strategies and creative solutions that reflect the fundamental principles of horticulture. Learners will document their management practices to an acceptable industry standard, including any research materials that formed the basis of their decision-making processes.

Green Project III will allow learners to manage specific Horticulture Operations and/or Landscape environments at Kingstec Campus or in the community. The course incorporates conducting practical experiments, conducting applied research, compiling data, managing the project, consulting with industry and developing supporting rationale to create the formal written and oral project results. The culmination of this project is to present research findings in a public forum.

The course is designed to provide a basic understanding of site analysis, customer survey and landscape planning strategies, exploring topics such as scale, plant symbols, plan layout and drafting tools. Learners will understand and practice manual drafting and computer aided design (CAD) as they relate to the landscape planning process using established landscape plan protocol.

This course provides learners with practical experience in cold frame and cool house production. Kingstec’s living lab will provide opportunities to work with a wide range of plant material throughout the semester. Hardy and tropical plants will be maintained within our extensive nursery facilities. Learners will be introduced to, and maintain the protocol established by the Canadian Nursery Standards. Learners seeking employment in this sector will have an overall understanding of production and maintenance of horticulture operations and will be able to transfer skills, adapting to any nursery environment.

This course will introduce learners to various aspects of nursery systems operations including irrigation, pruning, fertilization, and the creation of standardized nursery stock. The intent is to produce and maintain healthy, true-to-name plant material using an integrated pest management approach, current industry practices and sustainable systems.

This course will introduce learners to the science of botanical nomenclature and plant identification techniques. The course will analyze plant relationships in the natural environment. Over the duration of the course, learners will develop a variety of plant identification skills and build a vocabulary using Botanical Latin. Learners will apply plant identification and classification skills to complement the multi-disciplinary nature of the horticulture industry. Learners will examine in detail, live and dormant samples of a broad range of representative plants. At the conclusion of this course, learners will have the ability to recognize the genus of common landscape plants.

This course will emphasize green space values through environmental sustainable practices as they relate to the soil food web and nursery and landscape standards.

The Cooperative Education (Co-op) course provides learners with challenging opportunities to apply and extend knowledge and to practice and refine the skills acquired in their program of study. Learners will demonstrate the achievement of these skills to reflect current workplace practice and standards. Applied Learning Partners (employers), as co-educators provide paid employment opportunities giving learners a well-rounded education and a “bridge to the labour market.