Practical Horticulture Skills (7573)

Last Updated: 15 Dec 2023
Focussing upon the fundamental practical skills in horticulture, the learner will be able to learn skills such as planting out, preparing ground, pruning, using a mower, maintaining turf or constructing a path.
An Award, Certificate or Diploma in Practical Horticulture Skills is for young people (16+) and adults getting started in the horticulture industry. Or you might be working in a horticulture job and want to improve your skills. You don't need any previous experience or a current work placement.
Available to deliver in the following:
  • England
  • Wales – please check QiW website for available funding
  • Scotland
  • Northern Ireland

Interested in delivering this qualification?

Find out more about how to become an approved City & Guilds centre or fill out our online customer application form. 

General Information

What Is Involved In Studying This Course?

You'll have lots of options to choose from. You might cover things like:

  • Turf care
  • Plant production
  • Landscaping
  • Preparing ground
  • Applying fertilisers.

You'll learn practical gardening skills in a realistic setting. You'll usually learn in a group with your training provider.

For your assessment you'll give practical demonstrations of the skills you learned.

Is this level right for me?

Level 1
You're just starting out and want a good basic understanding of the horticulture industry - enough to get your first job in the sector or move on to further study. You may be a young learner (14-19) or an adult.

Level 2
You will build upon skills and knowledge gained at Level 1, or you may be starting out in the industry and have some previous experience. You may be a young learner, or an adult.

What Careers Can This Lead To?

An Award, Certificate or Diploma in Practical Horticultural Skills can help you start a career as a:

  • Gardener
  • Greenkeeper
  • Groundsperson
  • Garden centre worker

After completing these qualifications you could move onto a related Level 2/3 qualification or start an Apprenticeship.

What Is Involved With Delivering This Course?

To find all the resource requirements for assessment and delivery, download the qualification handbook from the centre documents section.

Anyone can take this qualification, but you must make sure all your learners can access the resources they need to complete it.

Level 1

This level will suit you if you're just starting out and want a good basic understanding of the horticulture industry - enough to get your first job in the sector or move on to further study. You may be a young learner (14-19) or an adult.

There are three sizes of qualification to choose from at this level:

Award in Practical Horticulture Skills
Certificate in Practical Horticulture Skills
Diploma in Practical Horticulture Skills.

To achieve the award, you complete one or two units from a wide range of options - enough to give you six credits. Some examples of units you might choose include:

Care for a planted area
Prepare soil and apply an organic mulch
Prepare and plant a hanging basket
Use a leaf-litter blower
Identify weeds.

To achieve the longer certificate and diploma, you complete four core units:

Plant container grown subjects
Prepare ground for sowing or planting
Prepare soil and apply an organic mulch
Water a bed, border or area of plants in containers.

For the certificate, you also choose enough optional units to give you eight credits. The diploma requires that you choose enough optional units to give you 27 credits.

For a full list of units, download the qualification handbook from the centre documents section.

What Careers Can This Lead To?
An Award, Certificate or Diploma in Practical Horticultural Skills can help you start a career as a:

Gardener
Greenkeeper
Groundsperson
Garden centre worker

After completing this qualification you could move onto a related Level 2 qualification or start an Apprenticeship.
Level 1 in Practical Horticulture Skills (7573-11)
Last Registration Date: 31 Aug 2027

Level 1 Award in Practical Horticulture Skills

  • Accreditation No: 600/5587/X This is a reference number related to UK accreditation framework
  • Type: Credit based qualification This is categorisation to help define qualification attributes e.g. type of assessment
  • Credits: 6 Credits are a measure of the size of the qualification
  • Guided Learning Hours: 45 - 60 This is the average contact time a centre would typically commit
  • Total Qualification Time: 60 The total time for the qualification
  • Key Stage: Data unavailable This shows the equivalent Key Stage level.
  • Last Certification: 31/08/2026 This is the last date that a certificate can be issued
  • Qualification fees in the UK: £56.40 Our typical price is the one that is most often paid by a centre for a completed learner. Some prices are made up of multiple charging points so action like taking difference units or specialisms to complete and resitting assessments may mean the cost for some learners differs.

Level 1 Certificate in Practical Horticulture Skills

  • Accreditation No: 600/5611/3 This is a reference number related to UK accreditation framework
  • Type: Credit based qualification This is categorisation to help define qualification attributes e.g. type of assessment
  • Credits: 18 Credits are a measure of the size of the qualification
  • Guided Learning Hours: 140 - 180 This is the average contact time a centre would typically commit
  • Total Qualification Time: 180 The total time for the qualification
  • Key Stage: Data unavailable This shows the equivalent Key Stage level.
  • Last Certification: 31/08/2026 This is the last date that a certificate can be issued
  • Qualification fees in the UK: £75.90 Our typical price is the one that is most often paid by a centre for a completed learner. Some prices are made up of multiple charging points so action like taking difference units or specialisms to complete and resitting assessments may mean the cost for some learners differs.

