Pitt Community College in N.C. to add turfgrass diploma this fall

This fall, Pitt Community College (PCC) in Winterville, N.C., will add a turfgrass diploma to its horticulture technology lineup for students interested in maintaining lawns, golf courses, parks and other recreational grounds.

Jerry Pittman, PCC’s horticulture technology curriculum coordinator, said that the new training option will consist of 36 credits, covering topics such as pest management, soil science, turfgrass irrigation and turf equipment management.

“We’ve designed our Turfgrass diploma for students who enjoy working outdoors and welcome the challenge of creating and maintaining beautiful surroundings,” Pittman said. “Once they master the skills our program teaches them, they can go on to become turfgrass managers who establish and maintain grasses used for recreational and ornamental purposes and to control erosion.”

Students will learn how to select, establish, maintain and manage the right grasses for specific uses, he said, adding that they will also study warm and cool season grasses and how to control weeds, insects and diseases associated with each.

Pittman said PCC is adding the new training to “meet the need from our green industry for individuals trained in this field, both locally and throughout eastern North Carolina.”

To help establish the diploma, he added that the college created an advisory board comprised of a lineup of green industry representatives, including Brad Sutton, owner/operator of Eastern Turf Maintenance.