Pomology is the planting, harvesting, storage, processing, and marketing of fruit and nut crops. Olericulture includes the planting, harvesting, storage, processing, and marketing of vegetable crops. The main areas of horticulture differ in the type of plants involved. In ornamental gardening, the plants involved are decorative-type plants.
Depending on the type of crops produced and the way the plants are used, the horticulture industry can be divided into three main areas. They are floriculture, olericulture, pomology and postharvest technology. Horticulture is divided into the cultivation of plants for food purposes (pomology and olericulture) and plants for ornamental purposes (floriculture and landscape horticulture). Pomology deals with fruit and nut crops.
Olericulture deals with herbaceous plants for cooking, such as carrots (edible root), asparagus (edible stem), lettuce (edible leaf), cauliflower (edible buds), tomatoes (edible fruits) and peas (edible seeds). Floriculture deals with the production of flowers and ornamental plants; generally, cut flowers, potted plants, and vegetation. Landscape gardening is a broad category that includes plants for the landscape, including lawns, but especially nursery crops, such as shrubs, trees, and vines.
