Floriculture – This area of horticulture focuses on the cultivation of flowers (cut and potted) and foliage. Flower arrangement also fall under this header.

Pomology – If you love to eat delicious fruit, then pomology may interest you. This branch of horticulture revolves around production and cultivation of fruit crops.

Nursery/Plant Propagation – The development and dissemination of plant seeds, shrubs, trees, ornamental plants, and ground covering is the focus of this area of horticulture. Typically these plants are used in landscaping or interior plantscaping projects.

Landscape Horticulture – Ever wonder who develops those beautiful parks and indoor garden environments? Landscape horticulturists design, construct, and take care of landscapes in homes, businesses, and public areas. They choose plants for their aesthetic appeal and practicality and arrange them in ways that are pleasing and conform to the needs of their clients.

Commercial horticulture involves the growing and selling of food crops and ornamental plants. In the area of food production it is the horticulturist who faces the challenge of growing the fruit and the vegetables that we eat. The Department of Agriculture reports that growing potatoes and mushrooms are currently the two biggest areas of employment in this sector. Producing these crops is a very technical business, involving automated systems, controlled using state of the art computer technology, alongside traditional skills. Commercial horticulture includes floristry and retail horticulture too.

Amenity Horticulture includes gardening, landscaping, designing and a whole lot more. It starts with the design and construction of recreational areas. These can be parks, nature reserves, wildlife gardens, and roadside plantings, amongst other designed landscapes. Amenity areas can be public, as with local authority parks, and roadside plantings, so important to wildlife. They can also be private, as in stately homes, apartment complexes and so on.

See other sections for more information on each area and many examples of the sector.

Click here for horticulture courses …

There are lots horticulture related videos on YouTube. We have collected a few on this page but you can see many more here …

The Christmas tree industry contributes €25m to the Irish economy, according to the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine.

With 7-10 years of work going into producing a good quality Christmas tree,  the quality of Christmas trees produced in Ireland has increased significantly in recent years. This improvement is due to increased expertise being employed to manage and prepare trees for more discerning customers.

Click here to download report on Christmas Tree Industry …

Thinking of getting into the Christmas tree business?

Christmas trees—unlike most crops—take much longer than a single season to reach maturity. “Christmas trees can take eight to 10 years from planting until harvest,” says Tom Harbinson, facilities & hospitality manager of the Jones Family Farms and Winery in Shelton, Conn. “That is a long-term commitment to the crop that a farmer should be aware of going into it.”

Historically, farmers often chose imperfect fields for growing Christmas trees, but if you want to give your trees the best start in life, choose a field with well-drained soil. Christmas trees won’t grow well in wet conditions. And though it’s easy to think that the trees will simply grow themselves without any maintenance, that isn’t the case.

“It is a crop that does still need care, such as pruning and shaping—making sure a single leader points upward to eventually hold a star or angel for a family’s tradition—as well as being aware of diseases that can attack and diminish a tree,” Harbinson says. Each tree must be sheared every summer once they have reached 3 years of age and roughly 5 feet in height to ensure that the branches grow thickly and form a beautiful Christmas tree shape.

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Teagasc training at the National Botanic Gardens and Kildalton

Interior landscaping is a relative new concept of indoor gardening in the form of interior gardens; potted plants and green walls (house plants, growing in specially designed irrigated vertical structures). Research has proven that there are many benefits to using plants in a commercial setting, ranging from health benefits (they clean the air), psychological benefits (calming effect on people) and financial benefits for the company (reduced sick leave, so better output).

Students learn about the different house plants, their care and what location indoors suits those best. This is achieved through IDs, lectures, site visits and assignments.

For the Floristry-element of this subject, students get hands on experience of preparing and conditioning flowers and foliage and putting together many different arrangements, such as wedding bouquets, hand ties and funeral sheaf’s.

Teagasc training

QQI Level 5 students are introduced to fruit production by covering the following crops (soft fruit, canned fruit, bush fruit and top fruit to name but a few). Both indoor and outdoor fruit crops are being covered at this level.

Within the orchard in Kildalton and in the fruit & veg garden in Ashtown which have all the fruits listed above, students’ get hands on experience a half day per week on practical skills like pruning, planting, erecting supports. The theory of growing each crop is covered and the outline of the industry as a whole. Students also visit growers to enhance their knowledge on crops and machinery.

