Environmental and Landbased Careers

Production Horticulture

What is production horticulture?

The horticulture industry offers a huge range of opportunities for anyone of any age. Production horticulture is all about the large-scale production and selling of plants, which are sold either to be eaten as food or as ornamental plants for gardening.

Horticulture is a major UK industry, supplying high quality, locally grown produce to consumers, and contributing significantly to the economy and to local communities. It is also one of the most advanced sectors within the UK, especially in the areas of research and development.

Did you know…?

There are 12,800 production horticulture businesses in the UK
The industry employs 43,000 full and part-time workers, as well as tens of thousands of seasonal or casual workers… would you like to be one of them?

What opportunities are there for me?

Production horticulture businesses range in size from small private nurseries employing 2 or 3 people to large production organisations employing hundreds of people, so there are lots of opportunities in many different locations. There are also opportunities to work in garden centres, where you may be involved in growing plants, so it is good to have transferable skills.

Go on to discover what skills you need to work in production horticulture