Horticulture Careers

Examine Careers Related to Horticulture

• Objective 2.01:• Discuss careers and skills necessary for employment in the

horticulture industry

Definition of Horticulture

1. Horticulture comes from the Latin word meaning “Garden Cultivation”

2. Horticulture is the cultivation, processing and marketing of flowers, ornamental plants, vegetables, fruits and nuts.

Divisions of Horticulture

1. Pomology

2. Olericulture

3. Floriculture

4. Landscape and Nursery

5. Viticulture

Pomology • Is the science and practice of growing, harvesting, storing,

processing and marketing trees grown for fruit.• Apples• Almonds

Olericulture• Is the science and practice of growing, harvesting, storing,

processing and marketing vegetables.

Floriculture• Is the science and practice of growing, harvesting, storing,

processing, and marketing flowing plants.

Landscape and Nursery• Is the science and practice of propagating, growing,

planting, maintaining, and using grasses, annuals, shrubs, and trees.

Viticulture• Is the science and practice of growing, maintaining and

processing grapes.

Horticulture Industry Careers

1. Greenhouse/Nursery Employee

2. Garden Center Employee

3. Grounds Maintenance Employee

4. Golf Course Employee

5. Park Employee

6. Inspectors

7. Agricultural Biotechnology

8. USDA

9. Sales

10. Green Industry Employee

Greenhouse/Nursery Employee• Grows vegetables, fruits, flowers including cut flowers,

bedding plants, potted plants, hanging baskets and landscaping plants. Employees do both sexual and asexual plant propagation.

Garden Center Employee• Cares for the plants, moves plants and supplies, arranges

and displays plants and supplies and sells plants and supplies.

Grounds Maintenance Employee• Cares for the land area and plants that surround a

business, school, church, industry or other public or private places that have lawns and plants that have to be maintained (includes IPM).

Golf Course Employee• Is responsible for maintenance of golf courses including

turf-grass maintenance on fairways, greens, tees, etc., and pest management, irrigation, and drainage, sand traps, trees, shrubs, buildings and equipment.

Park Employee• Maintains plants, grounds, buildings, facilities, equipment

and driveways in national, state, city or privately owned parks.

Inspectors• Check plants and materials for disease, insects and other

quality issues.

Agricultural Biotechnology• Such as technician, researcher, marketing specialist, and

much more!

USDA• There are career opportunities in working for the USDA,

EPA, and the FDA.

Sales Positions• In a variety of wholesale and retail areas. You can work

for a seed company or a wholesale grower.

Green Industry Employee• Works in jobs that are environmentally friendly and have

to do with reusing, recycling, and reducing the carbon footprint.

Skill, Personal and Educational Qualifications

1. Skills vary from unskilled to highly skilled depending on the career in horticulture. A materials handler needs few skills but an inspector needs many skills to check for quality, for insects or diseases or for the following governmental rules.

2. Personal interests and qualifications include:1. Working inside or outside or a combination

2. Working in a group or alone

3. Working with people or plants

4. Working at routine tasks or varying tasks

5. Physical strength to do the job

Educational Qualifications

1. High school graduate or less for unskilled entry-level jobs.

2. Technical education for skilled jobs

3. Bachelors, Masters or Doctorial degrees for most professional areas because of required licenses, paper work, research and/or teaching.