Organic Fruit, Vegetable & Flower Production

This unit covers practical production techniques for organic vegetables, culinary and medicinal herbs, small fruits and nuts, and flowering ornamentals, emphasizing propagation, cultural care, pest management, harvest, and postharvest handling. It builds on foundational plant science and soil management from earlier units and prepares students for advanced integrated systems, business, and marketing topics in the final unit.

Learning Objectives

• Analyze soil, site, and microclimate data to select appropriate organic vegetable, herb, berry, fruit, nut, and flower species and cultivars for a Texas production setting
• Apply organic crop establishment and cultural practices—including seed starting, transplanting, pruning, irrigation, mulching, and fertility management—to establish and maintain vegetables, herbs, berries, orchard crops, and flowering plants
• Demonstrate integrated pest, disease, and weed management strategies and sanitation practices consistent with organic principles during production and at harvest
• Evaluate harvest readiness and postharvest handling techniques for vegetables, herbs, berries, fruits, nuts, and cut flowers to maximize quality, shelf life, and marketability