Greenhouse Operations

In this course, students explore the Gateway Technical College community. They examine college resources and services, investigate skills that lead to academic success, and identify strategies for achieving educational and personal goals.

Learn to identify and care for annual and perennial flowering plants. Visit local gardens and professional sites to study plants and view design styles. Graphic skills used to create professional flower bed designs is also taught. Hands on experience propagating annuals and perennials and working with tropical foliage in the Gateway greenhouse is also included.

Students examine the science and profession of horticulture, including its role and importance of throughout history, current trends, and careers. Learners will identify horticulture crops, crop use and interrelationships among the environment, plant growth, and plant development.

Learn to identify the different lifecycle stages of plant pests in the greenhouse and landscape and how to control them using cultural, physical and biological control methods. Learn about beneficial insects and how to use predators, parasites and pathogens to control insects and diseases of plants.

This course is intended to develop analytic reasoning and the ability to solve quantitative problems. Topics to be covered may include: construction & interpretation of graphs; descriptive statistics; geometry & spatial visualizations; math of finance; functions and modeling; probability; and logic. Appropriate use of units and dimensions, estimates, mathematical notation, and available technology will be emphasized throughout the course.

Students will study physical, chemical and biological properties of soils. Soil conservation practices, plant nutrition and composting will be discussed in detail. Labs involve soil testing and soil improvement.

Following guidelines set forth by the national Sustainable Site's Initiative students will learn how to improve the sustainability of urban landscapes. Identifying soil conditions, capturing storm water, using native plants, composting, waste and energy management are concepts learned in this class. Students have the opportunity to analyze their own property to find ways to improve sustainability while reducing chemical inputs and maintenance needs.

This course is designed for learners to develop knowledge and skills in all aspects of the writing process. Planning, organizing, writing, editing and revising are applied through a variety of activities. Students will analyze audience and purpose, use elements of research, and format documents using standard guidelines. Individuals will develop critical reading skills through analysis of various written documents.

Focuses on growing cut flowers, potted plants and foliage plants in a greenhouse. Provides practical experience in growing/maintaining crops using equipment, and solving problems. Includes field trips to commercial greenhouse operations.

Learn how plants and flowers are marketed locally and internationally. This class offers professional marketing techniques for garden centers, greenhouses and floral shops. Students visit garden centers, flower shops, wholesale suppliers and trade markets to identify trends and meet with managers. Students gain practical experience organizing a plant promotion including identifying the customer, purchasing and pricing plants, advertising.

Learn how to apply pesticides safely and legally. This class prepares students to take the Wisconsin State pesticide applicator exam with the certification exam given during class. Anyone applying chemicals to someone else's property is required to obtain this certification.

Structure and theory of the two and four cycle engines. Troubleshooting, storage, maintenance, and repair of the small gas engine are included. Safety of the operator is stressed along with the use and study of operator's manuals for small power equipment.

Students will study methods of vegetable gardening and become familiar with basic annual and perennial vegetables, herbs and edible flowers. Organic growing methods, composting, pest and disease control, and self-sustaining gardening methods will be discussed in detail. Field trips to local market gardens will be included in the course.

Please complete 801-196 Oral/Interpersonal Communication or 801-198 Speech. This is for informational purposes only. Once you register for your course, you can delete this block from your timeline.

Work independently, or in small groups, with instructor and staff to gain in depth knowledge and experience in one of five program specialty areas; greenhouse growing , floral retailing and events, trial and display gardens, urban farm. Can also be used for internship with horticulture employer.

The basic principles, elements, and mechanics of floral design are practiced. Identification, care and handling of flowers and foliage will be involved. Includes hands-on designing of corsages, primary arrangements and holiday arrangements.

Identify greenhouse structural components and environemntal controls such as heating, cooling and lighting systems. Plan production cycles, describe how new plants are selected from plant breeders and obtained from suppliers. Assemble a hydroponic system from start to finish. Learn to identify, propagate and care for foliage plants, bulbs and flowering greenhouse crops. Paqrticipate in field trips to greenhouse operations.

Study of deciduous trees, shrubs, and vines grown for landscape use in residential and commercial settings. Examines environmental requirements, dormant characteristics, and landscape applications. Labs involve on-site identification of plant material.

This course examines interpersonal relationships of humans and groups and the consequent structure of society. It details the various social processes and concepts which shape human behavior, analyzing such phenomena as organizations, deviance, race and ethnic relations, population, urbanization, social change, and social movements. Religion, education, and the family are studied.

Students will study emerging growing methods that are "outside the box". These include vertical wall gardening, green roots, hydroponics, aquaponics, and other innovative growing techniques.

Educational seminars and workshops, celebrations, tours and travel are increasingly important to garden centers, botanic gardens and resorts. Learn to plan and organize horticulture and floral events from the initial planning stages through set up to break down and billing.

This capstone course will provide horticulture students the opportunity to pull together portfolio elements created in several classes into a cohesive professional portfolio for use when starting the career search. The portfolio will include samples of work, letters of reference, resume, horticultural resources and other pertinent career search and employment information, which can be used during employment interviews. Students will develop a high-quality professional portfolio as the final project.

This course introduces students to some of the major theories and topics of psychology, including the physiological basis of behavior, personality and learning theories, memory, states of consciousness, stress, research methods, intelligence, human development, psychopathology, and social behavior.

Principles of Selling provide the student with a basic understanding of the consultative selling process. This course will build a solid understanding of the steps in the professional sales process, examining the characteristics of a successful salesperson, buyer behavior, communication styles, and ethics. Class discussions of actual selling problems will be encouraged in addition to solving case problems, scenario role plays, and student's sales presentations.