Agriculture and Nature Conservation Horticulture

Identify And Prepare Soils For Landscaped Planting Training

SAQA US 119696 | NQF 1 | Credits 4 | Duration 1 Day
From $691 per delegate

Description

This course equips learners with the knowledge and skills to identify different soil types and prepare them for landscaped planting. It covers soil analysis, classification, and appropriate preparation techniques to ensure optimal plant growth and sustainable landscaping practices.

Learning Outcomes

  • Identify different soil types and their properties relevant to landscaped planting.
  • Analyze soil texture, structure, and drainage characteristics using basic field tests.
  • Apply appropriate soil preparation techniques to improve soil conditions for planting.
  • Demonstrate safe handling and use of soil amendments and tools.
  • Implement soil conservation measures to prevent erosion and degradation.
  • Evaluate soil suitability for specific landscaping plants and recommend corrective actions.

Target Audience

This course is designed for landscapers, gardeners, horticulturists, and anyone involved in landscaping or gardening projects who needs to understand soil identification and preparation.

Prerequisites

None — open enrollment.

Course Outline

Day 1: Soil Identification and Preparation for Landscaped Planting

Objectives:
• Identify different soil types and their properties relevant to landscaping.
• Explain methods for testing soil texture, structure, and pH.
• Demonstrate soil preparation techniques including drainage improvement and organic matter incorporation.
• Apply safety and environmental considerations during soil handling.
• Prepare a soil report and planting recommendations for a given landscape site.

Topics:
• Introduction to soil science: soil formation, components, and profiles.
• Soil physical properties: texture (sand, silt, clay), structure, porosity, and drainage.
• Soil chemical properties: pH, nutrient availability, and salinity.
• Soil testing methods: field texture test, jar test, and pH testing.
• Soil preparation techniques: tilling, adding organic matter, and improving drainage.
• Environmental and safety practices: erosion control, waste disposal, and personal protective equipment.
• Practical exercise: soil sampling and preparation for a planting bed.
• Documentation: completing a soil assessment report and planting recommendations.

Practicals

No practicals for this training.

This course is made up of exercises and case studies delivered alongside the theory — no separate practical sessions are required to complete it.

Summatives

Each delegate is assessed continuously throughout the course and a final summative test at the end.

Daily Exercises — 30%

Every training day ends with a multiple-choice exercise scored out of 100%. The scores from each daily exercise are averaged across the duration of the course to produce a Daily Average mark, which contributes 30% to the final total.

Final Test — 70%

On the last day a final summative test is written. It is a multiple-choice paper with multiple-answer questions: each question may have more than one correct option, and a single wrong selection on a question marks the entire question wrong — no partial credit. The final test is scored out of 100% and contributes 70% to the overall mark.

Final Total
Component Out of Weight
Daily Average (multiple choice) 100% 30%
Final Test (multi-answer multiple choice) 100% 70%
Final Total 100%

All marks are recorded on the AATICD LMS and visible to each learner under their account.

Certificate

Certificate of Completion

Awarded to delegates who achieve an overall mark of 50% or higher on the Final Total (Daily Average 30% + Final Test 70%).

How it works
  • Certificates are auto-generated on the AATICD LMS as soon as the marks pass the 50% threshold.
  • Each certificate is a branded PDF with the delegate's name, the course title, the unit standard ID, NQF level, credits, and the date of issue.
  • You can download or print your certificate from your LMS dashboard at any time after issue — there's no reissue fee and no expiry date.
  • If you scored under 50% you can sit the final test again at the next scheduled session at no extra cost.
Where to find it

Sign in to the LMS, open your dashboard, and your certificates appear under My Certificates. Each entry has a View / Download button and a print option.

Training Discounts

Group discounts apply automatically — the more delegates you enrol, the greater the saving. Discounts are calculated at 3% per 5 delegates, scaling up to 40% off for 100+ delegates.

Delegates Discount
5 3% off
10 6% off
15 9% off
20 12% off
25 15% off
30 18% off
50 30% off
75 35% off
100 40% off

3% discount per 5 delegates, up to 40% off for 100+ delegates. Contact us for a custom group quote.

