Practical Horticulture

Horticulture: Why are you here?

You are an important part of this class.

Your classmates will depend upon you for crop production and maintenance.

There may also opportunities for community service credits helping with a new native plant Wellness Garden at Heywood Hospital across the street.

Bio 120

Why Horticulture?

Plants impact our lives every day in multiple ways.

They beautify our surroundings and provide materials for our basic needs of oxygen, water, food, and shelter.

Why Horticulture?

Why Horticulture?

Horticulture is the art and science of growing plants: edible and ornamental.

In addition to growing plants, horticulturists create beautiful landscapes and manage recreational areas like golf courses and sports fields.

Why Horticulture?

Plant Yourself in the Perfect Career Horticulture involves many areas of study,[which can be grouped into two broad sections, ornamentals and edibles.

Arboriculture is the study, selection, planting, care, and removal of individual trees, shrubs, vines, and other perennial woody plants.

Turf management includes all aspects of the production and maintnenance of turf grass for sports, leisure, or amenity use.

Floriculture includes the production and marketing of floral crops.

Landscape Horticulture includes the production, marketing and maintenance of landscape plants.

Olericulture includes the production and marketing of vegetables.

Pomology includes the production and marketing of pome fruits.

Life’s a garden, dig in!

Why Horticulture?

The word horticulture comes from the Latin “hortus,” meaning “garden,” and “cultura,” meaning “cultivation.”

Why Horticulture?

Viticulture includes the production and marketing of grapes. Oenology includes all aspects of wine and winemaking. Postharvest physiology involves maintaining the quality of and preventing the spoilage of plants and animals. Integrated Pest Management is a broad-based approach that integrates practices for economic control of pests. Plant Pathology is the scientific study of plant diseases caused by pathogens (infectious organisms) and environmental conditions. Plant Propagation is the process of creating new plants from a variety of sources: seeds, cuttings, bulbs, and other plant

Why Horticulture?

Why Horticulture? Protecting the Environment & Feeding the World

Today our world presents new and complex problems related to the environment and the need for secure and reliable food supplies.

Horticulturists will play an important role in addressing these issues.

Why Horticulture?

Horticulture students helped design and install a green roof.

Why Horticulture? Opportunities are growing

Jobs in horticulture continue to increase.

And, the number of available jobs continue to exceed the number of graduates.

Fruit and Vegetable Production Students in fruit and vegetable production help feed the world.

Why Horticulture?

Why Horticulture?

“I want to have a job where I work outside with my hands and don’t have to sit at a desk all day. Plus I can eat my work which is pretty awesome.”

Why Horticulture?

What students are saying…

Landscape Design, Installation and Management

If you can imagine it, we can design it, build it, and maintain it. We create your perfect outdoor living space.

Why Horticulture?

Building a paver patio

Students working on landscape installation projects.

Why Horticulture?

“I chose Horticulture because it allows me to work outside with the environment. Not only to enjoy my surroundings, but to do my part in creating beautiful spaces, like back yards and green roofs, that will result in a better tomorrow.” 

What students are saying…

Why Horticulture?

Nursery and Greenhouse Production & Management Students in the nursery and greenhouse option grow the plants that beautify the world inside and out.

Why Horticulture?

Landscape management students learning about new equipment.

Arboriculture students using the rope and saddle technique.

Public Gardens Management & Education Have you ever enjoyed the beauty of a public garden or listened to a garden guide talk about the plants you’re looking at? Odds are your guide studied public garden management and education.

Why Horticulture?

Turfgrass Management: Golf Course Golf course superintendents manage and direct the day-to-day activities of golf courses. They help create the perfect golf shot.

Why Horticulture?

Golf course student preparing the fairway for play.

“I chose Horticulture because I wanted to work in the golf course industry and grow my knowledge in turfgrass science.”

What students are saying…

Why Horticulture?

Turfgrass Management: Sports Turf Sports turf managers care for athletic fields. They create the perfect playing surface.

Why Horticulture?

Sports turf students painting the field at a stadium.

A student intern at a practice facility

Why Horticulture? Career Opportunities

Horticulture offers many career possibilities including: ¡ Nursery & Greenhouse Production ¡ Landscape Management & Lawn Care ¡ Landscape Design & Installation ¡ Golf Course & Sports Turf Management ¡ Garden Center Management ¡ Fruit and Vegetable Production ¡ Public Gardens Management and Education

Why Horticulture?

Why Horticulture? Is Horticulture Right for You?

You should consider a career in horticulture if you: ¡ Are creative ¡ Have an interest in the environment ¡ Enjoy the outdoors ¡ Want to help people ¡ Like problem solving ¡ Are tech savvy

Choosing a Career in Horticulture

In higher education, horticulture is classified as a science and requires basic knowledge of math, chemistry, and sometimes other sciences. But within the sciences, horticulture is an applied science, and the knowledge is used to achieve a specific goal, such as increasing the yield of a particular crop.

Why Horticulture?

What’s the difference between botany and horticulture? ¡  Botany – basic science that deals with plant

classification, biochemistry, anatomy, etc. without direct regard to how they affect a plant’s usefulness to humans

¡  Horticulture –the art and science of plant production for both beauty and utility. We work with fruits, vegetables, ornamental plants, and turfgrass, in a variety of labs, fields, golf courses, botanic gardens, and garden centers. 

Why Horticulture?

Some Specific Horticulture Careers ¡  Arboretum Director/Associate ¡  Arborist ¡  Berry Grower

¡  Botanical Gardens Manager/Grounds Assoc. ¡  Bulb Producer

¡  Business Owner ¡  Cannery Field Manager

¡  Community Garden Planner/Educator ¡  Enologist (Winemaker)/Vineyard Supervisor

¡  Extension Educator ¡  Field Supervisor

¡  Floral Designer ¡  Florist Plant Producer or Retail Florist

¡  Flower Buyer ¡  Foliage Plant Producer or Maintainer

¡  Geneticist ¡  Golf Course, Cemetery, or Park Superintendent ¡  Grass Seed Producer

¡  Greenhouse Manager ¡  Greenhouse Vegetable Production

¡  Garden Manager ¡  Garden Center Operations, Sales, Maintenance

¡  Golf Course Superintendent

§  Grounds Maintenance Supervisor §  Herb Grower §  Horticultural Therapist

§  Horticulture Marketing/Sales Mgr. §  Interior Plant Technician

§  Irrigation Specialist §  Landscape Contractor

§  Landscape Designer §  Lawn Maintenance Foreman/Technician

§  Nursery Production Supervisor/Technician §  Orchard Supervisor

§  Plant Biologist §  Plant Breeder

§  Plant Propagator §  Produce Retail Team Member

§  Research Scientist §  Seed Analyst §  Seed Producer

§  Sports Field Manager §  Tissue Culture Lab Technician

§  Tree Nursery Grower §  Urban Garden Manager

§  Vegetable Grower/Farm Manager

Why Horticulture?

I hope you enjoy this introductory course in horticulture.

Why Horticulture?