Horticultural Sciences

For students, especially non-majors, desiring a concise mini-course in fruit growing and marketing. Fruit crops include citrus, pecan, blueberry, strawberry, peach, grape, apple, mango and avocado.

Citrus botany, scion and rootstock selection, site selection, fruit quality grove design and production practices.

Hands-on practical experience in various aspects of citrus culture. An overnight field trip is required.

Culture and management of important tropical and subtropical fruit, including avocado, banana, mango, papaya, loquat, persimmon, pineapple, coffee and others.

Current principles and cultural practices in deciduous tree, bush and vine crops. Major emphasis will be on practical aspects of production.

Selected problems in one or more areas of fruit crops such as nutrition, varietal development, herbicides, and other cultural treatments, physiology and postharvest handling.

Practical work that must be a new experience and related to the field of study.

A course primarily for non-majors who desire to learn the basic principles of vegetable gardening. A garden will be required of each student.

History, botany, physiology and environmental considerations of citrus. Nursery practices, rootstocks, scions, grove configuration and other considerations up to the time of orchard establishment. Offered at SWFREC Immokalee.

Basic prospects of contemporary Florida citriculture. Young tree planting and care; and major production practices including fertilization, irrigation, pruning and pest management. Integration of production practices into a scheduled program will be covered. Offered at SWFREC Immokalee, fall of even-numbered years.

General Horticulture will introduce students to the art and science of horticulture. Broad principles will be covered in lecture. The national and state industries will be examined. Laboratories will allow students hands-on growing experience, demonstrations and field trips. Saturday field trips are required. A lab fee will be assessed.

Introduction to plant molecular biology and genetic engineering, emphasizing plant genes and genomes, transformation of plants and basic molecular biology.

Basic concepts and processes of physiology as they relate to plant growth and development.

Provides laboratory experience in plant molecular biology. Students will learn state-of-the-art techniques used to evaluate, genetically manipulate and improve plant species

Environmental effects (light, temperature, and water) on physiology, growth and development of plants.

An individual special project course restricted to students in the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences’ Honors Program. Students will complete a project on a selected topic, issue, or problem. Projects may relate to research, teaching, or extension. The project will be reviewed by at least two faculty members chosen by the honors coordinator. May be repeated for up to six credits.

Current practices employed in Florida horticultural industries. Topics include cultural practices, harvesting, labor relations, management, budgeting and records with guest industry lecturers.

A non-majors course that provides an overview of environmental horticulture. Emphasis is placed on the art and science of growing, installing and maintaining plants used to enhance and improve the human environment indoors and outdoors. During the course, students gain familiarity with the science and the industries associated with environmental horticulture.

An introduction into the concepts and practices of floral design. Includes an in-depth study of the principles and elements of design as well as the design process. These concepts are implemented through the medium of floral materials. Students practice the art of floral design in a hands-on laboratory.

Comparisons of turfgrass for their landscape and recreational uses. Growth characteristics, method of propagation, and basic management requirements, including control of important pest problems, are covered.

An introductory course presenting principles of planning, organizing and managing nursery operations. Interactions between growing medium components, plant nutrition and irrigation will be emphasized. Nursery layout, growing structures, materials requirements and business practices are covered. Weekend field trips may be required.

Identification, growth characteristics, culture and use of common landscape and greenhouse plants. Materials include trees, shrubs, vines, ground covers, lawn grasses and floriculture crops. Emphasis is placed on temperate plants. (B)

This is an introductory, upper division environmental laboratory course designed to have students identify commonly used landscape plants, their use, and their characteristics.

A basic course in the operations of retail florist shops and garden centers, including management, shop design and layout, psychology of selling, postharvest handling of flowers, plants and seeds, and the principles of artistic design.

Operations and management of public gardens, including schools and community parks, botanical gardens and arboreta, and horticultural therapy facilities. Students will explore issues relevant to psychological, physical and sociological benefits of horticulture and gardening. Students are expected to attend weekend field trips.

A basic course in the study of residential landscape design including preparation, evaluation and implementation of simple landscape plans. Emphasis will be placed on the use of ornamental plants for functional and aesthetic improvement of home environments. Students enrolling in this class may be expected to attend one or two Saturday field trips. Offered spring of odd years.

This is an upper-division, environmental horticulture course designed to introduce students with a plant science background to the nomenclature, effective utilization, and design elements of plants native to Florida.

Strategies involved in golf course and athletic field operations, including development of management cultural practices, adherence to environment regulations, personnel management and budgeting. Students enrolled may be expected to attend Saturday field trips.

Principles and practices of landscape installation and management and arboriculture. Students will survey the landscape industry, study landscape contracting procedures and interior plantscape maintenance. Laboratories will provide practical experience in various installation and maintenance practices, and field trips will provide interaction with industry. Students should expect Saturday field trips.

