Horticulture jobs

This area provides horticulture jobs information including what companies employ horticulturists, what do they do and specializations.

What is horticulture?

Horticulture is a specialized area of agriculture. The focus for horticulture is floriculture (flowers), arboriculture (trees, shrubs and vines), landscape horticulture and pomology (fruits). Horticulture is an applied science derived from biology, chemistry and ecology and engineering. There are many levels of service in this profession with entry levels requiring a high school diploma or advanced positions requiring doctoral levels of education.

What is a horticulturist? What do they do??

An entry level horticulture technician may be responsible for plantings or maintenance of landscape or irrigation of gardens. Horticultural scientists seek new ways to manage pests, like integrated pest management. A horticulturist has responsibilities to:

improve health benefits from fruits and vegetables,

increase food safety,

develop ecologically sound landscape and gardening techniques

develop ways to plant, breed, cultivate and harvest, store, process and transport plants.

conduct experiments to improve the yield, quality, nutritional value, resistance to disease and adaptability of plants.

What do qualifications do horticulturists generally need?

A horticulturist needs training in plant biology, chemistry, soils, plant pests and diseases. Important skills include written and oral communications, computer fluency and problem solving. They are typically service oriented and open to working independently or with others. Practical and self-disciplined individuals who enjoy outdoor work and have a background in botany may be well suited to this profession.

What areas do horticulturists cover in their courses?

Horticulturists have hands-on training regarding proper tree care, propagation techniques, bedding strategies, food safety and a wide range of specific garden and landscape processes and alternatives including ecologically sound landscaping strategies. Some courses include:

Ornamental Horticulture

Fruit Cultivation

Greenhouse management

Orchid Culture Techniques

Rock & Alpine Gardening

Estate Management with Arboriculture

Plant Center Management Skills

What types of tasks do horticulturists perform?

Horticultural scientists may train and supervise horticulture technicians. Sometimes they work with scientific instruments or landscape machinery or in laboratory situations. Horticulturalists are responsible for:

identifying and correcting soil deficiencies

identifying and treating pests and diseases on plants

planting and transplanting flowers, shrubs, trees and lawns

What areas of specialization may horticulturalists choose?

Horticulturists may specialize in ornamental plants, fruits, nuts, berries, vegetables, flowers, or trees and shrubs. Several categories in the field of horticulture require special attention.

Commercial horticulture

Landscape design and architecture

Amenity horticulture

Nursery and garden center management

Parks and gardens

Floriculture - Plant propagation, Research

Arboriculture - Journalism

What types of companies employ horticulturists?

Research and teaching activities are conducted by universities, governments and private corporations. The range of complexity from simple maintenance tasks to complex genetic research yields a broad scope of potential employers world-wide. The impact on food safety and availability and pest management give these positions an impact on public health. Horticulturists may manage a greenhouse, landscaping service, orchard, vegetable farm, flower or plant shop, nursery, or food processing company. The horticultural scientist working to improve the yield and quality of fruits or vegetables may serve at a laboratory operated by a university, government agency or business. Some horticulturists serve as consultants at food service companies or agricultural organizations. Others may be employed at botanical gardens, garden centers, greenhouses, golf courses, sports arenas or agricultural chemical companies.

Online Resources

http://www.rhs.org.uk/Learning/education/careers.asp

http://www.dvc.edu/career/careerladderhorticulture.htm