Abstract
As a result of an effort by Miami-Dade County Extension with the participation of University of Florida faculty and other speakers, we created a Certified Horticulturist course for landscape maintenance and installation personnel, tree trimming employees, home gardeners, and others. The goal of the program was to educate the participants in basic horticultural practices such as: plant propagation, landscape design, plant selection and installation, pruning, irrigation, fertilization, turf selection, weed, insect and disease control, palm selection, and other topics. Due to space limitations, the class was limited to 60 participants. The response surpassed all expectations. The Florida Nursery, Growers and Landscape Association (FNGLA) showed interest in crediting this course toward the FNGLA Certified Horticulture Professional (FCHP) certification process. The goal is to repeat this course in the near future and to offer the program in English and Spanish. Also, in order to reach more participants, a video or CD of the entire course is going to be prepared.
