r/Horticulture • u/ForeShmeg • Jul 13 '24
Degree or experience Career Help
So I have encountered a dilemma. I am debating whether to get an associates in horticulture or stay in landscaping. I am fortunate enough to not have the cost of the degree be a problem. But at the same time, I have recently gotten a promotion to be a landscaping foreman. For the winter, we will most likely just do Christmas lights and snow plowing so there is a chance I might be able to fit in some of the classes.
Do I risk potentially losing my chance of making salary for landscaping, where do I get a degree to have a higher paying job in landscaping?
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u/GayleGribble Jul 13 '24
I think companies value experience over education but taking classes will help you at your job
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u/Practical-Suit-6798 Jul 14 '24 edited Jul 14 '24
This is absolutely not true for large companies. Commercial landscaping companies higher kids with bachelor degrees right out of school to be project managers.
i was making 6 figures after 4 years in the in the industry with an environmental horticulture degree. Pretty much all the pm's at my company had a degree.
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u/Sqwitton Jul 14 '24
They told us in trade school that a lot of places prefer qualifications over experience; it means you're competent to do the work, but haven't picked up bad habits in other workplaces.
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u/Practical-Suit-6798 Jul 14 '24
That sounds like something a trade school would say lol.
i was a regional manager for one of the largest landscape companies in the country. It took a special person to come up through the ranks. Teaching plant stuff to people is easy, teaching computer stuff to people is hard.
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u/DanoPinyon Jul 13 '24
A good education will get you more places. A BS is even more important when your body gives out.
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u/MoondayCapricorn Jul 14 '24
Very true. I made a killing doing IPM in horticulture with a BS in plant science. Until I got sick. Now I’m happier, making more money teaching high school.
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u/Charvan Jul 14 '24 edited Jul 14 '24
I've been in the hort industry for a few decades. Most of the business owners or upper management I know don't have degrees in the green industry. Just off the top of my head, I can think of hort friends who went to school for engineering, accounting, mathematics, finance, marketing and management. We all learned the industry on the job and have degrees that help us run businesses. Just something to think about.
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u/ForeShmeg Jul 14 '24
My boss that just left told me that the cookie always crumbles. So while we can we want to pick the kind of cookie we want to crumble. So I picked landscaping as that cookie. I don’t think I’ll want to stay in maintenance forever so that’s why I’m thinking of having a degree to try to broaden my horizons. Who knows in 10 years I could be crossbreeding Kentucky with Zoysia.
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u/GayCP Jul 14 '24
I would say experience I work at a greenhouse right now. Majored in plant science and my employers still treat me like I know nothing
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u/ForeShmeg Jul 14 '24
That’s what I’m kinda concerned about. (sorry if this sounds bad) I work with a lot of immigrants and I’m scared that they would think I just have an expensive piece of paper.
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u/GayCP Jul 14 '24
I wouldn't be to concerned about your coworkers tbh I've never had a problem with anyone I work with just the owners who are just stuck in their ways lol good luck though haha
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u/wtfcarll123 Jul 15 '24
I work as a Grower for a large company. I’ve been told countless times by the leaders here that they value experience and passion over a degree. If you have a degree it’s not like it’s going to look bad though. But school cannot teach you what being in the field does.
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u/ForeShmeg Jul 16 '24
The thing is is that I’ve done maintenance in residential, commercial, and golf. So I feel like I am well rounded with the maintenance part, but I want to get into the more advanced stuff. I really want to get into genotyping plants for landscaping. Ik everyone dose that with flowers but I want to be crossbreeding different grasses to be used for more environmental friendly lawns.
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u/Claytonia-perfoiata Jul 15 '24
Most of the people I got my two year landscaping degree with are landing the jobs you are being offered without it. It’s at that job where they pass by the people without degrees by being paid for more advanced training, such as for green roofs or irrigation, or by being offered the really big or fancy commercial projects. Good luck, hope this is a little helpful.
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u/dcwldct Jul 13 '24
The guys I know who make the big bucks have a bachelors in turf management, but an associates in horticulture also ups your earnings potential substantially.