Horticulture refers to gardening or to the scientific cultivation of fruit, vegetables, flowers and shrubs. Many horticultural crops have been domesticated and brought under regular cultivation in many parts of the world. Horticulture
Horticulture in the tropics can be broadly divided into subsistence horticulture, home gardening, commercial horticulture (like floriculture) and landscape horticulture.
Though horticulture generally refers to a specialized holding, it also relates to the commercial production of crops on a farm, where the soil, climate, skilled labor and irrigational facilities can be used for maximizing the yield of high quality crops. A suitable infrastructure, like good roads, helps in accessing the market and getting better prices for the product. Widespread use of appropriate machinery has increased the per unit area output of horticulturalp roducts.
The subdivisions of horticulture are (a) olericulture dealing with the production of vegetable processing and storage , (b) pomology dealing with the art and science of fruit crop production , and (c) floriculture, dealing with the cultivation of ornamental and flowering plants for aesthetic purposes
Horticultural plants are classified according to their life cycles, growth patterns and, more commonly, according to their use. The classification on the basis of use is considered practical and useful to the producer, dealer or consumer. Banana and plantain belong to the same genus. However, a banana is classified as a fruit because when ripe, it is consumed directly whereas plantain is regarded as a vegetable because it has to be cooked before eating.
Vegetable crops are classified as (a) salad vegetables (lettuce, celery, cucumber, radish), (b) pot herbs (amaranthus, telfairia, talinum, ocimum), (c) fruit vegetables (squash, pumpkin, tomato), (d) vegetable legumes (garden pea, garden bean, cowpea, lima bean), (e) root vegetables (carrot, beetroot, Jerusalem artichoke), (f) Cole crops (cabbage, cauliflower), (g) bulb vegetables (onion, shallot, leek, garlic), and (h) condiments and spices (sesame, chili, pepper, ginger, black pepper).
Vegetable gardening requires a small land area and a small capital investment in comparison to field or plantation crops and can, therefore, be a rewarding hobby as well as a full-time occupation.
