Do you enjoy working outdoors and gardening?  Do you like growing plants? Are you an existing professional in the nursery or landscape industry?  If you have answered YES to any on these questions, then the Florida Certified Horticulture Professional (FCHP) course is what you’ve been looking for!

This 10-week training course offered by the Institute of Florida Studies will enhance your knowledge of plant ID, soils, fertilizers, pests, pruning techniques, irrigation, Best Management Practices, and safety.  The FCHP course will also prepare you for the FCHP certification exam offered by the Florida Nursery, Growers, and Landscape Association (FNGLA).

FCHP certification will increase your earning power in the horticulture industry by promoting professional commitment, knowledge, and skill among horticulture and closely associated professions.  This certification may lead to better paying jobs and career advancement, and is the core for other FNGLA Certificates, including Certified Landscape Designer, Certified Landscape Technician, and Certified Landscape Contractor.

The FCHP Training Course will be offered at the HCC Plant City Campus in Spring 2010. The class will meet on Thursdays (6-9 PM) and Saturdays (8:30-11:30 AM) in the PEPC Educational Partnership Center.  Course start dates TBA, please contact mfreedman3@hccfl.edu for the most current information about the course.

The course fee is $260, and does not include the manual or Certification Exam fee.  The FCHP manual is $75 for FNGLA members and $105 for non-members, and is required by the first day of class.  You can order the manual online from FNGLA or by calling 800-375-3642.  The Certification Exam is $85 for members and $150 for non-members.

To register, either visit the HCC Plant City campus student services office and fill out a Continuing Education form, or download the registration form and make checks payable to Hillsborough Community College.  Please mail completed form and check to:  Matthew Freedman, Institute of Flordia Studies, Hillsborough Community College, 1206 North Park Road, Plant City, FL 33563.

For more information, please contact: 

Matthew Freedman, mfreedman3@hccfl.edu

Phone:  813.757.2186