Level 1 Diploma in Practical Horticulture Skills

  • Accreditation No: 600/5612/5 This is a reference number related to UK accreditation framework
  • Type: Credit based qualification This is categorisation to help define qualification attributes e.g. type of assessment
  • Credits: 37 Credits are a measure of the size of the qualification
  • Guided Learning Hours: 285 - 345 This is the average contact time a centre would typically commit
  • Total Qualification Time: 370 The total time for the qualification
  • Key Stage: Data unavailable This shows the equivalent Key Stage level.
  • Last Certification: 31/08/2026 This is the last date that a certificate can be issued
  • Qualification fees in the UK: £111.00 Our typical price is the one that is most often paid by a centre for a completed learner. Some prices are made up of multiple charging points so action like taking difference units or specialisms to complete and resitting assessments may mean the cost for some learners differs.

Level 2

This level will suit you if you've developed a real interest in Horticulture and want to either progress into work, progress from Level 1 to other related horticulture qualifications, or if you have a passion for learning more about horticulture and developing your skills and knowledge further. You may be a young learner (16+) or an adult. The qualification may be taken as full-time or part-time learning either in College or through a Training Provider.

There are three sizes of qualification to choose from at this level:

Award in Practical Horticulture Skills
Certificate in Practical Horticulture Skills
Diploma in Practical Horticulture Skills.

For a full list of units, download the qualification handbook from the centre documents section.

What Careers Can This Lead To?
A Level 2 Award, Certificate or Diploma in Practical Horticultural Skills can help you start a career as a:

Gardener
Greenkeeper
Groundsperson
Garden centre worker
Landscaper

After completing this qualification you could move onto another related Level 2 qualification or start an Apprenticeship.
Level 2 Practical Horticulture Skills (7573-02)
Last Registration Date: 31 Aug 2027

Level 2 Award in Practical Horticulture Skills

  • Accreditation No: 601/1067/3 This is a reference number related to UK accreditation framework
  • Type: Credit based qualification This is categorisation to help define qualification attributes e.g. type of assessment
  • Credits: 6 Credits are a measure of the size of the qualification
  • Guided Learning Hours: 36 - 58 This is the average contact time a centre would typically commit
  • Total Qualification Time: 60 The total time for the qualification
  • Key Stage: Data unavailable This shows the equivalent Key Stage level.
  • Last Certification: 31/08/2029 This is the last date that a certificate can be issued
  • Qualification fees in the UK: £69.50 Our typical price is the one that is most often paid by a centre for a completed learner. Some prices are made up of multiple charging points so action like taking difference units or specialisms to complete and resitting assessments may mean the cost for some learners differs.

Level 2 Certificate in Practical Horticulture Skills

  • Accreditation No: 601/1069/7 This is a reference number related to UK accreditation framework
  • Type: Credit based qualification This is categorisation to help define qualification attributes e.g. type of assessment
  • Credits: 18 Credits are a measure of the size of the qualification
  • Guided Learning Hours: 105 - 168 This is the average contact time a centre would typically commit
  • Total Qualification Time: 180 The total time for the qualification
  • Key Stage: Data unavailable This shows the equivalent Key Stage level.
  • Last Certification: 31/08/2029 This is the last date that a certificate can be issued
  • Qualification fees in the UK: £91.50 Our typical price is the one that is most often paid by a centre for a completed learner. Some prices are made up of multiple charging points so action like taking difference units or specialisms to complete and resitting assessments may mean the cost for some learners differs.

Level 2 Diploma in Practical Horticulture Skills

  • Accreditation No: 601/1070/3 This is a reference number related to UK accreditation framework
  • Type: Credit based qualification This is categorisation to help define qualification attributes e.g. type of assessment
  • Credits: 37 Credits are a measure of the size of the qualification
  • Guided Learning Hours: 219 - 301 This is the average contact time a centre would typically commit
  • Total Qualification Time: 370 The total time for the qualification
  • Key Stage: Data unavailable This shows the equivalent Key Stage level.
  • Last Certification: 31/08/2029 This is the last date that a certificate can be issued
  • Qualification fees in the UK: £124.50 Our typical price is the one that is most often paid by a centre for a completed learner. Some prices are made up of multiple charging points so action like taking difference units or specialisms to complete and resitting assessments may mean the cost for some learners differs.

Additional information for centres

Learning Assistant

LEARNING ASSISTANT IS AVAILABLE FOR THIS QUALIFICATION

Learning Assistant is an innovative and cost effective e-portfolio solution that allows colleges and training providers to dramatically improve the delivery of their vocational qualifications.

Learn more about Learning Assistant >

Here you can find all documents related to this suite of qualifications.

By clicking on the section headings below, you can access a variety of documents such as the qualification handbooks and assessment materials, Statements of Purpose, and recognition letters from industry and employers.

Some documents may be password protected. Passwords can be retrieved by logging in to Walled Garden and visiting the Administration section of the relevant qualification catalogue page.

Interested in delivering this qualification?

Find out more about how to become an approved City & Guilds centre or fill out our online customer application form. 

Explore our wider maths & English offer

Our maths & English qualifications underpin our apprenticeships and technical qualifications. They build learners’ confidence with the core skills required for employment, including the capacity to problem solve and use technology effectively. They are also key to triggering conditions of funding.

Find out more

For Learners

Related Qualifications

Browse some of our related qualifications:

> (0078) Horticulture

> (0174) Technicals in Horticulture and Forestry & Arboriculture

> (0065) Work-based Horticulture