Horticulture and Garden Centre Operations

Code	5788
Diploma	DVS
Sector	Agriculture and Fisheries
Length of training	1335 hours
Approximate duration in months	10 months
Number of credits	89
Status	Program approved in 2008. In effect until June 30th, 2025.

This program is offered in French:
5288 - Horticulture et jardinerie

Training

Admission conditions and prerequisites

Organizations
offering
the program

At a glance

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Program Objectives

The Horticulture and Garden Centre Operations program prepares students to practise the trade or occupation of plant-care worker.

Plant-care workers work in a variety of settings: for public or private organizations that manage parks, green spaces, gardens and golf courses; for horticultural consulting firms; in specialized garden centres; in the horticultural department of department stores.

Plant-care workers maintain parks and green spaces by producing, maintaining and propagating plants as well as installing flower beds, mass plantings, mosaics, containers and other floral displays. In horticulture, their work consists in preparing soils; seeding, planting and maintaining plants; and preparing and applying plant protection products.

In the retail industry, plant-care workers are often referred to as sales consultants. Their work involves receiving merchandise and displaying living or inert horticultural products; maintaining outdoor and indoor plants; monitoring and maintaining designated sales areas (annuals, perennials, shrubs, etc.); analyzing and responding to customer inquiries by providing information; selling horticultural products or referring customers to specialists; and participating in general retail operations, such as inventory control, sales monitoring and customer needs analysis.

Program Content

Code	Statement of Competency	Hours	Credits
704-592	Use pesticides outdoors	30	2
705-142	Determine their suitability for the trade and the training process	30	2
705-156	Analyze plants using botanical principles	90	6
705-163	Prune woody plants	45	3
705-176	Amend and fertilize soils	90	6
705-183	Plant and transplant plants	45	3
705-196	Remedy plant health problems	90	6
705-206	Produce plants	90	6
705-213	Maintain edible plants	45	3
705-224	Perform summer maintenance tasks in a garden	60	4
705-235	Perform fall maintenance tasks in a garden	75	5
705-245	Perform spring maintenance tasks in a garden	75	5
705-252	Interpret plans and specifications	30	2
705-261	Use pesticides in protected cultivation	15	1
705-272	Look for horticultural information	30	2
705-286	Maintain indoor and potted flowering plants	90	6
705-291	Communicate in the workplace	15	1
705-307	Design a plan for a garden	105	7
705-312	Maintain horticultural machinery, tools and equipment	30	2
705-324	Start and maintain lawns	60	4
705-333	Organize sales and storage areas	45	3
705-342	Sell horticultural products and equipment	30	2
705-351	Use job search techniques	15	1
705-365	Enter the workforce	75	5
754-992	Ensure health, safety and physical well-being on construction sites	30	2
		1335	89

Admission Conditions and Prerequisites

To be eligible for admission to this program, candidates must meet one of the following requirements:

Persons holding a Secondary School Diploma or its recognized equivalent, for example, an Attestation of Equivalence of Secondary V studies, or a postsecondary diploma such as the Diploma of College Studies or a Bachelor's degree
OR
Persons who are at least 16 years of age on September 30 of the school year in which their training is to begin and have earned the Secondary IV credits in language of instruction, second language and mathematics in the programs of study established by the Minister, or have been granted recognition for equivalent learning
OR
Persons who are at least 18 years of age upon entry into the program and have the following functional prerequisites: the successful completion of the General Development Test (see the following table), or recognition of equivalent learning
OR
Persons who have obtained Secondary III credits in language of instruction, second language and mathematics in programs established by the Minister are required to pursue general education courses, concurrently with their vocational training, in order to obtain the Secondary IV credits they lack in language of instruction, second language and mathematics in programs established by the Minister.

Functional Prerequisites

A person who has reached the age of 18 can be admitted to a program of study leading to a Diploma of vocational studies (DVS) based on functional prerequisites. These prerequisites, in place for those aged at least 18 years at the start date declared for the vocational training program, are: successful completion of the general development test (GDT) and obtaining and passing the tests relative to the specific prerequisites in the language of instruction and mathematics, if applicable.

This table indicates the new course codes for common core basic education (CCBE) and diversified basic education (DBE) required for the specific prerequisites in language of instruction and mathematics for the targeted program of study. In the cases where the new course codes for the CCBE and the DBE are in progressive implementation, the old codes are indicated in parenthesis and are still valid. The equivalent course codes in basic education in the youth sector are also indicated in the table. When a DVS does not require any specific prerequisites in language of instruction or in mathematics, a (-) will be displayed in the appropriate field. Please note that the functional prerequisites do not apply to attestation of vocational specialty (AVS) programs.

Specific Prerequisites

Language of instruction		Second language		Mathematics
Adults	Youth	Adults	Youth	Adults	Youth
ENG-3101-1 et ENG-3102-2 ou (ENG-3070-3)	632-306 ou (630-316)	-	-	-	-

Educational Organizations Offering the Program

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New Frontiers SB

Vocational Training Centre	Group	Status	D/E	Start Date
Huntingdon Adult Education and Community Centre (HAECC)	RAC-Hort		D	Continuous entry
	Fall2025		D	Aug. 11th, 2025
Recognition of Acquired Competencies and Skills (RAC) - NFSB	—	—	—	—

Landscape Designer

Landscape gardeners maintain gardens, trees, shrubs, lawns or indoor plants. They sell plants and gardening equipment. As part of their duties, they may have to design and draft landscape plans. This job is best suited for people who enjoy working outdoors and have good physical stamina. A job as a landscape gardener is for active people who are good with their hands, self-reliant and meticulous.