Entry Level Qualification 

8

Career Fields 

Agriculture & Food Science

For Specially Abled 

Career Entrance Exam 

BHU UET, BHU PET, BHU RET, WBJEE, KEAM, TSEAM CET, AP EAPCET, ICAR PG, ICAR PHD, ICAR UG

About Career 

1. As a Floriculturist, you will be involved in the cultivation of flowering (producing flowers) and ornamental (used for decoration) plants for gardens, for the retail flower industry, and the cut flower industry (flowers sold in bunches or as bouquets after cutting from the plant).

2. You will be responsible for most of the ground-level activities, under supervision, starting from nursery preparation and cultivation to plucking of flowers and storage. You will be involved in cleaning and plowing the land and sowing the seeds for growing the flower plants.

3. You will sometimes have to work independently and make crucial decisions on the field often. For seed preparation, you need to select fruit-bearing mother plants for procuring the seeds, grading them, treating them with ash/fungicide, drying them, and storing them appropriately.

4. For nursery bed preparation, you will be mixing sand, soil, and manure as needed, sowing the seeds, hardening the seedlings, etc. You will have to communicate with managers and supervisors from time to time.

5. You will also be involved in applying fertilizer to the soil, watering properly, controlling pests, and nurturing the growth of the plants. You will clear the growth of other plants and vegetation in the growing area as well as harvest the crop when it is the right time.

Key Roles and Responsibilities:

As a Floriculturist, you will be engaged with one or more of the following roles and responsibilities: -

1. You will cultivate and grow a wide variety of ornamental and medicinal flowering plants and herbs such as ferns, ivy, garden lilies, geraniums, thyme, chamomile, etc.

2. You will plow/dig the land and prepare it for cultivation with an adequate amount of fertilizers, manure, and water.

3. You will mix sand, soil, and manure in the right quantities.

4. You will choose the right variety of seeds according to the soil, climate, and water of the region.

5. You will plant seeds, make plant cuttings and graftings for the nursery, etc.

6. You will remove weeds and trim shrubs and vines.

7. You will apply/spray fungicides, pesticides, and insecticides to plants as and when required.

8. You will use, repair, and maintain small tools and equipment used in cultivating flowers and plants.

9. You will train and supervise the work of junior trainees and floriculturists.

10. You will be reading, understanding, and using all the necessary safety materials and preventive measures to avoid any injury during fieldwork.

11. You will be communicating with field or site managers and supervisors from time to time.

Career Entry Pathway 

Class 5 in school - NSQF Level 4 Certificate for ‘Floriculturist’.

After completing Class 5 in school, you can go for the National Skill Qualification Framework (NSQF) Level 4 Training and Certificate program for ‘Floriculturist (Open or Protected Cultivation)’ or similar courses. The total number of training hours is 140.

After completing Class 8 in school, you can enroll for a Modular Employable Skills (MES) course for ‘Landscaping and Floriculture’ or similar courses based on the Skill Development Initiative Scheme (SDIS) framework under the Ministry of Labour and Employment of India.

After Class 10, you can go for the National Skill Qualification Framework (NSQF) Level 4 Training and Certificate program for ‘Floriculture & Landscaping’ or similar courses. The total number of training hours is 2080. Although the Level is 4, the number of training hours is more and hence requires you to pass Class 10 first.

After Class 10, you can go for the Craftsmen Training Scheme (CTS) course for ‘Floriculture and Landscaping’ or related courses. This is a 1-year course with 2 semesters of 6 months each.

After Class 12, you can go for a Diploma course in ‘Floriculture & Landscape Gardening’, ‘Greenhouse Cut Flower Production’, ‘Commercial Floriculture’, or similar topics. The diploma is usually 3 years.

After Class 12, you can go for training at any Industrial Training Institute (ITI), National Skill Training Institute (NSTI), Regional Vocational Training Institute (RVTI), National Vocational Training Institute (NVTI), Industrial Training Center (ITC) or other vocational institutes for the role of ‘Floriculture & Landscaping’ or similar. You will sit for the All India Trade Test (AITT) to get a National Trade Certificate (NTC) after this course. This exam is held twice a year in February and July. You can usually join an ITI after Class 10 itself but this is one of those few courses that require you to pass at least Class 11-12.

After Class 12, you can go for a B. Voc degree (Bachelor of Vocation) in ‘Floriculture and Landscape gardening’ or similar disciplines.

