Program Description

This program is designed to provide theory and practical experience needed to enter the horticulture field or prepare for advancement or certification.  It also offers some of the basic courses required of horticulture majors transferring to four-year institutions.  This program offers certificates and degrees in six Ornamental Horticulture areas.

Opportunities

California leads the nation in the production and sales of nursery crops with an estimated annual value exceeding 1 million dollars.  Many different types of work are available in horticulture with good opportunities for advancement to managerial levels or to business ownership.  Career opportunities exist in nursery, florist, landscaping and biotech industries and in government services.  Horticulturists may work in the propagation of plants, the design and maintenance of grounds or the sale of nursery materials.  In addition, there are opportunities for sale and service in related fields such as seeds, fertilizers and equipment and in inspection, pest control and biotechnology research and laboratory work.

Your New Skills

You will learn the practical aspects of plants, their growth, environmental relationships, psychology, structure, function and reproduction; physical, chemical and biological properties of soils; composting value selection, use and application techniques of fertilizer materials, selection, operation, adjustment and maintaining of landscape power equipment; principles of landscape design; turf management; symptoms, and methods of control of disease, pests and weeds of importance in California; and a study of the identification, growth habits, cultural requirements and landscape use of plant materials.  Students enrolled in landscape work-experience programs gain experience by work within school district grounds, on public and private golf courses, on state highway landscape contracts and in State, county and city parks.

Go to your catalog to find the requirements to achieve the:

• Associate in Science Degree
  • Horticulture Science
  • Nursery Production
  • Landscape Maintenance
  • Landscape Practices
  • Commercial Floral Practices
  • Turf Management
• Certificate of Achievement
  (Same six areas as above)
• Job Direct Certificate/Floral Worker
• Job Direct Certificate/Landscape Worker