Practicum Offerings

FFA Floriculture Practicums March 18, 2023

Potting Plant Cuttings (75 points)

Contestants will demonstrate the ability to properly pot & label several rooted cuttings of a herbaceous plant.

Objectives:

• Properly fill container to the correct level with potting soil
• Handle cuttings correctly
• Plant rooted cutting at proper depth and soil firmness
• Properly label the plant

Handling a Hazardous Situation (75 Points, Team Event)

Contestants will be presented with a hazardous situation that is likely to occur in a greenhouse business.

Objectives:

• Students need to be familiar with reading and understanding pesticide labels
• Students need to understand the problem and know proper procedures and practices to resolve the problem

FFA Nursery & Landscape Practicum

Irrigation Pipe Assembly: (100 points, Team Event)

Contestants will demonstrate the ability to follow irrigation plan instructions to properly assemble irrigation PVC pipe and components. 

Objectives:

• Contestants should be familiar with irrigation PVC pipe and assembly components.
• Follow specific assembly directions
• Demonstrate proper PVC pipe gluing techniques.

LANDSCAPE ESTIMATING PRACTICUM

Contestants will be presented a landscape plan and 20 questions concerning that plan. Participants should bring an engineer's and architect's scale, a calculator, and pencils. Click here for sample test.

Objectives:

• Interpret a landscape drawing and its symbols
• Select and read the proper scale for a drawing
• Measure and calculate materials
• Evaluate factors that effect costs

Tips:

Objective 1:

1. Interpret a Landscape Drawing 
2. Be able to accurately count specimens using symbols.
3. Explain notations...like direction North and single quotes indicating cultivars.

Objective 2:

1. Select and Read a Scale
2.  Select the proper type scale for the drawing
3. Select the proper unit of scale for the drawing
4. Use an engineer scale to measure distances

Objective 3:

1. Perform Calculations Using the Scale
2. Calculate square footage
3. Calculate linear feet
4. Calculate cubic yards
5. Determine quantities of materials based on square footage and size of materials (example: number of pavers required) and rates of materials (example: calculating seed rates).

Objective 4:

1. Determining Costs 
2. Determine cost for installations based on plant cost, pay rate, time required to plant, and number of plants.
3. Determine materials cost based on cost per unit and quantity needed. (sod, mulch, seed, plants) 

Landscape Estimating Exam 2003