Horticultural Manager

Horticultural managers might work in:

• Amenity (or non-production) horticulture - maintaining, designing and planning parks, gardens, estates, woodlands and sports grounds
  
• Commercial (or production) horticulture - producing and selling food and plant products, including fruit, vegetables, herbs and mushrooms in a nursery, market garden, greenhouse, or fruit farm.

Managers in amenity horticulture might determine how to make their park or garden attractive and accessible, supervise the work of gardening staff, control the budget for park maintenance, publicise the amenity and keep abreast of plants that are currently in vogue. They might also want to be actively involved with the practicalities of digging, sowing, lopping, grass-cutting and so on.

Managers in commercial horticulture would decide what to grow, bearing in mind the land available, local growing conditions and their knowledge of the market. They would also have to ensure that they recruit the right staff, buy the seeds, plants and other materials needed for the next crop cycle, keep detailed planting and cropping records, control the finances and deliver consistent product quality to customers at competitive prices. All this would usually be in addition to the day-to-day practical necessities of planting, weeding, pruning, spraying, harvesting and so on.

Entry level
There are many possible training routes, ranging from degree and postgraduate courses to specialist qualifications offered by the Royal Horticultural Society or the Royal Botanic Gardens to part-time National/Scottish Vocational Qualifications.

Degree courses in horticulture normally take three years full-time or four years if they include a 'sandwich' of industrial experience. They may specialise in commercial or amenity horticulture, so it is important to read prospectuses carefully before you apply. All courses would normally include the underlying science of horticulture, crop characteristics, growing techniques and marketing and finance. Higher national diploma (HND) courses cover similar ground at a more practical level and over a shorter period of time.

For degree course entry, you would normally need two or three A level/Advanced Higher/four Higher or equivalent qualifications in one or two sciences, especially chemistry and biology; for the HND route, one or two A level/Advanced Higher/two to three Higher or equivalent, would be required. For either route, your application should ideally be supported by periods of work experience in horticultural or agricultural organisations. There are no specific entry requirements for some of the specialist qualifications.

To gain a place on an apprenticeship with the National Trust or English Heritage, you would need four GCSEs/five S grades (A-C/1-3), including maths, English and a science, or equivalent qualifications. There are many other full- and part-time courses that could help you to get started. Courses include the City and Guilds National and Advanced Certificates in Horticulture, or NVQ/SVQ in Amenity and Commercial Horticulture at Levels 1 to 4. The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) offers the General Examination in Horticulture, the RHS Advanced Certificate and RHS Diploma.

Making the grade
Entrants in many horticultural areas train on the job, working alongside experienced workers or with a supervisor. Short courses may be provided in specialist aspects, such as propagation, tree-pruning and pest control.

Specialist training opportunities are available through organisations such as the Royal Horticultural Society and the National Trust.

In most large organisations, it is possible to progress to supervisory and managerial roles after gaining experience and additional qualifications. You may have to change employers to develop your career. It is also possible to specialise in a specific area.

Personal qualities
As a horticultural manager, you would need to be physically fit, very interested in the scientific and technical aspects of horticulture, good at teamwork and willing put up with irregular hours depending on the seasons of the year and the weather. You would need a strong sense of priorities in meeting essential deadlines and a firm grasp of production costing, aided by good numeracy and book-keeping/accounting skills and a reasonable level of computer literacy. Communication skills would be essential in giving information and advice to visitors, dealing with clients and suppliers and in clearly explaining your requirements to staff.

Looking ahead
There are over 200,000 people employed in commercial and amenity horticulture. Opportunities are forecast to increase in commercial horticulture, especially for people with good business management and marketing skills. The amenity side is slightly less positive, with local authorities in particular cutting back staffing levels. There is, however, increasing demand for the specialised skills associated with historic gardens, restoration and environmental conservation.

Self-employment is another possibility, running businesses such as a small-scale nursery, supplying plants and flowers to offices, or growing organic produce.

Alternative suggestions
Other possibilities might include countryside conservation officer, countryside ranger/warden, farm manager, forest manager or landscape architect.

Take-home pay
As a junior manager, you would start at between £13,000 and £17,000, rising to £20,000 to £40,000 as a senior manager within a well-established company. The rewards for owner managers can be considerably greater.

Effects
You would normally work a theoretical 40-hour week but you might at times have to tailor your hours to fit the demands of particular growing seasons. Many people in horticulture like to start work early in the summer months to make the most of daylight hours, perhaps compensating with shorter working days in the winter. Sports grounds and public gardens are often busiest at the weekend.

The work can be physically demanding, involving walking, standing, bending, kneeling, lifting and carrying, not to mention working outdoors in all weathers.

Sources of information
Growing Careers: www.growing-careers.com
Institute of Horticulture: www.horticulture.org.uk
Lantra: www.lantra.co.uk
National Trust: www.nationaltrust.org.uk/learninganddiscovery
Royal Botanic Gardens: www.rbgkew.org.uk
Royal Horticultural Society: www.rhs.org.uk
Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh: www.rbge.org.uk

CRCI: HB

More information on careers in Horticulture

Careers in Natural Resources and the Environment