Required Qualification & Competencies 

After Class 5, you can go for NSQF courses. After Class 8, you can go for MES courses. After Class 10, you can go for:

1. NSQF courses.

2. CTS courses.

After Class 11-12, you can go for:

1. Diploma courses

2. ITI training courses

3. B. Voc courses

Various private/public vocational training establishments across India offer related courses for:

1. Floriculture

2. Farming

3. Floriculture & Landscape Architecture

4. Irrigation Science

5. Organic Farming

6. Plantation, Spices, Medicinal and Aromatic Crops

7. Post Harvest Technology

8. Seed Sciences & Technology

9. Water Sciences & Technology

Competencies Required

1. You should have an interest in Realistic Occupations. Realistic occupations involve more practical and hands-on activities than paperwork or office work. Realistic occupations often involve physical activities for getting things done using various tools and equipment. 

2. You should have an interest in Conventional Occupations. Conventional occupations involve repetitive and routine tasks as well as fixed processes or procedures for getting things done. These occupations involve working more with data, systems, and procedures and less with ideas or creativity.

3. You should have good hand-eye coordination.

4. Factual knowledge of floriculture and landscaping practices and related matters such as quality of seeds, irrigation methods, pests & diseases, soil health, harvest &postharvest methods, market prices, climatic conditions, etc.

5. You should have Coordination Skills - working together with other people to get things done.

6. You should have skills in Managing Material Resources - sourcing, buying, storing, and use of appropriate raw materials, machines, equipment, and devices for various purposes.

7. You should have Manual Dexterity – The ability to quickly move your hand, your hand together with your arm, or your two hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble objects.

8. You should have Arm-Hand Steadiness - The ability to keep your hand and arm steady while moving your arm or while holding your arm and hand in one position.

9. You should have Physical Stamina - The ability to exert yourself physically over long periods without getting winded or out of breath.

10. You should have Oral Comprehension Ability - listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.

11. You should have Oral Expression Ability - communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.

12. You should have Skills for Communication in Vernacular Languages - Skills in communicating effectively in writing as well as verbally with others in a local or indigenous language such as Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Gujarati, Bengali, Assamese, etc.

13. You always or mostly prefer to stick within a routine or carry out routine and repetitive activities.

Career - Job Opportunities & Profiles 

You will find work as a Floriculturist at:

1. Retail Greenhouses

2. Open Fields

3. Farm Companies

4. Botanical Gardens

5. Nurseries

6. Agriculture Product Companies

7. Genetic Companies

8. Cosmetic and Perfume Manufacturing Companies

9. Outdoor Design Consultancy Firms

Career Growth

You can grow within the floriculture business and in the retail flower industry through roles such as Senior Floriculturist, Field Supervisor, Field Head, etc.

Salary Offered  

1. In entry-level jobs, you can expect a monthly salary package of around Rs. 3,000 – Rs. 12,000 or more a month.

2. As you gain about 5-7 years of experience, your average monthly salary will be somewhere around Rs. 7,000 – Rs. 18,000 or more a month.

3. In about 10-12 years, your salary package will range anywhere between Rs. 10,000 – Rs. 25,000 or more a month.

4. After you’ve gained an experience of 12+ years, you can expect Rs. 15,000 – Rs. 32,000 or more a month.

Monthly Earnings In Indian Rupee

1. Entry level: 0 - 2 years of work experience

2. Junior Level: From 1 to 12 years of work experience

3. Mid-Level: From 5 to 20+ years of work experience

4. Senior Level: From 10 to 25+ years of work experience (there could be exceptions in some high-end technical, financial, engineering, creative, management, sports, and other careers; also shortly, people will reach these levels much faster in many careers and some careers, these levels will have no meaning as those careers will be completely tech skill driven such as even now, there is almost no level in a Cyber Security Expert’s job)

Famous Personalities 

Not Available

Work Activities 

1. Handling and moving objects and materials - Using hands or otherwise using physical strength to handle and move objects and materials; maneuver, install, lift, place, manipulate, etc.

2. Performing physical activities - Performing physical activities that require the use of your arms and legs and moving your whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling materials.

3. Inspecting equipment, systems, structures, and materials - Inspecting equipment, systems, structures, and materials to ascertain quality, performance, defects, causes of errors, etc.

4. Identifying objects, actions, and events - Identifying various characteristics of objects; observing and understanding actions and events; understanding changes in actions and events.

5. Operating machines, equipment, devices, systems, and processes - Using various methods and techniques to operate machines, equipment, devices, systems, and processes in industrial and other settings.

6. Assessing and evaluating quality - Assessing and evaluating the quality of materials, systems, processes, products, services, etc.

7. Operating vehicles, mechanized devices, or other movable devices - Running, maneuvering, navigating, or driving vehicles or mechanized equipment.

8. Communicating with co-workers and others - Communicating with people in writing, verbally or otherwise inside your workplace and various other people who have professional relationships with your place of work including vendors, government officials, etc., or with people at large.

9. Working in a team - Working in a team of people; developing a team; and maintaining professional relationships among team members.