Home Horticulture
Hort 442
Nursery Production & Garden Center Management
Course Syllabus (Fall, 2007)
| Instructor: |
Dr. Jeff Iles 106 Horticulture Hall 294-3718 |
- Class Meeting Times:
- Tuesday and Thursday (12:10 — 1:00 p.m.) 138 Horticulture Hall
Overall Course Objective:
Using a science-based approach, introduce students to the latest technological advances and management practices needed to efficiently operate and manage a production nursery and retail garden center.
Course Goals: Students will...
- Come to appreciate the many important contributions made by nursery and garden center operators in the U.S.
- Understand rules and regulations governing the sale and distribution of nursery crops.
- Learn the steps involved in selecting the proper site for a production nursery or garden center.
- Learn about the latest techniques and important cultural practices for growing and shipping nursery crops.
- Understand retailing and marketing strategies appropriate for garden centers.
- Understand "best practices" for managing water and fertilizer run-off from nurseries and garden centers.
Grading:
- Exam 1 = 100 points — September 20, 2007
- Exam 2 = 100 points — October 25, 2007
- Oral presentation = 100 points (during last two weeks of semester)
- Written report = 100 points
- Final Exam = 100 points (date and time to be announced)
- Total Points = 500
Semester Project
Students are required to either design a wholesale (production) nursery or retail garden center. Oral/written reports should include:
Production Nursery
- Location and rationale
- Design and layout
- Crops to be grown/pricing
- Specific production scheme
- Shipping considerations
- Calendar of activities
Retail Garden Center
- Location and rationale
- Design and layout
- Plant inventory/pricing
- Retailing/marketing plan
- Warranty/return policy
- Calendar of activities
Each student will give a 10 to 15 minute oral presentation of their project in class. Presentations will be given during the final two weeks of the semester. Written reports are due on the day of the oral presentation.
Classroom Decorum, Expectations, and Etiquette:
The "business" of education is serious work. You should approach each and every classroom experience as you would an important job. Once you begin your career, there will be no excuses for a lack of professionalism. Clients, business partners, and fellow employees will make immediate assumptions about you and your value to the company based on first and subsequent communications you have with them. Therefore, my advice to you is to begin the transformation now and treat each class as you would an important business meeting. My expectations are that you will:
- Attend every class period
- Be on time (this really means arriving a few minutes before class begins. Arriving at the precise moment a meeting is scheduled to begin is rude and unprofessional.
- Actively participate in class. Meaningful communication is crucial.
- Remain alert and stay engaged in all classroom activities. Do not doze or sleep in class. Always be attentive to your instructor, guests, and fellow students.
- Refrain from wearing hats in the classroom. It's never too early to begin practicing removing your hat when entering a building (or at least a meeting)
Overall Course Grade:
Each student's grade will be based on a total of 500 points for the semester. The tentative grading scale is provided below:
| 500 — 460 = A | 384 — 370 = C |
| 459 — 445 = A- | 369 — 355 = C- |
| 444 — 430 = B+ | 354 — 340 = D+ |
| 429 — 415 = B | 339 — 325 = D |
| 414 — 400 = B- | 324 — 300 = D- |
| 399 — 385 = C+ | 299 — 0 = F |
Please address any special needs or special accommodations with me at the beginning of the semester or as soon as you become aware of your needs. Those seeking accommodations based on disabilities should obtain a Student Academic Accommodation Request (SAAR) form from the Disability Resources (DR) office (515/294-7220). DR is located on the main floor of the Student Services Building, Room 1076.
Tentative HORT 442 Discussion Topics
| Date | Topic |
| Tuesday, August 21 | Introduction to HORT 442, syllabus and orientation |
| Thursday, August 23 | History and overview of nursery industry |
| Tuesday, August 28 | Organization and development of the nursery site — field production |
| Thursday, August 30 | Organization and development of the nursery site — container production |
| Tuesday, September 4 | What to grow/pricing? |
| Thursday, September 6 | Nursery Inspection |
| Tuesday, September 11 | Growing the crop — field production |
| Thursday, September 13 | Growing the crop — field production |
| Tuesday, September 18 | Growing the crop — container production |
| Thursday, September 20 | EXAM 1 |
| Tuesday, September 25 | Growing the crop — container production |
| Thursday, September 27 | Harvesting and storage |
| Tuesday, October 2 | Shipping the crop |
| Thursday, October 4 | Wholesale marketing |
| Tuesday, October 9 | Guest speaker |
| Thursday, October 11 | Managing insects/diseases/deer |
| Tuesday, October 16 | Labor/work force issues |
| Thursday, October 18 | The "sustainable" nursery |
| Tuesday, October 23 | Important nurseries/associations/resources |
| Thursday, October 25 | EXAM 2 |
| Tuesday, October 30 | Locating and designing the garden center |
| Thursday, November 1 | Furniture, signs, and displays |
| Tuesday, November 6 | Attracting (new) customers...and keeping them |
| Thursday, November 8 | Pricing/shrinkage |
| Tuesday, November 13 | Managing your business/benchmarking |
| Thursday, November 15 | The garden center as a destination...the European influence |
| Tuesday, November 27 | Student Presentations |
| Thursday, November 29 | Student Presentations |
| Tuesday, December 4 | Student Presentations |
| Thursday, December 6 | Student Presentations |
| Week of December 10 | FINAL EXAM |
