Looking to study botany, some general advice?

Question

I've been doing some hydroponics lately and I've noticed I don't have much insight about how plants really work under the hood, I would like to have the full picture and understand more about it. My primary interest is to apply botany knowledge on my hydroponics projects, not to get a job/degree. But, I do understand that studying among my peers is a rich experience, reason why I'm considering this kind of training instead of just grabbing a book. However, I'm not sure how extensive is the study of botany, if I need a degree in X before starting it, etc. Also a good book is welcome. Thanks.

Answer 1

If you are currently a student and your school offers agriculture classes, a basic horticulture or plant science course would likely have more of the "real world" application you are wanting. My degree was in horticulture and botany. Many classes were basically duplicates (ie, pests and pesticides in the ag department vs. entomology in the bio department). Horticulture focuses more on growing and practical application, while botany is more sterile and technical. Both are excellent, but for just a practical knowledge, I would lean more toward an introductory book or class focused more on horticulture or plant science. If you needed to know the chemical progression of the Krebs Cycle or another more "academic" focus, botany would be the way to go. Hydroponics are really kind of specific, so once you feel good about your foundation on plants in general, I would dig in to hydroponics more specifically, because you will want to fine tune your knowledge to that specific growing approach. Aquaponics are extra fun, because that's where you add fish to feed your plants, which feed your fish. Hope this helps!