Upcoming Training Sessions
Online training — attend live sessions from anywhere via our virtual classroom.
Start End Delivery Season Price Action
Thu 10 Sep 2026 Thu 10 Sep 2026 Virtual Spring 2026 $691 Register
Wed 30 Sep 2026 Wed 30 Sep 2026 Virtual Spring 2026 $691 Register
Tue 20 Oct 2026 Tue 20 Oct 2026 Virtual Spring 2026 $691 Register
Tue 08 Dec 2026 Tue 08 Dec 2026 Virtual Summer 2026 $691 Register
Mon 11 Jan 2027 Mon 11 Jan 2027 Virtual Summer 2026 $691 Register
Fri 19 Feb 2027 Fri 19 Feb 2027 Virtual Summer 2026 $691 Register
Thu 04 Mar 2027 Thu 04 Mar 2027 Virtual Autumn 2027 $691 Register
Wed 10 Mar 2027 Wed 10 Mar 2027 Virtual Autumn 2027 $691 Register
Tue 16 Mar 2027 Tue 16 Mar 2027 Virtual Autumn 2027 $691 Register
Mon 07 Jun 2027 Mon 07 Jun 2027 Virtual Winter 2027 $691 Register
Fri 02 Jul 2027 Fri 02 Jul 2027 Virtual Winter 2027 $691 Register
Thu 22 Jul 2027 Thu 22 Jul 2027 Virtual Winter 2027 $691 Register
Wed 08 Sep 2027 Wed 08 Sep 2027 Virtual Spring 2027 $691 Register
Tue 28 Sep 2027 Tue 28 Sep 2027 Virtual Spring 2027 $691 Register
Mon 18 Oct 2027 Mon 18 Oct 2027 Virtual Spring 2027 $691 Register
Tue 07 Dec 2027 Tue 07 Dec 2027 Virtual Summer 2027 $691 Register
Mon 27 Dec 2027 Mon 27 Dec 2027 Virtual Summer 2027 $691 Register
Fri 21 Jan 2028 Fri 21 Jan 2028 Virtual Summer 2027 $691 Register
On-Campus training — face-to-face sessions at our training venues across Africa and beyond.
Showing all 533 sessions across 26 venues
Start End Venue Season Price Action
Tue 23 Jun 2026 Tue 23 Jun 2026 Maseru, Lesotho Winter 2026 $1,550 Register
Wed 24 Jun 2026 Wed 24 Jun 2026 Nairobi, Kenya Winter 2026 $2,468 Register
Thu 25 Jun 2026 Thu 25 Jun 2026 Mbabane, Eswatini Winter 2026 $1,550 Register
Fri 26 Jun 2026 Fri 26 Jun 2026 Mombasa, Kenya Winter 2026 $2,468 Register
Fri 26 Jun 2026 Fri 26 Jun 2026 Windhoek, Namibia Winter 2026 $1,712 Register
In-House training — we bring the trainer to your organisation, tailored to your team.
Start End Delivery Season Price Action
Fri 18 Sep 2026 Fri 18 Sep 2026 Your Premises Spring 2026 $896 Register
Thu 08 Oct 2026 Thu 08 Oct 2026 Your Premises Spring 2026 $896 Register
Wed 28 Oct 2026 Wed 28 Oct 2026 Your Premises Spring 2026 $896 Register
Wed 16 Dec 2026 Wed 16 Dec 2026 Your Premises Summer 2026 $896 Register
Tue 19 Jan 2027 Tue 19 Jan 2027 Your Premises Summer 2026 $896 Register
Mon 22 Feb 2027 Mon 22 Feb 2027 Your Premises Summer 2026 $896 Register
Fri 12 Mar 2027 Fri 12 Mar 2027 Your Premises Autumn 2027 $896 Register
Thu 18 Mar 2027 Thu 18 Mar 2027 Your Premises Autumn 2027 $896 Register
Wed 24 Mar 2027 Wed 24 Mar 2027 Your Premises Autumn 2027 $896 Register
Tue 15 Jun 2027 Tue 15 Jun 2027 Your Premises Winter 2027 $896 Register
Mon 05 Jul 2027 Mon 05 Jul 2027 Your Premises Winter 2027 $896 Register
Fri 30 Jul 2027 Fri 30 Jul 2027 Your Premises Winter 2027 $896 Register
Thu 16 Sep 2027 Thu 16 Sep 2027 Your Premises Spring 2027 $896 Register
Wed 06 Oct 2027 Wed 06 Oct 2027 Your Premises Spring 2027 $896 Register
Tue 26 Oct 2027 Tue 26 Oct 2027 Your Premises Spring 2027 $896 Register
Wed 15 Dec 2027 Wed 15 Dec 2027 Your Premises Summer 2027 $896 Register
Tue 04 Jan 2028 Tue 04 Jan 2028 Your Premises Summer 2027 $896 Register
Mon 24 Jan 2028 Mon 24 Jan 2028 Your Premises Summer 2027 $896 Register
Training Discounts
Delegates Discount
5 3% off
10 6% off
15 9% off
20 12% off
25 15% off
30 18% off
50 30% off
75 35% off
100 40% off

3% off per 5 delegates, up to 40% for 100+

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