There are 8 lessons:

1  Nursery Site Organisation

• Nature and Scope of Wholesale Nurseries
• Specialist Nurseries
• Location and Site Selection Characteristics;market proximity, land cost, climate, isolation, air quality, water etc
• What to Grow
• Determining Marketable varieties
• Site Surveying

2  Management

• Starting as a Nursery Producer
• The Mission Statement
• Controlling Quality
• Revamping an Existing Nursery
• Nursery Standards; Cost Efficiency, Quality standards, Size
• Business Planning
• Quantity
• Case Study
• Production Systems
• Flow Chart for Growing a Nursery Crop
• Production Methods
• Cutting Production Efficiencies
• Work Scheduling
• Type and Number of Employees
• Human Resource Management

3  Nutrition and Pest Management

• Overview of Nursery Pests and Diseases
• Identifying Problems
• Disease and pest management
• Nursery Hygiene
• Resistant Plants
• Controlling Problems through Cultural Practices
• Physical Control of Problems
• Biological Control
• Chemical Control
• Minimising Chemical Use
• Conducting Inspections within the Nursery
• Nutrient Management
• Fertiliser use and plant nutrition.

4  Growing media

• Growing Media for Container and Field Grown Plants
• Understanding soils
• Soil Testing
• Improving Soils
• Potting Mixes and soil-free mixes
• Components of Potting Media
• Selecting Potting Media
• Problems with Potting Media
• Propagation Media
• Sanitation
• Sterilisation techniques.

5  Irrigation

• Water Supply
• Town Water
• Water Courses and Groundwater
• Rainwater
• Water Quality
• Water Treatment
• Recycling Water
• Irrigation Systems; overhead sprinkler, drip, etc
• Pulse Watering, Demand Watering, Precision etc
• Pumps
• Scheduling Irrigation
• Irrigation System Maintenance
• Use of liquid fertilisers through irrigation.

6  Modifying Plant Growth

• Plant Uniformity
• Holding Stock
• Making Stems Sturdier
• Making Plants Taller
• Developing a Compact Root System
• Creating a denser, bushier Plant
• Improving Foliage Colour
• Encouraging Flowering
• Flower forcing out of Season
• Using Light to Modify Plant Growth
• Greenhouses and other protective plant structures.

7  Marketing Strategies

• Overview of Nursery Marketing
• Nursery Products
• Marketing Mix
• Market Research
• Marketing Budget
• Marketing Plan.

8  Selection of Nursery Crops

• Considering Options
• Choosing a Plant Variety to Market
• Developing a stock list
• Criteria for Selecting Plants
• Quarantine Concerns
• Clearing Surplus Stocks
• Nursery Industry Trends
• Surveying Customers
• Terminology