Floriculturist
OFO No:
What is a Floriculturist?
Floriculture may be a bright and colourful career choice for you!
Floriculture, or flower farming, is a horticultural discipline.
A Floriculturist focuses on the cultivation of flowering and ornamental plants for gardens, floral industry and for export. They also develop new varieties.
A proportion of flower farming takes place in greenhouses, but most are produced outdoors eg: herbaceous plants, flowers and cut flowers.
Those employed in the flower growing sector are likely to do some of the following:
- grows and harvests of commercial flowers (retail and export)
- manages flower seeds and essential oil crops
- manages and maintains fields and controlled growing environments
- manages post-harvest treatments and production of plant products (dried flowers etc)
Floriculture may provide an interesting and exciting career for those seeking outdoor work involving growing, harvesting and preparing flowers and foliage for sale.
What does a Floriculturist do?
- meets with potential clients, retail and market-drive people to discuss orders
- propagates, grows and markets of all cut flowers, flower seeds and seedlings
- grows bulbs
- assists with nursery operation
- treats disease through chemical protection of plants
- facilitates post-harvesting storage of raw materials and products
- handles preservatives
- keeps records
- works within budgets, keeps books, sends out invoices, collects monies
Are you … ?
- passionate about flowers?
- a lover of the outdoors?
- willing to work under all kinds of weather conditions?
- observant?
- patient?
- practical?
- mechanically & technically minded?
- able to work with budgets?
- a good communicator and negotiator?
How do I become a Floriculturist?
There are no direct Floricultural training courses to be had at the moment, however to get into this exciting field you will have to take a slightly different route.
- AGRI SKILLS TRANSFER (Pty) LTD
Offers National Certificates in Plant Production NQF Level 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
General Education and Training Certificate: Ornamental Horticulture NQF Level 1
They also offer a variety of other courses which may help you.
OTHER CAREERS TO CONSIDER: Farmer (Crop) … or … Florist
Is becoming a Floriculturist the right career choice for me?
