Southern Utah University

Course Syllabus

Southern Utah University
Southern Utah University
Fall Semester 2025

Greenhouse Practicum I (Face-to-Face)

BIOL 3710-01

Course: BIOL 3710-01
Credits: 1
Term: Fall Semester 2025
Department: BIOL
CRN: 31096

Course Description

The focus of this course will be on the principles of plant propagation, soil preparation, pest control, fertilization, watering systems, the control of environmental factors influencing plant growth, different growing techniques, disease management, greenhouse operation, heating and cooling systems, and native landscaping design. With a new component on hydroponics culture.

One (1) hour of lecture per week. A minimum grade of "C" (2.0 or above) must be earned in this course before it can be counted in a biological science major or minor or as a prerequisite for any other biology course. (Fall, Spring) [Graded (Standard Letter)] Co-requisite(s): BIOL 3715 Prerequisite(s): Instructor permission 

Required Texts

There are not required texts for this class, but it will help if you find a digital copy of this book: 
- Nelson, Paul V. 2012. Greenhouse Operation and Management, 7th ed. Prentice Hall, Boston, MA. 
This text will be available at the library under reserve for 2 hours. No need to buy it.
I also review several chapters from:
- Mefferd, Andrew 2017. The Greenhouse and hoophouse grower's handbook: Organic vegetable production using protected culture. Chelsea Green Publishing, VT.
Each chapter of the class will use different documents, some of them are online, and others available at the library.
Lecture documents, online resources and additional information will be available to download each week from CANVAS and/or email. 

Learning Outcomes


  1. Understand the basic principles of plant growth, and propagation in a controlled environment.
  2. Identify standard greenhouse equipment and their purpose.
  3. Develop protocols for soil preparation, fertilization, soil sterilization, pH and pest control customized for each plant.
  4. Familiarize with different methods for controlling environmental factors that influence plant growth.
  5. Learn correct protocols for seed collection and their treatment.
  6. Demonstrate correct ways to handle chemicals used in greenhouse operations.
  7. Identify and select the most appropriate types of heating, and cooling systems for a greenhouse.
  8. Develop protocols for native plants propagation and landscape design.
  9. Learn about design and construction of terrariums and dish gardens.
  10. Plan and design greenhouses, including layout, construction, and glazing materials.
  11. Lear the basic principles of hydroponics systems growing
  12. Gather a collection of reference material for future use.



Course Requirements

Your attendance is required in order to get full credit on the daily activities.


Course Outline

Module 1. Syllabus and introductions
Module 2. Greenhouse tour, native gardens, stress video
Module 3. Plant morphology, Individual project ideas
Module 4. Native garden work
Module 5. Soil Porosity and Lab.
Module 6. Plant propagation
Module 7. Grafting
Module 8. Project proposal
Module 9. Pest management
Module 10. Plant nutrition
Module 11. Native garden work
Module 12. Environmental factors that influence plant growth
Module 13. Irrigation systems
Module 14. Heating and cooling systems
Module 15. Water wise landscaping
Module 16. Hydroponics systems
Module 17. Seed scarification
Module 18. Farm/nursery field trip
Module 19. Garden planning
Module 20. Final project presentations

Instructor's policies on late assignments and/or makeup work

There may be a few extra credit assignments worth a few points each at my discretion. No last minute extra credit or extra work will be given to help improve your grade. It is your responsibility to maintain your grade where you want it throughout the semester. You may track your progress on Canvas. DO NOT ASK FOR EXTRA WORK OR A LAST-MINUTE GRADE BUMP.

Attendance Policy

Your attendance is required in order to get full credit on the daily activities.

ADA Statement

Students with medical, psychological, learning, or other disabilities desiring academic adjustments, accommodations, or auxiliary aids will need to contact the Disability Resource Center, located in Room 206F of the Sharwan Smith Center or by phone at (435) 865-8042. The Disability Resource Center determines eligibility for and authorizes the provision of services.

If your instructor requires attendance, you may need to seek an ADA accommodation to request an exception to this attendance policy. Please contact the Disability Resource Center to determine what, if any, ADA accommodations are reasonable and appropriate.

Academic Credit

According to the federal definition of a Carnegie credit hour: A credit hour of work is the equivalent of approximately 60 minutes of class time or independent study work. A minimum of 45 hours of work by each student is required for each unit of credit. Credit is earned only when course requirements are met. One (1) credit hour is equivalent to 15 contact hours of lecture, discussion, testing, evaluation, or seminar, as well as 30 hours of student homework. An equivalent amount of work is expected for laboratory work, internships, practica, studio, and other academic work leading to the awarding of credit hours. Credit granted for individual courses, labs, or studio classes ranges from 0.5 to 15 credit hours per semester.

