RHS Level 2 Certificate in Practical Horticulture

About the course

This qualification is intended for those wishing to work in professional horticulture in a variety of roles. It is designed to provide a range of essential horticultural skills. It is suitable for those wishing to enter horticultural employment for the first time; for those who are already working in horticulture who want to develop their skills; and for those who wish to progress to further horticultural study at level 3. The units in the qualification are designed for part-time study so it is particularly suitable for those who are working in the industry and wishing to study part-time in order to advance their careers or prepare for further study at level 3. It is also suitable for those who wish to enter horticulture as a change of career and are seeking the necessary foundation skills.

Certificate

Certificate

Soil testing

Sowing seeds and vegetative propagation techniques

Practical skills in ground preparation for seeding and planting

Practical skills in establishing seed and plants in soil

Care and pruning of plants

Identification of a range of common garden plants, weeds, pests, diseases, disorders and beneficial organisms

Practical skills in vegetable growing

*Optional unit

Entry requirements & additional information

Entry requirements

This course covers practical skills and relevant background knowledge. Students are normally aged 16 or over and the following qualifications are needed:

· 2 GCSEs at Grade D (3) or equivalent, one must be English Language.

· or equivalent qualifications or experience.

Learning and assessment

Assessments will include practical work and reflection on background knowledge. There are no formal examinations on the Certificate in practical horticulture.

Progression

The qualification supports progression to further learning on level 3 courses in horticulture, for example, the RHS Level 3 Certificate in Practical Horticulture.

Careers

If you achieve this qualification, you will have gained a range of practical horticultural skills relevant to employment in various roles in the horticultural sector, such as a gardener in private, public, or botanic gardens or parks and urban green spaces.

Special requirements

Sensible outdoor clothing is expected for practical work.

Costs that are mandatory for the course:

Steel toe-cap boots/wellingtons – approx. £25

Suitable waterproof clothing for wet weather – approx. £30

Costs that are optional for the course:

Overalls are recommended for practicals. – approx. £20

Horticulture

Horticulture is a rapidly growing area of the economy thanks to a strong public interest in gardening, plants, sustainability and food security. According to the Royal Horticultural Society, the horticulture industry is the largest employer in the UK, supplying 18 million gardeners.

The number of garden centres continues to increase and the public demand for attractive horticultural landscapes remains strong. This means that plant growers, suppliers and managers are constantly looking for ways to improve their businesses.

Our Gold Medal winning garden at Southport Flower Show

Show Garden Success

Work experience doesn’t get much better than here at Myerscough. Our learners have helped build award-winning gardens across the country - from a Gold-Medal entry at Chelsea Flower Show to Gold and Silver Medals at Southport Flower Show! They’ve also been involved with garden builds for the BBC DIY SOS project in Blackpool and show gardens at the RHS Tatton Flower Show and Chorley Flower Show.

PlantWorld

Myerscough’s award-winning gardens are laid out across much of the western edge of the Myerscough campus. As part of our garden kingdom, horticulture students are spoilt for choice in our Plant World display glasshouses! There are bananas growing in the Tropical Zone, coffee plants and pineapples in the Edible Zone, a Mediterranean atmosphere in the Temperate Zone as well as beautiful specimen plants in the Flowering and Foliage Zones.

Myerscough College - Horticulture Glasshouses

Superb Facilities

Our horticulture students have access to some of the best facilities available. There are brand new commercial glasshouses, an extensive plant collection, fully-equipped landscape and construction workshops, a new Sportsturf education facility, a CAD suite and drawing studio and dedicated garden plots for project work.

Scholarship Programme

Every year there’s the chance for students to apply for funding to undertake overseas trips as part of their studies thanks to travel scholarships. The annual fund, from the Lancaster and Morecambe Agriculture & Horticulture Society Scholarship programme, pays significant bursaries to encourage young horticulturalists to study or explore business ideas abroad. This year, Bronwyn Jones, 19, went to Singapore to be involved as a volunteer on the ‘Gardens by the Bay’ project looking at increasing public accessibility to gardens and using innovation and technology in creating a city in the garden.

Latest news, Horticulture

Myerscough College Fellow - Christine Walkden

Christine Walkden: Honorary Fellow

"My passion for gardening was nurtured at Myerscough College and I've been getting my hands dirty ever since." Celebrity plantswoman and horticulturalist Christine was awarded an honorary fellowship and regularly works with the College and our Horticultural department.