Hortikulturen

Hortikulturen is the science and practice of cultivating plants for human use. It includes the production of crops for food, as well as the growing of ornamental plants and trees for aesthetic, environmental, and practical purposes. The field covers a range of activities from plant breeding and propagation to postharvest handling and landscape design. Subfields include pomology (fruit), olericulture (vegetables), floriculture (flowers), and landscape horticulture.

Production systems rely on controlled environments such as greenhouses or protected plots, soil management, and substrates; modern hortikulturen uses hydroponics, aeroponics, or vertical farming. Management topics include irrigation, fertilization, integrated pest management, pruning, and soil health. Breeding and genetics improve yield, quality, and stress tolerance; conservation and restoration may also be involved, including native plant cultivation and habitat restoration through horticultural practices.

Historically, hortikulturen has roots in ancient Mesopotamia, Egypt, China, and the Roman and Islamic worlds, evolving with greenhouse technology in the Industrial era and with modern advances in plant biology. Today it underpins food security, urban greening, ecosystem services, and cultural landscapes, and it is taught in universities and supported by nurseries, research centers, and professional associations.