Austin Lindquist wants to lead the next generation of horticulture

Although Austin Lindquist grew up with a passion for plants, it wasn’t until college that he discovered horticulture. Initially, he entered the University of Arkansas to study environmental soil and water science. But when he started looking for a complementary major, he realized horticulture was the perfect field to hone his love of plants.

The hard part was explaining it to his friends and family.

“When I first mentioned horticulture, there was a lot of support from my family,” he says. “My friends were excited, too, but then the next question was, ‘What is horticulture?’ Even to this day, it’s a lot of explaining to people what horticulture really is.”

Now, to debunk these misconceptions and teach the next generation about opportunities in this industry, Lindquist is pursuing a career in horticulture education.

Research in the greenhouse

Growing up in Texas, Lindquist tended a large garden full of fruits and vegetables as a child. As he progressed through school, his studies exposed him to different types of plants and growing environments as he learned the science behind cultivation.

During his undergraduate studies, for example, Lindquist interned at The Olde Farm, a private golf club in Bristol, Virginia, where he worked in the greenhouse, growing vegetables for the restaurant and ornamental plants for the gardens.

He also worked as an undergraduate research assistant, doing bedding plant trials at the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, the research center and extension agency, where he went on to work as a field technician. Meanwhile, he also gained experience as a teaching assistant for horticulture courses on plant propagation and woody and herbaceous plant material.

After completing his bachelor’s degree, Lindquist earned his master’s degree in horticultural science from Auburn University. His research there focused on evaluating fertilizers for container production in the greenhouse, specifically comparing poultry litter-derived fertilizer against synthetic alternatives on tomato plants, rye and petunias. His research paper, focused on the petunia portion of the project, was recently accepted for publication by a scientific journal.

“Essentially, the (poultry litter-derived) fertilizer works like a quick-release fertilizer, but you don’t get the chemical burns that you get from other fertilizers if you overapply — and it’s a bit slower on breakdown compared to raw poultry litter, so you don’t have to worry as much about nutrient leachate,” he says. “It’s effective for short-term crops in a greenhouse setting, and it could be useful within residential settings because it’s sustainable.”

Applying new technologies

Growing up in the age of internet, social media and AI, Lindquist, age 27, says his generation brings an acceptance of technology into horticulture.

“There’s a lot more interest in utilizing technology to be more efficient and make our jobs easier,” he says.

For example, during his master’s research, Lindquist used several tech-enabled moisture meters to automatically collect information about growing conditions, allowing him to monitor temperature and moisture levels online through an app without even stepping foot into the greenhouse.

However, he notes that these high-tech capabilities don’t replace human expertise. He still had to know how to interpret the readings to understand the moisture limits of each plant and when to intervene.

“You have to avoid taking (technology) as the gold standard, because it’s going to mess up sometimes,” he says. “You want to double-check to make sure it’s right.”

Hands-on teaching

Now, as he embarks on his horticulture Ph.D. back at UA, Lindquist is shifting his research from the greenhouse to the landscape. He’ll be conducting a tree transplant study analyzing planting depth, mulching depth and width, and fertilizer regimes on two different sites.

“We’ve noticed that trees get planted and die immediately, and the trees are struggling more in recent years than they previously did,” he says. “We want to see what component might be best to improve success.”

Slated to earn his Ph.D. in 2028, Lindquist is preparing for a career in horticulture academia, with a goal of teaching ornamental plant courses at a university or community college. Raised by a family of educators — with a dad, grandma and grandpa who were teachers — Lindquist understands “the importance of education in influencing the next generation,” he says.

In particular, Lindquist appreciates the significance of hands-on learning.

“The lab components are vital to putting what we teach into action,” he says. “You can teach somebody techniques all day, but if you don’t have the lab component where they’re actually taking cuttings to propagate plants, they’re going to lack the firsthand knowledge and confidence to do it.”

His advice to other students considering horticulture is to explore the vast potential this field offers.

“Understand just how diverse this industry is,” he says. “There’s greenhouse production, landscaping, fruit and vegetable production, viticulture and more, and among those, you could do something on the fieldwork side, research, teaching or genetics. Anyone who has an interest in plants can find some component of horticulture they like.”

Brooke Bilyj owns and operates Bantamedia, a national award-winning content, PR and SEO firm based in Cleveland. She is a frequent contributor to GIE Media’s horticulture publications.