Horticulture
The
Latin words
hortus (
garden plant) and
cultura (culture) together form
horticulture, classically defined as the culture or growing of garden plants. Horticulturists work in
plant propagation,
crop production,
plant breeding and
genetic engineering, plant
biochemistry, plant
physiology, and the storage, processing, and transportation of
fruits,
berries,
nuts,
vegetables,
flowers,
trees,
shrubs, and
turf. They improve crop yield, quality,
nutritional value, and resistance to
insects,
diseases, and environmental stresses.
Genetics is also used as a valuable tool in the development of plants that can synthesize chemicals for fighting disease (including
cancers).
Horticulture involves five areas of study. These areas are
floriculture (includes production and marketing of floral crops),
landscape horticulture (includes production, marketing and maintenance of landscape plants),
olericulture (includes production and marketing of vegetables),
pomology (includes production and marketing of fruits), and
postharvest physiology (involves maintaining quality and preventing spoilage of horticultural crops).
Horticulturists can work in industry, government, or educational institutions. They can be cropping systems engineers, wholesale or retail business managers, propagators and tissue culture specialists (fruits, vegetables, ornamentals, and turf), crop inspectors, crop production advisors, extension specialists, plant breeders, research scientists, and of course, teachers.
College courses that complement Horticulture are
biology,
botany,
entomology,
chemistry,
mathematics,
genetics,
physiology,
statistics,
computer science, and
communications,
garden design,
planting design.
Plant science and horticulture courses include: plant materials,
plant propagation, tissue culture, crop production,
post-harvest handling,
plant breeding,
pollination management, crop nutrition,
entomology,
plant pathology, economics, and business. Some careers in horticultural science require a masters (MS) or doctoral (PhD) degree.
*
Agriculture*
Arborsculpture*
Espalier*
History of gardening*
Planting design*
Royal Horticultural Society*
Viticulture*
ISHS - International Society for Horticultural Science*
Welsh College of Horticulture*
Horticultural crop names and alternate names*
Horticulture resources*
The British Library - finding information on the horticulture industry*
HORTIVAR - The FAO Horticulture Cultivars Performance Database 