Students get exposed to all elements of crop production, from soil preparation, crop spacing, supports, weed, and pest and disease controls by cultural & in the use of IPM.
QQI Advanced level 6 students specialise in mainly two subject areas:

• Market Gardening where all students get the chance to build on their knowledge from QQI level 5. This is a very extensive module both fruit and vegetables are covered with all growing procedures from soils, ploughing, tilling, planting, and fertilizing. Students are also encouraged to set up a maintenance programme for each crop covered.

• Horticultural Production Mechanisation is delivered to all students that take this module this will broaden their knowledge in machinery use and maintenance. Covering the use of a plough and tilling equipment.

At degree level 7

• Year 1 Horticultural skills, Plant protection, and Horticulture Mechanisation & Safety.
• Year 2 Sustainable food Production.
• Year 3 students can do a project on an area of their choice, so if they have specialised in food production and Mechanisation stream they can develop their knowledge more by completing a research project in this area.

Practical/PLP

All students undertake placement throughout the programs we offers for example:
QQI Level 5 Students they could have the choice to go to an OPW walled garden in the Phoenix park or Fruit and veg walled garden in National Botanic gardens or they can go on a 4 week placement with a registered grower.

More Detailed information on education is here …

Teagasc training at the National Botanic Gardens and Kildalton

Interior landscaping is a relative new concept of indoor gardening in the form of interior gardens; potted plants and green walls (house plants, growing in specially designed irrigated vertical structures). Research has proven that there are many benefits to using plants in a commercial setting, ranging from health benefits (they clean the air), psychological benefits (calming effect on people) and financial benefits for the company (reduced sick leave, so better output).

Students learn about the different house plants, their care and what location indoors suits those best. This is achieved through IDs, lectures, site visits and assignments.

For the Floristry-element of this subject, students get hands on experience of preparing and conditioning flowers and foliage and putting together many different arrangements, such as wedding bouquets, hand ties and funeral sheaf’s.

Landscape Contractors carry out a variety of landscaping works for private, commercial and public authority clients. These include the design and construction of gardens and public spaces, hard (driveways, walls, stone work, patios, paving, etc) and soft (lawn installation, planting) landscaping,  the maintenance of landscapes and grounds (grass & hedge cutting, weeding, etc), and more specialist services such as tree planting and care, water features, outdoor lighting.

The branch of horticulture which deals with the art and knowledge of development and plantation  of ornamental plants by arranging them in such manner with the existing plants and structures to beautify a place maintain natural scenery, maybe called landscape horticulture.

On the other hand, landscaping may be defined as the use of plants outdoors to fulfil aesthetic and functional purposes. The term is identified with the outdoors, even though plants can be used to accomplish similar objectives indoors.

Landscaping is an activity in which beauty as well as function, may be determined by the customer.

To one person, landscaping may mean a couple of fruit trees or just plants on the property. To another customer, plants in the landscape must not only be careful selected but also strategically arranged. A beautiful home or an institution with well  landscaped ground not only increase the value of the property but also increase the usefulness of the property.

The area of amenity horticulture is a vast area, it includes many facets of horticulture from design, fruit and vegetable production, plant identification, plant propagation, soil science and growing media, these all are essential for working in Amenity horticulture.

This market has two elements, domestic services and commercial services. It is estimated that the domestic services market will be worth a total of €136m in the year ending December 2018, which would represent an increase of almost 10% on the estimated value of €124m for 2016. There are four main service type categories in this market and their estimated values for 2018 are Garden Design €17m, Garden Maintenance €52m, Garden Makeover €38 and Tree Surgeon €30m. The commercial landscaping services market had attained a recorded level of about €800m before the recession. It is now estimated to have recovered to about €500m and is growing annually.

The Level 5 course delivered at the Botanic gardens offers a wonderful foundation to students embarking on a career in horticulture. Our students spend one to two days a week working in both private and public gardens/parks; here they have a great opportunity to work alongside craft gardeners who teach our students essential skills required to become a manger or gardener in the relevant areas of choice. Excellent experience working with some of the best gardeners in the country.