Academic Freedom

SUU is operated for the common good of the greater community it serves. The common good depends upon the free search for truth and its free exposition. Academic Freedom is the right of faculty to study, discuss, investigate, teach, and publish. Academic Freedom is essential to these purposes and applies to both teaching and research.

Academic Freedom in the realm of teaching is fundamental for the protection of the rights of the faculty member and of you, the student, with respect to the free pursuit of learning and discovery. Faculty members possess the right to full freedom in the classroom in discussing their subjects. They may present any controversial material relevant to their courses and their intended learning outcomes, but they shall take care not to introduce into their teaching controversial materials which have no relation to the subject being taught or the intended learning outcomes for the course.

As such, students enrolled in any course at SUU may encounter topics, perspectives, and ideas that are unfamiliar or controversial, with the educational intent of providing a meaningful learning environment that fosters your growth and development. These parameters related to Academic Freedom are included in SUU Policy 6.6.

Academic Misconduct

Scholastic honesty is expected of all students. Dishonesty will not be tolerated and will be prosecuted to the fullest extent (see SUU Policy 6.33). You are expected to have read and understood the current SUU student conduct code (SUU Policy 11.2) regarding student responsibilities and rights, the intellectual property policy (SUU Policy 5.52), information about procedures, and what constitutes acceptable behavior.

Please Note: The use of websites or services that sell essays is a violation of these policies; likewise, the use of websites or services that provide answers to assignments, quizzes, or tests is also a violation of these policies. Regarding the use of Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI), you should check with your individual course instructor.

Emergency Management Statement

In case of an emergency, the University's Emergency Notification System (ENS) will be activated. Students are encouraged to maintain updated contact information using the link on the homepage of the mySUU portal. In addition, students are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the Emergency Response Protocols posted in each classroom. Detailed information about the University's emergency management plan can be found at https://www.suu.edu/emergency.

HEOA Compliance Statement

For a full set of Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA) compliance statements, please visit https://www.suu.edu/heoa. The sharing of copyrighted material through peer-to-peer (P2P) file sharing, except as provided under U.S. copyright law, is prohibited by law; additional information can be found at https://my.suu.edu/help/article/1096/heoa-compliance-plan.

You are also expected to comply with policies regarding intellectual property (SUU Policy 5.52) and copyright (SUU Policy 5.54).

Mandatory Reporting

University policy (SUU Policy 5.60) requires instructors to report disclosures received from students that indicate they have been subjected to sexual misconduct/harassment. The University defines sexual harassment consistent with Federal Regulations (34 C.F.R. Part 106, Subpart D) to include quid pro quo, hostile environment harassment, sexual assault, dating violence, domestic violence, and stalking. When students communicate this information to an instructor in-person, by email, or within writing assignments, the instructor will report that to the Title IX Coordinator to ensure students receive support from the Title IX Office. A reporting form is available at https://cm.maxient.com/reportingform.php?SouthernUtahUniv

Non-Discrimination Statement

SUU is committed to fostering an inclusive community of lifelong learners and believes our university's encompassing of different views, beliefs, and identities makes us stronger, more innovative, and better prepared for the global society.

SUU does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, citizenship, sex (including sex discrimination and sexual harassment), sexual orientation, gender identity, age, ancestry, disability status, pregnancy, pregnancy-related conditions, genetic information, military status, veteran status, or other bases protected by applicable law in employment, treatment, admission, access to educational programs and activities, or other University benefits or services.

SUU strives to cultivate a campus environment that encourages freedom of expression from diverse viewpoints. We encourage all to dialogue within a spirit of respect, civility, and decency.

For additional information on non-discrimination, please see SUU Policy 5.27 and/or visit https://www.suu.edu/nondiscrimination.

Pregnancy

Students who are or become pregnant during this course may receive reasonable modifications to facilitate continued access and participation in the course. Pregnancy and related conditions are broadly defined to include pregnancy, childbirth, termination of pregnancy, lactation, related medical conditions, and recovery. To obtain reasonable modifications, please make a request to title9@suu.edu. To learn more visit: https://www.suu.edu/titleix/pregnancy.html.

Disclaimer Statement

Information contained in this syllabus, other than the grading, late assignments, makeup work, and attendance policies, may be subject to change with advance notice, as deemed appropriate by the instructor.