Academic Catalog

HORT 52E: HORTICULTURAL PRACTICES: GREENHOUSE & NURSERY

Foothill College Course Outline of Record

Foothill College Course Outline of Record
Heading Value
Effective Term: Fall 2026
Units: 4
Hours: 2.5 lecture, 4.5 laboratory per week (84 total per quarter)
Advisory: Completion of or concurrent enrollment in HORT 15.
Degree & Credit Status: Degree-Applicable Credit Course
Foothill GE: Non-GE
Transferable: CSU
Grade Type: Letter Grade Only
Repeatability: Not Repeatable

Student Learning Outcomes

  • Demonstrate skill required to maintain greenhouse and nursery facilities
  • Identify major types of growing structures and their respective roles in commercial plant production.

Description

Greenhouse and nursery design, construction, and management as utilized in residential, retail, and commercial wholesale settings. Organization and plant production practices used in small to large-scale greenhouses and nurseries. Greenhouse and nursery operations and the utilization of technology emphasized through the use of on-campus facilities and observation of off-site operations.

Course Objectives

The student will be able to:

  1. Demonstrate an understanding of the steps involved in designing and constructing various scales of greenhouses and nurseries.
  2. Describe facilities and equipment used in greenhouses and nurseries.
  3. Maintain greenhouse and nursery facilities, including sanitation techniques, pest control, irrigation, and operational systems.
  4. Demonstrate management of greenhouse and nursery environments through programming of control systems.
  5. Organize, schedule, and implement skills and practices used in the production of various plant crops.
  6. Outline and control environmental factors affecting plant growth.
  7. Demonstrate the development and care of horticultural crops in greenhouse and nursery environments.
  8. Describe factors affecting plant fertility and demonstrate proper fertilizer application methods.
  9. Identify business practices and regulatory agencies involved in plant production in greenhouses and nurseries.

Course Content

  1. Greenhouse and nursery design and construction
    1. Greenhouse design and layout
    2. Nursery design and layout
    3. Cold frames, hotbeds, greenhouses, shade houses, raised nursery beds, etc.
    4. Greenhouse foundations, framing, structural materials, glazing, and shading
    5. Cooling and heating infrastructure
    6. Greenhouse and nursery plant tables
  2. Facilities and equipment
    1. Scope of facility relative to production goals
    2. Equipment and tools
    3. General maintenance of structures
  3. Greenhouse and nursery maintenance
    1. Sanitation and safety practices
    2. Pest, disease, and weed control
    3. Irrigation troubleshooting
    4. Analysis of greenhouse operational systems
  4. Greenhouse and nursery control systems
    1. Irrigation controllers
    2. Environmental control systems (heating, cooling, and ventilating growing facilities)
    3. System programming
  5. Plant propagation and production
    1. Selection and preparation of growing media
    2. Cultivation options
    3. Planting techniques
    4. Scheduling
    5. Harvesting
    6. Optimizing post-harvest quality
  6. Environmental factors
    1. Light
    2. Temperature
    3. Humidity
    4. Moisture
    5. Air quality
    6. Plant photoperiod
  7. Cultivation and care of crops
    1. Container vs. bedding plants
    2. Irrigation techniques
    3. Integrated pest management program
    4. Hardening off
  8. Fertilization
    1. Nutritional analysis
    2. Fertilization options
    3. Fertilizer application options
  9. Business practices and regulatory agencies
    1. Business practices related to crop production
    2. Marketing and merchandising
    3. Shipping requirements
    4. Plant production regulatory agencies in California and the U.S.

Lab Content

  1. Greenhouse and nursery design and construction lab
    1. Develop ideas for the design of structures and facilities
    2. Discuss construction and/or implementation of facilities plan
  2. Facilities management and maintenance lab
    1. In the greenhouse and nursery, students will actively be involved in facilities operations
  3. Plant propagation lab
    1. Students will propagate a variety of plants using different growing techniques
  4. Control systems lab
    1. Students will program control systems
  5. Plant production, cultivation, and fertilization lab
    1. Students will monitor and maintain plants under cultivation

Special Facilities and/or Equipment

1. Horticultural laboratory, greenhouse, nursery, lath house, and related horticultural facilities and equipment.
2. Students provide pruning shears with sheath, work boots, leather gloves, and clothing for fieldwork.

Method(s) of Evaluation

Methods of Evaluation may include but are not limited to the following:

Exercises related to facilities design, construction, and crop planning
Practical skills labs
Production of greenhouse and nursery crops
Final examination

Method(s) of Instruction

Methods of Instruction may include but are not limited to the following:

Lectures
Discussions
Lab activities
Field trips
Assigned reading activities

Representative Text(s) and Other Materials

Nelson, Paul V.. Greenhouse Operation and Management, 7th ed.. 2011.

Trent, Dr. Richard. Greenhouse Construction Handbook: Your Guide to Building, Designing, and Customizing Your Perfect Growing Space. 2025.

Mecklengurg, Roy. Nursery Management: Adminsitration and Culture. 1999.

Although some texts are older than the suggested "5 years or newer" standard, they remain seminal texts in this area of study.

Types and/or Examples of Required Reading, Writing, and Outside of Class Assignments

  1. Reading assignments will include reading approximately 30-40 pages per week from assigned text(s). Supplemental reading will be provided in hand-out form or through reference to online resources
  2. Writing assignments include:
    1. Topical white papers
    2. Production reports
  3. Lectures will address reading topics and experiences of instructor. Classroom discussion and demonstrations in support of lecture topics will be provided

Discipline(s)

Ornamental Horticulture