At the end of the course you will be awarded a Learning Curve Certificate of Course Completion. You will also be ready to sit the RHS Certificate in Horticulture, which you can do at an authorised examination centre in your area. (There is an additional fee for the examination.) Your tutor will provide personal support and advice to help you complete your assignments and prepare effectively for the exam.

Students have up to three years to complete this course, allowing them to work through the modules at their own pace. On average, however, it takes students around 12 - 18 months to complete the course, based on 3 - 5 hours study time per week.

48 Hour courier delivery on this course (UK only).

Study topics covered include: introduction to horticulture; plant families: identification and nomenclature; the biology of plants; managing the growing environment; propagation; pollination, fertilization, germination. plant physiology; genetics and plant breeding; soils and growing media; pests and diseases: plant propagation; ecology in the garden; assessing plant needs; siting plants; legislation and regulations. Includes course book, Principles of Horticulture, all course material and full tutorial support.

why choose us?

Compare our course to the alternatives:

• you receive a full three years support, allowing you to work through the course at your own pace;

• your tutor will support you during exam revision, including marking past papers;

• you are assigned your own personal tutor who will work with you right up to the exam. 

Our tutorial support is second-to-none.You can contact your tutor directly at any time if you have any questions or problems, or if you would just like a chat about how the course is going. Tutorial support is by e-mail and/or telephone. Even after you have finished your Learning Curve assignments, your tutor will continue to support you during your revision period, to ensure you are fully prepared for your exams.

There are two exams for the RHS Level 2. Exams are held twice a year, once in February and once in June. You can sit both papers at the same exam sitting, or you can take them separately. Click here for a list of exam centres happy to accept external candidates.

Click here to find out more about practical work and your course.

detailed course outline

Course book: Principles of Horticulture, Adams and Early.

Part 1: Planning Principles and Production

Module 1 - Introduction to Horticulture: origins and history; careers in horticulture; why are plants so important?; horticulture and conservation - populations; food webs; ecosystems and natural balance; habitat protection; impact of horticultural chemicals; eutrophication; use of peat and its alternatives.

Module 2 - Plant Structure and Form: an introduction to plant biology; plant cells and tissues; how plant cells function; cell differentiation; structure and form of leaves, roots, stems, and flowers; plant classification and taxonomy.

Module 3 - How Plants Function: fertilisation; pollination; photosynthesis; respiration; plant growth and development, and its importance in horticulture; use of growth regulators; plant hormones; water uptake; transpiration; defining growth patterns.

Module 4 - Plant Propagation: seed propagation compared to vegetative methods; dormancy; pre-sowing treatments, including stratification, scarification and pelleting; supporting successful germination; protected growing; layering, cuttings, division, budding and grafting.

Module 5 - Outdoor Food Production: cultural operations; producing food crops in a garden situation; vegetable crops; growing soft and top fruit successfully; soil cultivation; growing under cover; climate and hardiness zones.

Module 6 - Garden Planning: Basic survey techniques; site assessment; key aspects of garden design; use of hard and soft landscaping materials.

Part 2: Ornamental Principles and Maintenance.

Module 7 - Selecting and Using Plants: selecting plants (trees, plants and crops) to suit location; consideration of scale, position, facilities and features; planting density; choice of site, layout and design; considering function; associations between plants and other features.

Module 8 - A Healthy Soil: key principles; soil types and plant growth; assessing soil type; structure and texture; soil colloids; effective digging methods; cultivation techniques; roots and the rhizosphere; soil pH; soil organic matter; soil organisms; soil conservation.

Module 9 - Organic Matter and Growing Media: farmyard manure; organic matter sources; green manure crops; fertilisers; deficiency symptoms; artifical growing media and hydroponics; base and top dressings; mulches; nutrient cycles; deficiency symptoms.

Module 10 - Weeds, Pest and Diseases: ephemeral, annual and perennial weeds; problems caused by weeds; damage caused by pests, diseases and disorders - identification, symptoms, mode of attack, including examples from horticulture; invasive species; fungal and viral diseases; chemical, cultural, biological and physical methods of control; integrated pest control; named examples.

Module 11 - Lawns, Sports and Recreation Areas: preparing a site; selecting the right mix; seed mixes; laying a turf lawn; vegetative reproduction; maintaining and renovating a lawned area; identifying and treating lawn weeds, pests and diseases; planning and managing a sports or recreation area; managing horticultural chemical use.