Commercial horticulture is the science, art, and business of cultivating ornamental plants. This includes arboriculture (the care of trees), interior-scaping, landscape and turf grass installation and maintenance, and includes the production of related plant material in nurseries, fields and greenhouses.
Well-designed, healthy landscapes that are carefully maintained conserve soil, protect water quality and prevent nutrient run-off. Responsible production practices, both in the greenhouse and in the field ensure that growers protect those same resources.
The commercial horticulture program links green-industry professionals with Cornell University faculty and regional specialists. Our educators bring you up to date research-based information and offer programs where professionals can earn continuing education credits. We’ll help you navigate your way to professional certification programs like the NYS DEC pesticide certification program or the International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) certification.
Soil Diagnostics & Labs
Cornell soil pH test kits: Buy Standard, Wide Range and Low Range soil testing kits online directly from Cornell University.
Comprehensive Assessment of Soil Health –The Cornell Framework: Download a free PDF of Version 3.2 or purchase a hard copy.
Soil Arthropod Ecology Lab: Information on soil based arthropods and their role in soil fertility and structure, predation and organic matter decomposition..
Composting, Cornell Waste Management Institute: Provides research-based knowledge on managing organic residuals.
Healthy Soils, Healthy Communities: Soil Contaminants and Safety: A research partnership with New York’s urban gardeners that provides information on lead and other contaminants in gardens, farms and other community spaces.
Urban Horticulture Institute: Urban Eden soil demonstrations: Find resources on choosing plants for urban locations, improving sites and transplant practices, and municipal management of urban trees.
Industry Resources
Turf, Landscape & Arboriculture
- Cornell Turfgrass Program
- Urban Horticulture Institute
- Woody Plants Database
- Cornell University School of Integrative Plant Science
Greenhouse & Nursery
- Cornell Greenhouse Horticulture
- Long Island Horticultural Research and Extension Center
- Flower Bulb Research Program
Christmas Trees
- Christmas Tree IPM: diagnostics & resources
Pest Management Programs & Guidelines
- Pesticide Management Education Program
- Cornell Pest Management Guidelines
- New York State Integrated Pest Management Program
- PMEP online recertification courses
- A Pesticide Decision-Making Guide to Protect Pollinators in Landscape, Ornamental and Turf Management
- Christmas Tree IPM
- Turfgrass Species and Variety Guidelines for NYS
- Wildlife Damage Management Program
- Cornell Weed Identification
Invasive Species Regulations & Resources
NYS DEC Invasive Species regulations
NYIS New York Invasive Species Clearinghouse
NYISRI NY Invasive Species Research Institute
The NY Dept. of Environmental Conservation maintains 8 Partnerships for Invasive Species Management (PRISMs) across the state that coordinate invasive species management and education efforts. Find the PRISM close to you:
- Adirondack Park Invasive Plant Program (APiPP)
- Capital Mohawk Prism
- Catskill Regional Invasive Species Partnership (CRISP)
- Finger Lakes PRISM
- Long Island Invasive Species Management Area (LIISMA)
- Lower Hudson PRISM
- St. Lawrence Eastern Lake Ontario PRISM (SLELO)
- Western NY PRISM
Newsletters, Blogs and Podcasts:
Weather and Climate Change:
Northeast Regional Climate Center
Forecast–Weather for the Turf Industry
Climate Smart Farming Decision Making Tools
Network for Environment and Weather Applications
