When it comes to plants, an arborist is a specialist, while a horticulturist is a generalist. Horticulture is the study of plants and involves growing them for food, utilities, beauty and recreation. A horticulturist takes care of vegetation, gardens, golf courses, parks and all other forms of landscaping. They have expert knowledge about the environment in which plants would perform best, the soil they need to thrive, and the size of the plant later on.
Arboriculture, on the other hand, is the study of trees. An arborist is someone who is trained in studying trees and is sometimes referred to as a tree surgeon. They are concerned about structural problems in trees, how should a tree be pruned, which tree species will thrive in a given location, and tree diseases. Usually, an arborist focuses on individual trees, while someone who manages the health of entire forests is called a forester.
Arborists use specialized equipment or trucks with lifts to access the highest branches of a tree. Horticulture and arboriculture share some common points: caring for the natural environment. Landscapers and arborists can work together, but the two are not interchangeable. Although both work with plants, one is more specialized than the other. When looking for tree services in Portland, it's important to know the difference between landscapers and arborists.
To be a horticulturist, all you have to do is call yourself a horticulturist. Qualified horticulturists are plant people with university degrees in horticulture, botany or some other related field. No tests are required to use the term and no continuing education (CEU) is required. To be certified arborists, applicants must have the required number of years in the industry and pass a test provided by the International Society of Arboriculture (ISA). To maintain certification, a certain number of continuing education hours per year are required and apply. Arbolists deal specifically with all aspects of trees.
As nouns, the difference between arboriculture and arborist is that arboriculture is the branch of horticulture that deals with the planting and growth of trees, while the arborist is a person in the practice of arboriculture; a tree surgeon. Arborists usually have a degree in arboriculture or forestry, or a closely related field such as plant physiology. Trusted Portland certified arborists have extensive liability insurance to protect themselves and the homeowner; instead, landscapers are not usually insured for tree liability. Safety measures are taken to prevent accidents as arborists have to climb huge trees and have to face other dangerous situations. The key differences between a horticulturist and an arborist are that horticulturists are those who participate in healthy cultivation and scientific propagation activities on plants while arbolists are involved in health care and maintenance of individual trees. Arbolists and horticulturists are related to plants but their field of study and work differs considerably. Ultimately it is better to see these two fields: horticulture and arboriculture as separate jobs; it is better to leave their respective professionals - landscape designers and arborists - to do their respective jobs.
For the health of your trees and safety of your family it is better to entrust services of trees only to certified arborists who generally offer tree removal, cabling or bracing services for structural support, transplanting and stump planting or shredding when necessary.
