How to Become a Professional Horticulturist

With a wide variety of career paths, horticulture offers you the opportunity to turn your love of plants and nature into a lifelong career. Whether you wish to become a landscaper, a plant breeder, a garden designer, or a crop specialist, becoming a horticulturist is a fulfilling and enjoyable journey. With the increasing number of people interested in horticulture and the rise of artificial intelligence, now is the perfect time to answer the call to become a horticulturalist.

Education Requirements

To become a horticulturist, you will need to have a formal horticultural education. This may involve getting an associate degree, a bachelor’s degree, or completing a certification or apprenticeship program. By obtaining an associate degree, you’ll be able to start your career as a technician supervisor or crop specialist, while a bachelor’s degree will qualify you as a supervisor in the field.

To get the best opportunities in the horticultural field, consider expanding your understanding of plant science, ecology, biochemistry, and entomology. You may also wish to consider taking courses in horticultural business and sales. Once you’ve completed your education, you’ll be prepared to begin your professional level of horticulture.

Gain Real-World Experience

Once you’ve completed your formal education, you’ll need to gain real-world experience to move ahead in your horticulture career. Consider interning with a landscaping company, botanical gardens, or nurseries. Gain a deep understanding of techniques and plants and take on challenges in order to prove yourself as a capable and knowledgeable horticulturist. In addition, try to network with industry professionals and learn best practices, tips, and tricks.

Demonstrate Your Skills

As a horticulturist, you will need to prove your technical qualifications. Consider becoming an ISA-certified arborist to demonstrate your horticulture knowledge and to expand your belief of tree care operations. In addition to certifications, you can also build a portfolio that showcases your skills and use it as a tool to market yourself.

Adapt to Artificial Intelligence

Recently, horticulture research is being aided by the use of artificial intelligence (AI). AI can be used to optimize the plant’s genome quickly and without error, helping get plants from the lab to market more efficiently. As a horticulturist, it is important to understand the changing dynamics of the industry and embrace the use of artificial intelligence in horticulture.

Summary

Becoming a horticulturist is a great way to express your love of the outdoors and plants, and can provide a rewarding and enjoyable career. To become a horticulturist, you should obtain a formal education in horticulture and gain real-world experience. You should also demonstrate your skills through certifications or a portfolio. Finally, it is important to be able to adapt to the changing dynamics of the industry, including embracing artificial intelligence.