Introduction to urban trees: biology, management requirements, design of urban spaces for trees, site modifications and construction techniques, tree selection, installation techniques, establishing trees in adverse sites, tree pruning and related tree management practices. A written tree management plan is required of every student.

Techniques for determining, interpreting, and managing the nutritional status of container grown greenhouse and nursery crops. To include: water quality, substrate physical and chemical parameters, irrigation and fertilization practices.

Procedures and practices used for commercial production of economically important environmental horticulture crops. Lectures include discussions related to an environmental horticultural firm’s ability to survive and thrive in today’s competitive marketplace as well as plant production guidelines and current production research. The laboratory portion of the course requires students to assume responsibility for all cultural practices necessary to grow and maintain crops. This includes collection, compilation and interpretation of plant growth indices and environmental parameters.

The principles and practices involved in the production of orchid plants and flowers, including nomenclature, breeding, seed culture, harvesting and handling.

This course will focus on vegetative and reproductive morphology, identification, germination and container, field and liner production of palms. Palm use in landscapes, interior scapes and their maintenance, transplanting nutrition, and harmful diseases and pests will be discussed.

This is an introductory, upper-division environmental course designed to teach students plant identification and environmental aspects of Florida’s diverse ecosystems.

Identification, selection, use and management of annuals, perennials, vines, ornamental grasses and ground covers in the landscape. Hands-on care for plants in the outdoor laboratory will be included. Each student will learn the irrigation, fertilization, pruning, and other cultural needs of these popular plants. Laboratory will complement lecture.

The taxonomy of orinamental landscape annuals and perennials. Site evaluation, diagnostics, preparation, installation and maintenance of the color portion of commercial and residential landscaping.

Techniques for selecting and installing plants, building decks and patios, walls, trellises, landscape lighting, irrigation, water gardens and other landscape elements will be presented. Students will work a balance sheet, prepare bid specifications and contracts, and perform installations from completed landscape plans.

An in-depth course covering the principles and practices of using plants indoors. Emphasis will be placed on the interaction between environmental factors and installation, maintenance and management of plants in large interior settings such as airport terminals, hotel lobbies, office complexes and shopping malls. Installation and maintenance contracts, as well as cultural practices essential to plant survival and utilization will be treated in detail.

Three topics for independent study: Research investigation which may include review of literature, drafting of proposal, conduct of an experiment, collection of data, summation and interpretation of results and preparation of a report; Library or Studio Assignment, including analysis of several sources of information on a specific topic with a written evaluation and list of conclusions prepared; Assist in teaching laboratory of selected courses in environmental horticulture.

A special project course restricted to students in the college ’s Honors Program. Students will complete a project on a topic, issue or problem in research, teaching or extension. The project will be reviewed by two faculty members chosen by the honors coordinator. May be repeated for up to six credits.

Topics of current interest concerning environmental plants.

A senior level course for students seeking career opportunities in environmental horticulture. Special emphasis is placed on the expectations of and the relevant issues facing the landscape plant production, landscape management and turfgrass industries. Field trips and attendance at selected commercial trade shows are mandatory.

Practical work must be a new experience and related to student’s field of study. A written and oral report is required.

Principles, practices and physiological aspects of the propagation of horticultural and agronomic crops by cuttage, graftage, seedage, mocroporpagation and other methods.

Methods of propagating by seeds, bulbs, divisions, layering, cuttings, budding, grafting, and micropropagation in a hands on environment.

Lectures and laboratory exercises emphasizing the practical application of plant tissue culture for the clonal propagation of horticultural crops. Emphasis on aseptic technique, culture methodology, and micropropagation systems development.

Ecology and identification of aquatic plants, with emphasis on use of taxonomic keys for identification. Factors influencing aquatic plant communities will be related to plants identified.

Culture and production of aquatic plants, including environmental, physical, nutritional and ecological factors influencing aquatic plant growth. Commercial production techniques will be emphasized. Aquatic plants will be evaluated for use in ecosystems and wetland restoration.

An in-depth examination of principles that influence the humification of organic matter under controlled conditions, emphasizing factors related to successful utilization of compost in horticultural production, analytical methods of compost quality determinators and regulatory aspects of compost product use.

Introduces students to a variety of vegetables and culinary herbs. Emphasis placed on genetic, phytochemical and botanical diversity and importance of food phytochemicals and role of vegetables in nutrition. (B)

Introduction to the commercial production of vegetable crops and a detailed study of warm season vegetable production. Crop biology, production techniques and required commercial technologies are emphasized.

The principles and practices of successful commercial production of cool season vegetables. Crop requirements and growth patterns are emphasized. Laboratory involves production of these crops.

An extensive evaluation of the application of scientific principles in Florida’s vegetable industry. A 3-5 day field trip will be taken into production areas. Additional expenses may be incurred during the conduct of this class.

Selected problems in one or more areas of vegetable crops such as nutrition, varietal development, herbicides, and other cultural treatments, physiology and postharvest handling.

Lecture or laboratory sessions covering selected topics of current interest in vegetable crops.