Garden and parks supervision is a component of a the Level 6 Advanced Certificate in Horticulture(Landscaping), all elements learnt in Level 5  such as Plant ID and Use, Biodiversity and the natural environment, Plant propagation, Soil science and growing media, Plant Protection, Landscape construction and maintenance, Garden design will feed directly into this module. During the year at the college the students will be able to learn what is involved in the management of a park or garden through visits to private and public estates and meeting the managers.

Practical/PLP:

Within all our courses students undertake placements, many students working in the parks and gardens have gained valuable experience working alongside passionate gardeners who have shared generously there knowledge all  the day to day workings of their profession.

• John Anderson http://www.windsorgreatpark.co.uk/en (Keeper Windsor Great Park),
• Seamus O Brien http://botanicgardens.ie/kilmacurragh/ (Kilmacurragh OPW),
• Adam Whitbourne (Blarney National Park) https://www.blarneycastle.ie
• Michael White https://mountcongreve.com/ (Mount Congreve),
• Colm O Driscoll https://www.airfield.ie/ (Airfield Estate)
• Jack Massey (Sherlockstown Estate)
• Craig Savage https://www.heritageireland.ie/en/dublin/warmemorialgardens/ (War Memorial OPW)
• Cian Cunniffe https://www.ballynahinch-castle.com/en/location/the-walled-garden-at-ballynahinch-castle (Ballynahinch Estate)
• Neil Porteous https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/mount-stewart (Mount Stewart, National Trust)

Mushrooms: The mushroom industry is the largest horticultural sector in Ireland. It has a farm gate value of €119 million, of which approximately 80% is exported to the UK. It currently employs over 3,500 people. Bord Bia indicate that the UK market for mushrooms is growing steadily in recent years at about 2% per year. Button/Closed cup mushrooms hold the largest share of the market followed by Flat/Breakfast mushrooms, value mushrooms and then the sliced and exotic mushrooms.

https://www.teagasc.ie/crops/horticulture/mushrooms/

Click here for more information …

Download Mushroom Advisory Newsletters here …

The nursery stock and ornamental sector produces a wide range of plant material; bedding, hardy shrubs, herbaceous perennials, trees and pot plants. The most up to date technologies and equipment are used to grow high quality products to meet market demand, produced in increasingly shorter timescales. The farm gate value of the sector is estimated to be worth in excess of €40 million per annum. There is scope for import substitution and acknowledging Brexit to increase supply to the substantial market in UK. Between the years 2007 and 2014 there had been much rationalisation of the market, with the top 5 producers in the sector making up 40% of the market. The main outlets for this sector are garden centres, DIY stores and there is increasing demand from the landscaping sector. Online retail sales are in their infancy but show annual increases.

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Organic horticultural production in Ireland takes place on holdings varying from intensive market gardening enterprises, with production of high value crops, e.g. tunnel production, to field scale operations with a high level of mechanisation. Field scale production is limited to areas of good arable soils with a suitable climate, with most production occurring in the midlands or south east. Intensive production, particularly tunnel production, is possible in a wider range of areas.

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Total apple production area in 2012 is 615 hectares, which represents a 6% increase from the previous census (579 hectares in 2007). Half (50%) of the total production area is accounted for by the culinary variety Bramley’s Seedling. Culinary varieties in total account for 51% of total production area, followed by cider varieties at 29% and dessert varieties at 20%.

Culinary apple production area increased 18% since the 2007 census, while cider apple production area increased 12%. Production area of dessert apples continues to decline, down 20% from the 2007 census and 40% since the 1997 census. The value of Irish apples harvested in 2011 is €4.88 million. This is a 24% increase in farmgate value since the last census. Culinary apples account for 49% of total production value, dessert apples account for 35% and cider apples 16%.

Click here to download report …

Plant propagation is the technique of creating new plants from existing plants and this be done in a number of ways.

Sexual propagation
Seeds and spores can be used for reproduction (through e.g. sowing). Seeds are typically produced from sexual reproduction within a species.  Because genetic recombination has occurred, a plant grown from seeds may have different characteristics from its parents. This kind of reproduction is the basis of the plant breeding industry which tries to develop new or better versions of plants. It is widely used in the Nursery and Rose Sectors. Some species produce seeds that require special conditions to germinate, such as cold treatment to break dormancy.

