Horticulture solely emphasizes the cultivation of fruits, vegetables, ornamental plants, etc. Cultivators also grow staple foods like rice, wheat, corn, and beans that require large-scale production. They even denote the basis of our human body supply.
Everything, including raw and processed products, is on the list of horticultural products. Horticulture is a vast industry, and its products go to market as fresh produce. They even undergo several processes, like juicing, slicing, fermenting, freezing, and preservation. Thus, we can say that a horticulture product is the key ingredient to make another manufactured good or item. For example, apple pie or yogurt is prepared using apples. Read further to get more detailed insights on what are horticultural products.
A Short Insight Into Horticulture Products
What crops can we associate with the horticulture industry? According to researchers and educators, the following crops are all included in horticulture:
- Trees, bushes, and shrubs
- Perennial vine fruits
- Potted ornamental plants, cut flowers, and bedding plants
- Aromatic and medicinal foliage, seeds, and roots
- Ornamental grasses
There are instances wherein an animal uses a horticulture plant to produce the crop. For example, honey is often viewed as a horticultural product that honey bees produce.
Significance Of Horticulture In Life
Horticulture is all about the cultivation of fruits and vegetables. It offers the vital nutrition required for a balanced diet. But it also aids in raising incomes. The growers or cultivators who grow high-value crops like fruits and vegetables make more money than those growing other products. This ultimately improves livelihoods as these cultivators make a healthy profit without much hassle.
Production of Horticulture Crops: Steps To Know
When growing certain horticulture crops, you need to keep in mind a few things. Here is a bit about them:
Choose The Right Variety
There is a wide assortment of horticulture crops you can find. Also, they differ in their growth habits, for example, the duration of the growing season and disease resistance. Traits like texture, color, and taste also make them different. As a farmer, you consider the environmental conditions and customer choices while choosing what variety to cultivate.
Clone A Parent Plant
Plant propagation is the procedure of producing new plants. Seed or asexual propagation are the methods that farmers can use to grow plants. Vegetative propagation (a type of asexual propagation) may also be used. A new plant grows from the parent plant’s fragment in this process.
Cuttings, grafting, layering, and division are common ways of doing vegetative propagation.
Cultivation From Seeds
Typically, you need seeds for the cultivation of horticultural crops. Farmers grow certain crops in specialized “module” trays and plant “mats,” which hold the seed until it sprouts. Later, the seedlings may be put on a field where the crop will grow or raised in a glasshouse.
This technique can ensure constant germination and development when prolonging the growing season. On the other hand, many vegetable crops are grown fully outside, with their seeds sown or put straight into prepared soil.
Also Read: How To Start A Horticulture Business (Things To Consider)
What Are The Most Profitable Horticultural Crops?
When you know the steps to produce horticultural crops, you must also keep in mind which ones are the most profitable. Let us take a glance at the five most profitable horticultural crops:
Ginseng
Ginseng is popularly known for its slow-growing remedial root. Korean Ginseng and American Ginseng are two main types of Ginseng. For ages, these have been in use for medicinal purposes.
There may not be much evidence to prove the therapeutic benefits of using Ginseng. However, it can help with menopause symptoms, fatigue, and memory.
Mushroom
It is surprising to see mushrooms on the list of the most profitable horticulture crops. When we think of small-scale farming ideas, mushrooms are generally not our first preference.
Mushrooms are the perfect crop for modern-day farmers who may lack extra space to do farming. More often, the cultivators grow them indoors, and they make a very high return per square foot.
Saffron
Perhaps the most expensive (legal) crop and the culinary herb is what Saffron is. You need about 75,000 flowers to grow one pound of dry Saffron. Growing so many crocus flowers takes a quarter acre of land. So, you can now imagine how much profit you can make with this crop.
It is never easy to grow saffron crocus from seed. If you want to grow it, plant corms that are fleshy tuberous roots of the plant.
Goji Berries
Goji berries are highly nutritious, contain antioxidants, and may even have anti-aging and anti-cancer effects.
Fresh berries demand far higher rates. This is especially true when sold at farmer’s markets. On the other hand, organic dried goji berries sell for $20 or more per pound. A farmer can cultivate around 7000 pounds of goji berries per acre.
Microgreens
It takes about 2 to 3 weeks for microgreens to cultivate from seed. Moreover, it can sell for over $15 per pound. The best thing about microgreens is that they are very much scalable. As you scale up, you might start employing shelving to cultivate microgreens.
In a vacant space or basement, you can start producing 5 to 6 trays of microgreens. This way, you may earn an extra hundred dollars a month.
What are Domesticated and Wild Plants?
The plants that are cultivated in horticulture are often domesticated and not wild. It means that humans have chosen them for specific traits like resistance to garden cultivation and large, attractive blooms.
Garden crops are cultivated in modest-sized spaces. Thus, the gardener may give thorough management, such as complex garden design and exceptional attention to soil and plant health.
Conclusion
Horticulture generally refers to tamed ornamental and edible plants that we grow in modest-sized spaces. It requires intensive management that entails special attention to plants and soil.
Growing our own fruits and vegetables gives the ultimate satisfaction along with the joy of gardening. Fruits and vegetables are the essential horticultural products you need daily. From natural goodness to vital nutrients, you get everything from them.
To explore more about gardening and horticultural products, Fall & Fallow is the go-to destination. We keenly focus on promoting horticulture and making everyone understand the importance of it. Listen to our podcast every week. Share your experience with us by becoming a part of our community.