A new online course for growers on Substrates for Container-Grown Plants will train your nursery, greenhouse or CEA staff to understand the science of substrates (also called potting mix or growing media) on factors that improve water and air availability for plants.
The course is taught by Dr. Loren Oki, Professor Emeritus at the University of California, and Dr. Jeb Fields, Assistant Professor at University of Florida. The course is offered by the University of Florida IFAS Extension Greenhouse Online Training and is a requirement for the new Root Zone Expert program.
Substrates for Container-Grown Plants is designed for people with some experience or entry university level, who are in production, technical, or sales role for greenhouse and nursery crops. This course presents and discusses principles of soil science and practices applied to managing container substrates, emphasizing the appropriate use of substrates, amendments, fertilizers, and irrigation to grow plants in containers. The skills learned can be applied to the growth, maintenance, and management of container-grown plants in nursery and greenhouse production in commercial and urban agriculture, research, and commercial landscapes.
The course is offered in English and Spanish and runs for four weeks from October 6 to October 31, 2025.
The cost is $US285 per participant. All course material is completely online and available at any time of the day, and includes pre-recorded videos, quizzes, and an interactive discussion board with Dr. Oki and Dr. Fields. Two new modules are activated each week during the course, for a total of eight learning modules. Instruction is at your own pace and time within the 4 weeks of the course, with a typical time commitment of about 5 hours per week. Click here to register: http://hort.ifas.ufl.edu/training/.
We offer a 20% discount when you register 5 or more staff. For more information, including discounts for multiple registrations email us at: greenhousetraining@ifas.ufl.edu.