Asexual propagation
Plants have a number of mechanisms for asexual or vegetative reproduction. Some of these have been taken advantage of by horticulturists and  gardeners to multiply or clone plants rapidly. We use these processes as propagation methods, such as tissue culture and grafting.  Plants are produced using material from a single parent and as such there is no exchange of genetic material, therefore vegetative propagation methods almost always produce plants that are identical to the parent. Vegetative reproduction uses plants parts such as roots, stems and leaves. Several of these techniques are used in the Nursery Sector.

You will find more information in the sites listed below.

Ireland’s growers produce about 8000 tonnes of fresh strawberries per year worth an estimated 43 million Euro. The English cultivar ‘Malling Centenary’ is the most popular cultivar grown. The Dutch cultivar ‘Elsanta’ had been the most popular cultivar grown for the 40 years. Protected strawberry production is now the mainstay of the soft fruit industry in Ireland. Protective cropping has a number of distinct advantages for the grower including;

• allowing for the supply of fruit outside the traditional short season of June and July.
• Fruit quality is much higher, which is demanded by the consumer today.

Strawberries can now be supplied, and are in demand from March right through to November. To meet this demand many growers use a combination of growing systems.

The soft fruit sector is dominated by strawberry production, which accounts for 89% of soft fruit production value. The key trend in strawberry production is increasing production area in glasshouse and in fixed/mobile polytunnels, and a move away from outdoor production and production under cloches. Production value of strawberries is €28.3 million, a 7% increase since the 2008 census (€26.5 million in 2008) and a 30% increase since 2004 (€19.6 million in 2004).

There are 57 (outdoor and protected) strawberry growers in 2012 (down 7% since 2008) with a total production area of 169 hectares (down 25% since 2008). The primary counties for strawberry production are Dublin and Wexford. Strawberry production is primarily under protected structures, especially polythene structures. The sector is dominated by larger growers. Of the 47 protected strawberry growers, the seven largest growers account for 77% of protected strawberry production area. 73% of protected strawberry production area is under polythene structures and 27% is under glass.

Click here to download report …

Report on Ireland’s Thriving Soft Fruit Sector …

Protected vegetable production includes vegetables such as tomatoes, lettuce, peppers and other vegetables grown under glass and polythene protected structures. It excludes vegetable crops that are grown outdoors without protection. The key trend in the protected vegetable sector is increasing production area but decreasing production value. Overall, production area in 2012 is 190 hectares, a 14% increase since the last census (166 hectares in 2008). Grower numbers have increased slightly, from 67 in 2008 to 73 in 2012. Production value of protected vegetables has, however, decreased 17% since the last census, from €25.2 million in 2008 to €21.0 million in 2012. 92% of protected vegetable production area is under glass and 8% is under polythene structures. 69% of protected vegetable production area is in county Dublin.

Tomatoes are the most important protected vegetable crop in terms of value. The number of tomato growers increased from 21 growers in 2008 to 38 growers in 2012. However, both production area and value have declined. Production area in 2012 is 10 hectares (14 hectares in 2008) and production value is €6.9 million (€9.2 million in 2008). Of the total of 38 tomato growers, the largest five growers account for 77% of protected tomato production area. 94% of protected tomato production is under glass and 6% is under polythene structures.

Lettuce is the second most important protected vegetable crop in terms of value. The number of lettuce growers has also increased, from 24 growers in 2008 to 32 growers in 2012. Lettuce production area is relatively unchanged at 118 hectares in 2012 (113 hectares in 2008) but production value has decreased by 19%, from €7.4 million in 2008 to €6.0 million in 2012. Of the total of 32 lettuce growers, the largest five growers account for 74% of protected tomato production area. 99% of protected lettuce production is under glass and 1% is under polythene structures.

Click here to download report …

Roses are the most grown flowers in the world, but have you ever stopped to wonder if they are actually being cultivated for profit purposes or just for its sentimental value? Roses are one of the most economically important ornamental crops in the world.

A rose is a woody perennial flowering plant of the genus Rosa, within the family Rosaceae, or the flower it bears. There are more than three hundred species and their cultivars run in thousands. They form a class of plants that can be erect shrubs, climbing, or trailing with stems that are most often times equipped with sharp thorns. Flowers vary in size and shape and are usually large and conspicuous, in colours ranging from white through yellows and reds. Most species are native to Asia, with smaller numbers native to Europe, North America, and northwestern Africa.

