Interesting fact… Horticulture is Australia’s third largest agricultural industry.
If you have a green thumb, love working outdoors, working with your hands and caring for plants, then no doubt you’re gravitating to working in horticulture.
What is Horticulture?
According to good old Britannica, horticulture is ‘the branch of plant agriculture dealing with garden crops, generally fruits, vegetables, and ornamental plants’.
And Wikipedia steps it up a level, ‘the branch of agriculture that deals with the art, science, technology, and business of plant cultivation’.
Essentially horticulture is about understanding the science behind different plants and greenery and the growing, maintaining and, in some cases, also the harvesting of plants, such as fruit, vegetables, flowers, trees and turf.
There are many different employment and career opportunities in horticulture. These include working in a nursery, greenhouse or public gardens and parks, as a crop grower, gardener, in urban farming, landscaping and gardening, and plant research and development.
What Does a Horticulturalist Do?
A horticulturalist focuses on growing plants, and this includes the propagation, seeding, fertilising and irrigation of plants and crops. Horticulturalist work can also include landscaping, gardening and plant arrangement.
As part of their work a horticulturist will also be able to create and maintain a healthy environment for plants, including assessing the condition of soil and identifying plant diseases. Part of the maintenance of plants is pest control and investigation, with the examination and identification of pests and introducing treatments to remove them.
Upskill Online’s Certificate in Specialised Horticulture
Our Certificate in Specialised Horticulture will give you the skills and knowledge to get started on your horticulturalist career or work in a nursery, on a farm or as a gardener. It could be the start of a new career you’ll love.
During the course you will learn all the fundamentals of potting, soil testing, taking care of trees, treating weeds, pests and diseases.
Studying a short course can be a good option before jumping into a Certificate 3 in Horticulture or higher education to get a feel for the industry.
If you’d like to know more detail about our course, or enrol, take a look at our Certificate In Specialised Horticulture.