HRT 323: Floriculture Production

Course Code: HRT 323

Credits and Offerings

3 credits (2 lecture and 3 lab hours every week)
Spring semester of even years

Course Description

This course will cover production of floriculture crops. Topics will include commercial greenhouse production of herbaceous perennials, annuals, and other plants typically sold in retail garden centers for outdoor gardens. Plant identification, propagation, production, scheduling, and finishing procedures based on specific plant growth requirements will be covered. Plant selection, marketing, and retailing issues will also be discussed.

Course Goals

Upon completion of HRT 323 students will be able to synthesize production information and techniques, utilize secondary literature, and produce annual bedding plants, herbaceous perennials, and Easter lilies.

Course Objectives

After completing this course, the student will be able to:

Describe the scope of the floriculture industry
Demonstrate the knowledge and practice of greenhouse production of potted plants annual and perennial bedding plants on quizzes and exams;
Summarize secondary literature and synthesize important messages that inform current and modern greenhouse crop production practices;
Execute plant maintenance and produce flowering annual and perennial bedding plant crops through the finishing (flowering) stage;
Develop and implement greenhouse floral crop production schedules;
Understand issues and techniques involved with producing standard flowering pot crops, and bedding plant production;
Determine appropriate post-harvest handling techniques for various floral crop species;
Systematically diagnose insect, disease and abiotic problems and then develop and implement appropriate control measures
Understand basic marketing practices used to sell floral crop species
Determine cost and profitability for multiple production systems