Degree or experience

[u/ForeShmeg]

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?

[u/Charvan]

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.

[u/ForeShmeg → u/Charvan]

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.