History of the Horticultural

Industry

As human culture developed, it found many uses

for plants:
o Food
o Medicine
o Clothing
Gathers became cultivators approximately
10,000 years ago
Ancient Greeks
o Used flowers in everyday life
and mythology
Ancient Egyptians
o Flowers indicated presence of a god

The Science of
Horticulture

As a science began in the 18th century

Botanists studied plant:
o Classification
o Structure
o Function
o Genetics
o Diseases
Gardens became associated with churches
and monasteries

Horticulture in the New

World
Influenced the establishment of the United
States
Boston Tea Party 1773
Tea leaves from a subtropical
evergreen tree or shrub
Morrill Act
Signed by Lincoln
Established Land Grant Colleges
After WWII bedding plants began to
be used
Houseplants in the 1970s

Classifying Plants
Vascular Plants
Ferns, trees, and flowering plants
Tubelike cells in roots, stems, and leaves
to carry water

Nonvascular plants
Liverworts and mosses
Take up water by osmosis

Classification by
Reproduction
Seedless such as ferns:
Produce spores

Seeded such as trees and

flowering plants
Produce seeds
Angiosperms: Produces seeds in a flower
Gymnosperm: Produces seeds in a cone

Classification by Name
Common Name
Most often used

Binomial Nomenclature
Used by taxonomists
Genus: Group
Species: Individual

Example: Eastern Redbud

Cercis canadensis

The Horticultural Tree

Agriculture

Science, business, and art of cultivating

the soil

Agronomy
Study of Field crops

Forestry
Maintenance and cultivation of forests

Botany
Study of plant life

Horticulture
Study of growing fruits, nuts, vegetables,
and ornamentals

Branches of Horticulture
Arboriculture
Trees and shrubs

Olericulture
Vegetables

Pomology
Fruits and Nuts

Ornamental
Horticulture

Ornamental Horticulture
Floriculture
Flowers, ornamental plants,
and related products

Landscaping
Planning and constructing of landscapes

Nursery Production
Production, harvesting, and sale of trees and
shrubs

Turf grass Production

Development of grasses for athletic fields,
golf courses, parks, and cemeteries

Values of Horticulture

Aesthetics/Beautification
Increased economic value
Continuing Education
Health Promotion
Leisure opportunities

Standard Measures

Basic Formulas: Area and

Volume

Surface Area

Amount of area on the outside, top,

bottom, or sides of something

Volume
Amount of space inside something

Ratios
Mix Ratios
Mixing items like soil, fertilizer, and
pesticides
Like quantities, i.e. gallons to gallons

Slope Ratios
Grade or incline of a physical element
like a hill
Horizontal distance vs. Vertical distance