HORTICULTURE

Horticulture is a branch of agriculture that deals with cultivation of fruits, vegetables and ornamental plants. Horticulture is the science and art of the development, sustainable production, marketing and use of high-value, intensively cultivated food and ornamental plants.

They are four main classes of Horticulture
✓Pomology (fruit farming)
✓Olericulture (vegetable farming)
✓Floriculture (flower farming)
✓Landscape gardening

Pomology (fruit farming)

The term pomology is derived from the latin word ‘pomum’ means fruit and ‘logy’ means study. It deals with development, enhancement of fruit quality, cultivation techniques, regulation of production periods and reduction of production cost of fruits.

Olericulture (vegetable farming)

Olericulture is the science of growing vegetables. Vegetable farming can be classified into:
✓Kitchen or Nutrition gardening
✓Commercial gardening
✓Vegetable forcing

Kitchen gardening

Kitchen gardening is growing of vegetables in small scale at household. e.g. Beans, Cabbage, Lady’s finger, Tomato, Brinjal, Carrot, Spinach etc.

Commercial gardening

It is the production of vegetables in large scale to be sold in markets.

Vegetable forcing

It is the method of growing vegetables in buildings, green houses, cold farms or under other artificial growing conditions. It is the most intensive type of vegetable growing. e.g. Cabbage, Tomato, Brinjal etc.

Green House or Poly House

It is a framed structure covered with transparent material to grow crops under partiality or fully controlled environmental conditions to get optimum growth and productivity. It is the fastest growing sector in the agriculture worldwide.

Floriculture (Flower farming)

Floriculture is the art of cultivation of flowering and ornamental plants in garden for beauty of floristry. It is concerned with growing traditional flowers, cut flowers, bedding plants, foliage potted plants, arboriculture trees, turf grass for beautification and value added products like essential oils, pharmaceutical and nutraceutical compounds.

Landscape Gardening

Landscape horticulture is the study of designing and constructing landscapes in homes, business firms and public areas to imitate natural scenery.