What is Horticulture?

Horticulture is considered a branch of agriculture and involves cultivating, growing, maintaining and harvesting a range of fruits, vegetables, flowers, seeds, nuts, trees and plants. The main type of horticulture involves producing food for consumption, and growing plants for medicinal, recreational or aesthetic purposes is often seen as well.

Jobs in Horticulture can include any of the following:

  • Nursery worker
  • Plant pathologist
  • Horticulture Consultant
  • Plant care worker
  • Horticulture Technician
  • Ornamental Horticulturist

Horticulture in Australia

Australia’s growing conditions are amongst the best in the world; therefore, it’s little wonder that our horticulture sector is a billion-dollar industry that employs over 60,000 people.

Australia’s main horticulture growing districts include the following;

  • Goulburn Valley and Sunraysia in Victoria
  • Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area in NSW
  • Riverland Region in South Australia
  • Northern Tasmania
  • Southwest Western Australia

The average working week in Australia’s horticulture industry is 37.6 hours long, and rates of pay vary widely depending on your role, education and experience. For example, horticulture assistants earn an average of $41,184, nursery managers around $50,000 while plant pathologists earn approximately $60,050.

Horticulture Courses

Many horticulture skills and knowledge come from hands-on experience; however, you can boost your career prospects in a hurry by investing in the right training and education.

Make sure to browse the vast range of horticulture courses available right here, so whether you want to study floristry courses in Brisbane, take horticulture courses in Perth or invest in gardening courses online, we’ve got you covered.

Certificate

Certificate level programs provide a fantastic introduction to the industry as they teach everything from pruning and planting techniques through to plant identification and collection skills. Most TAFE horticulture certificates can be completed in as little as twelve months, and many will allow you to focus on an area of interest, such as parks and gardens or floristry. A Certificate II in Horticulture, for example, will teach you areas in soil testing as well as essential work health and safety practices. it can also provide you with the opportunity to discover which areas interest you the most, whether it be nursery or landscaping.

Diploma

Diploma programs cover a broad spectrum of horticulture elements, making them popular with those new to the industry as well as with professionals looking to update their skills. A Diploma of Horticulture, for example, teaches you how to identify and classify plants, design and plan sustainable landscapes and even how to diagnose common plant problems. This level of qualification can lead to careers as a horticultural assistant or an arborist.

Bachelor Degree

If you’d like to start your own horticulture business or move into management roles completing a Bachelor level program will hold you in good stead. A Bachelor of Horticulture, for example, will cover everything from applied plant science and soil technology through to the marketing, management and finance sides of the business.

At TAFE, every course has been designed according to the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) and you’ll find in-class programs as well as a wide range of horticulture courses online, so you are sure to find a training option to suit your needs and schedule.

Career Prospects for Horticulture

Now that the horticulture industry is becoming more high tech, professionals trained in the latest techniques are in increasingly high demand, with jobs available everywhere from research, cultivation, analysis and development.

The food production side of horticulture is primed and ready to boom, as the UN’s Food and Agricultural Organisation agricultural production will need to increase by 70% to meet global demands required by the year 2050.

Is a Career in Horticulture Right for You?

If you’re looking for a career that is interesting, important, and extremely gratifying, you’ll love horticulture. Having a mind for science and technology will certainly help, paying attention to detail is essential, and you’ll need to be comfortable spending most of your time working outdoors, often on your own.

Horticulture also provides plenty of opportunities to live and work in some of Australia’s most beautiful areas, making this a great job for those who like to travel. Want to spend your days tending to Australia’s plants, flowers and forests or making sure that our population gets fed? If so, there has never been a better time to start.

Find your course, sign up and start today!