Careers In Horticulture

Careers In Horticulture

Article by Adam George

Every time you walk outside you do not have a choice but to come in contact with horticulture. Horticulture is the science or art of cultivating fruits, vegetables, flowers, or ornamental plants. Plants make the world a very beautiful place to live, and they also give many things that are needed for life. Plants produce fruits and vegetables that allow us to get the vitamins and minerals that we need to survive. They also produce oxygen which is vital to us being able to live on Earth. Horticulture is a very large science that allows people to get into many different fields related to plants. Horticulture is usually divided into five major classifications which are floriculture, landscape horticulture, olericulture, pomology, and postharvest physiology. Each of these areas of horticulture provides many different job opportunities which can be very rewarding, inspirationally and monetarily.

Horticulture involves the knowledge to grow fruits, flowers, plants, and vegetables. The location is generally a small garden at your home or maybe in a part. Some people choose to learn about horticulture to develop a beautiful garden of their own as a hobby or way to spend time making their home look better. For some, horticulture is their career.

There are colleges and universities offering certificates in the area of horticulture. Having a certificate to show potential clients gives you more credibility. Since consumers are encouraged to shop around before making a decision on such contract work be ready to answer their questions openly and honestly. Make sure you have references to offer the consumer or given them addresses of other work you have done that they can drive by and look at.

Arboriculture refers to the study and selection, planting care and removal of individual threes, shrubs and other perennial woody plants. Floriculture includes the production and marketing of floral crops. Landscape horticulture encompasses the production, marketing, and maintenance of landscaping plants. Olericulture is the production and marketing of vegetables, Pomology is the production and marketing of fruits and Viticulture is the production and marketing of grapes. Last is the Postharvest Physiology, which involves maintaining quality and preventing spoilage of horticultural crops.

Horticulture is being practiced in gardens, plant growth centers, and nurseries. Work in nurseries includes preparing seeds and cutting to growing fully mature plants. These are usually sold or transferred to ornamental gardens or market gardens.

People who are interested in horticulture can find work in industry, government or educational institutions as well as private collections. The can work as cropping systems engineer or be a wholesale or retail business manager, propagators and tissue culture specialist for fruits, vegetables, ornamentals and turf; crop inspectors, crop production advisers, extension specialist, plant breeders, researcher and also as teachers.

Do your research on the education level required for entry-level positions in the field you are most interested. Would you like to be a teacher, or would you prefer getting into advertising and marketing? Contact local firms or institutions; you might even ask about future hiring plans.

Decide which area of horticulture you would like to go into, and begin gearing your own education toward that particular division of the industry. Many institutions offer undergraduate degrees in horticulture, so from there, you should try to take classes which are tailored toward your area of interest.

Whenever there are speakers in your area, go and listen to them so that you might hear any words of wisdom they have to impart. Other than that, good luck–it’s a booming field, and the work is both helpful and rewarding!

About the Author

Read about career options, and also read about career in retail sector and careers in horticulture.