AHC31124 Certificate III in Nursery Operations
Turn your passion for plants into a career
Learn the essentials of nursery operations, from plant selection and propagation to soil, irrigation and pest management
You'll develop practical and hands-on nursery skills while training in our accredited on-campus nursery.
Overview
Where Murdoch
When Continuous enrolment | Semester 1, 2026
How Apprenticeship | On Campus
Gain hands-on skills for a career in the nursery and horticulture industry. This course provides practical training in an accredited nursery at Murdoch. campus, giving you real-life experience. You'll develop essential skills in:
- Plant selection
- Maintaining nursery plants
- Propagation
- Soil management
- Irrigation
- Controlling pests, diseases and weeds
- Safe chemical handling
- Work health and safety procedures
- Prepare and test growing plants, and assess in comparison to Australian Standards for compliance and suitability.
- Skilled plant propagator who can competently demonstrate at least 7 different propagation techniques, and ability to plan a growing program for the propagules propagated.
- Demonstrate how to grow and maintain quality nursery plants, including preparing specialised plants.
- Competently identify a range of plants and provide information, including cultural information, to a client.
- Operate a pressurised irrigation system and demonstrate troubleshooting issues in irrigation systems.
- Learn the importance of Integrated pest management (IPM) in a nursery, along with necessary weed control.
- Chemical preparation, application, recording, transportation and storage.
Have you got what it takes to be successful in this career? Our Informed Choices page lists the skills and attributes necessary to study and work in this field.
Select your preferred campus and apply
All year round
Details
Indicative fees and charges
The fees quoted are estimates only and are for all units in the course for students enrolling on a full-time basis. If you're a student that has successfully completed a lower-level qualification that is a prerequisite for this course, you'll only pay for the units that you need to enrol in to complete this course. Please view the full list of fee disclaimers.
Units
| National ID | Unit title |
|---|---|
| AHCCHM304 | Transport and store chemicals |
| AHCCHM307 | Prepare and apply chemicals to control pest, weeds and diseases |
| AHCIRG338 | Troubleshoot irrigation systems |
| AHCNSY308 | Maintain nursery plants |
| AHCPCM305 | Implement a plant nutrition program |
| AHCPCM306 | Provide information on plants and their culture |
| AHCPMG302 | Control plant pests, diseases and disorders |
| AHCSOL305 | Prepare growing media |
| AHCWHS302 | Contribute to workplace health and safety processes |
| National ID | Unit title |
|---|---|
| AHCIRG346 | Operate pressurised irrigation systems |
| AHCNSY310 | Install and maintain plant displays |
| AHCNSY312 | Prepare specialised plants |
| AHCNSY313 | Implement a propagation plan |
| AHCNSY403 | Plan a growing-on program |
| AHCPMG301 | Control weeds |
| AHCSOL203 | Assist with soil or growing media sampling and testing |
Semester 1, 2026
Details
Units and fees
Core
| National ID Unit title | General fee | Concession | Resource fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| AHCCHM304 Transport and store chemicals | $97.60 | $29.40 | $0.00 |
| AHCCHM307 Prepare and apply chemicals to control pest, weeds and diseases | $341.60 | $102.90 | $0.00 |
| AHCIRG338 Troubleshoot irrigation systems | $244.00 | $73.50 | $0.00 |
| AHCNSY308 Maintain nursery plants | $170.80 | $51.45 | $0.00 |
| AHCPCM305 Implement a plant nutrition program | $268.40 | $80.85 | $0.00 |
| AHCPCM306 Provide information on plants and their culture | $195.20 | $58.80 | $0.00 |
| AHCPMG302 Control plant pests, diseases and disorders | $170.80 | $51.45 | $0.00 |
| AHCSOL305 Prepare growing media | $146.40 | $44.10 | $0.00 |
| AHCWHS302 Contribute to workplace health and safety processes | $219.60 | $66.15 | $0.00 |
Elective
| National ID Unit title | General fee | Concession | Resource fee |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
$219.60 | $66.15 | $0.00 |
|
|
$268.40 | $80.85 | $0.00 |
|
|
$219.60 | $66.15 | $0.00 |
|
|
$390.40 | $117.60 | $0.00 |
|
|
$341.60 | $102.90 | $0.00 |
|
|
$146.40 | $44.10 | $0.00 |
|
|
$122.00 | $36.75 | $0.00 |
Indicative fees and charges
The fees quoted are estimates only and are for all units in the course for students enrolling on a full-time basis. If you're a student that has successfully completed a lower-level qualification that is a prerequisite for this course, you'll only pay for the units that you need to enrol in to complete this course. Please view the full list of fee disclaimers.