Virtually all Garden Centres and Cut Flower outlets would carry a range of Roses. Roses are a Summer flowering plant and in Ireland shops need to import stock out of season.

Getting into the Rose growing business requires that you have

1. Sandy loamy soil (with proper PH level of about 6 or 7.5, 30% organic matter and very high oxygen level)
2. Greenhouse – to manage stock in colder weather
3. Nursery – to grow on stock prior to marketing
4. Irrigation system – only if you are in dry climate
5. Fertilisers (chemical or organic)
6. Cutting tools (like clippers, scissors etc)
7. Labour – at all stages both skilled and non skilled
8. Climate (temperature and sunlight) – you hope for the best
9. Patience – simple propagation will give a saleable plant in three years. Breeding new types may require up to six years from start to selling.

Sports Turf maintenance is an essential practice for all sports turf surface for natural turf and Synthetic surfaces in Golf, Football (GAA Soccer and Rugby), Tennis, Cricket, Bowls, Athletics Tracks, Horse racing tracks. Maintenance is an essential requirement to ensure safety of players, to prevents injuries and to increase usage and fixtures played on the facility.

This is a list of some of the areas of work in Sports Turf Management:-

1. Horticulture Machinery,
2. Plantcare maintenance,
3. Plant propagation
4. Greenkeeping

Course in this area …

In Ireland 4,500 ha of vegetables with a farm gate value of €73m are grown annually. We supply well over half our requirements but as our climate does not allow for all-year-round production, the remainder is imported. The main period for imports is from April to June.

Traditionally vegetable production took place close to the main centres of population, such as Dublin and Cork. It’s no surprise that Dublin is the county growing the most vegetables, followed by Meath, Wexford and Cork. Vegetable growing is a very specialised and labour intensive enterprise. There are about 200 growers, many of whom have been in the business for generations. The industry gives employment to around 1,000 people.

A wide range of vegetables are grown in Ireland, the most popular being Potatoes, cabbage, carrots, broccoli, swedes, cauliflower and parsnips. Harvesting of vegetables takes place every week of the year but the main season of production is from July to March. Growers have made great strides in recent years to extend the seasons. For example carrot growers protect their over-wintered crop with straw and plastic to allow harvesting in April and May, whilst brassica growers cover their early crops with fleece for a June harvest.

Vegetables grow on a wide range of soil types and in every county of the country. Most vegetables are conventionally grown but there is a small but increasing acreage of organic production. Outlets include supermarkets, local shops, farmer’s markets, restaurants and direct sale via the farm shop.

Vegetable growing is a tough business mainly due to the pressures of supplying the multiples and coping with the vagaries of the weather. This has led to a consolidation of the business in recent years with some growers leaving the industry and others scaling-up to reduce unit cost. However, there is tremendous satisfaction in successfully getting a product to market that looks great, tastes good and is bursting with goodness: that is Irish, locally grown vegetables.

National Field Vegetable Census 2015

Potatoes

Potato is the world’s third most important food crop with global acreage rising faster than that of any other crop due to its high yield potential and excellent nutritional characteristics. For more Irish industry related information and statistics click here. Teagasc has been conducting research on potatoes since the 1960s. Currently there are four primary research initiatives along with a Knowledge Transfer programme.

Potatoes breeding Programme https://www.teagasc.ie/crops/crops/potatoes/research—-breeding-programme/

Genomics Research:   https://www.teagasc.ie/crops/crops/potatoes/genomics-research/

GM Research:   https://www.teagasc.ie/crops/crops/potatoes/gm-research/

Late Blight Disease Research: https://www.teagasc.ie/crops/crops/potatoes/potato-blight-disease-research/

Potatoes – Knowledge Transfer:  https://www.teagasc.ie/crops/crops/potatoes/potatoes-agronomy-/

Tayto:: https://taytocrisps.ie/about-tayto/

O’Donnell Crisps: https://www.odonnellschrisps.com

There are lots horticulture related videos on YouTube. We have collected a few on this page but you can see many more here …