Listen to laag - he knows his stuff. I suggest you also get a part-time or summer job working at one to see what it's like. They'll probably have you loading bags of mulch and hauling heavy pots around at your age, but you'll get a real behind the scenes education. Plus, if you're reasonably responsible, you'll be able to move up VERY fast in the business - it's hard to find good people. Be helpful and friendly, and you'll develop lots of contacts that will help you later on in your career.

It depends on the the type of nursery. For a retail nursery or garden center, laag's advice is excellent. It is a retail business first and foremost, and the product you sell is quite incidental to the operation. Many of the most successful owners of retail nurseries that I know have very little experience with plants personally - they are business people and are involved primarily with the functions of running a business profitably and marketing that business. Most hire "plant people" to buy, display, tend and sell the product.

If you are interested in a growing operation or a nursery that propagates, grows on and sells plants, generally wholesale, to other retail nurseries, then you may want to have a more in-depth horticultural background. The focus is entirely different. And there are hybrids that blend both types together as well.

Either way, working at both types of nurseries summers while you are attending school will certainly increase your understanding and give you a better feel of what may be the best fit for your interests and ambition.

Out of curiosity, did you end up opening your own plant nursery?

I too would like to know how it went. I am 27 and now thinking this is what I want to do with life. I want to own my own nursery but I want to be very involved with the plants at every step bc that's what gulls my soul. The business side is just a perk for me..but I want it to be a successful buisness so I'm thinking major buisness and minor hortcture as well...thing is I suck at buisness soo theres that.

"but I want it to be a successful buisness so I'm thinking major buisness and minor hortcture as well (sic)"

Then change your focus. Major in horticulture. The amount of training you need to be able to run a successful business is negligible compared to what you need to know about plants, propagation and the care required to produce for a retail market. You can pick up your business needs easily from a few ancillary classes. In fact, business classes, creating a business plan and learning how to open and operate a horticultural related business were offered as part of my hort degree curriculum.

And I'd never discourage anyone from actually working for a business that you would like have. Actual practical, hands-on experience is often far more relevant than learning from a book or in a classroom.

Firstly: Get a summer job working at a garden centre or tree farm. If you still want to go this route in the fall you are golden.

Secondly: You don't need a college degree at all. You do need to know how to run a business. So part of your time working at garden centres should be spent trying different jobs there. Good businessmen know how to do all the jobs of the people 2-3 rungs down. They may not do them well or fast, but they know how to do them. You need to learn how to be shift manager, cashier, irrigation technician, fertilization tech, plant pest.

If you want to develop new things, take a college degree in botany, and take every plant genetics course they offer. Don't worry about horticulture programs. You get that by experience working for garden centres. Otherwise take a 2 year program in business management.