Many of us may think that horticulturalists are the people working only in garden centers, however, the field of horticulture is actually quite vast, with a wide range of potential career paths. Horticulture is the mainstream of agriculture that deals with the cultivation of plants, vegetables, fruits, flowers, herbs, ornamental trees, maintaining nurseries, gardens, orchards, and plantations. It is an extremely diversified field with nearly unlimited career opportunities in a variety of job settings. Horticulturalists work with plants and apply their knowledge to fruits, vegetables, ornamentals, and non-food crops to maximize their health or growth.

Horticulturalists can find jobs as farming specialists in vineyards, agriculture estates, and fruit orchards. The major job of a horticulturist is to assess forests and bush for rehabilitation and data gathering, harvest seeds and cultivate young trees and plants, collect field and control samples of roots, green matter and yields for analysis, measure forest and agricultural metrics on an ongoing basis, create and maintain onsite and offsite resources like nurseries, young forest sites, seeding, planting, greenhouse, process horticultural specimens and also work in remote locations in all weather conditions.

Eligibility to become Horticulturist

Many horticulturists major in horticulture, botany, or biology. The career path of a horticulturist generally includes botany, plant biology, soil science, pest management, and genetics. To become a horticulturist, one must attain the minimum academic benchmark as well as related experience.

Career Roles & Responsibilities

Types of Job Roles Horticulturist

The field of horticulture holds ample scope. Horticulturists can find jobs in institutes of horticulture, in plantations, vegetable farms as well as fruit groves. Advancement in horticultural technology, increasing product demands, and a growing export industry make this an extremely lucrative career option. Following are some of the job profiles if one wishes to pursue a career as a horticulturist:

Floriculturist: A floriculturist focuses on the cultivation of flowering and ornamental plants for gardens, the floral industry, and for export. He/she propagates, grows, and markets all cut flowers, flower seeds, and seedlings.

Olericulturist: An Olericulturist deals with the production, storage, processing, and marketing of vegetables. Olericulturist can start their career in industry, research institutes, universities, and other organizations at various levels.

Pomologists: They study the cultivation of edible nuts and fruits, including pears, oranges, strawberries, walnuts, and almonds. They are responsible for cultivating new fruits and nuts, as well as maximizing the production of existing varieties.

Horticultural Technician: Horticultural technician grows and sustains plants that can be used for food, medicine, education, or decoration. The job includes fertilizing, planting, watering, pruning, and transplanting plants as well as diagnosing and treating plant diseases.

Horticultural Supervisor: He/she is responsible for overseeing the cultivation and planting of different types of crops, plants, shrubs, and turf. They also inspect plants for damage and diseases, which can help to determine potential landscaping problems.

Horticulture Manager: The horticulture Manager is a hands-on leader, who actively works in the daily horticultural tasks in the exterior gardens and greenhouses. He/she establishes and maintains high horticultural standards and practices and provides direction, training, and motivation for the horticultural staff.

Horticulture Consultant: Horticulture consultant gives advice to farmers about crop choices, soil usage, and fertilizer options. The job is to successfully cultivate and achieve higher yields while meeting a business’s financial objectives.

Ornamental Horticulturist: He/she works with plants used in decoration or recreation, which is mostly done at a nursery, floral shop, or landscaping company.

Career Education Path Summary

Path 1: 12th-Physics,Chemistry,Maths

UG-B.Tech

PG-M.Tech

Path 2: 12th-Physics,Chemistry,Biology

UG-BSc in Horticulture (Agriculture)

PG-MSc in Horticulture (Agriculture)

Path 3: 12th-Physics, Chemistry, Biology

UG-BSc in Horticulture (Agriculture)

Horticulturist