Is Working In A Garden Center Difficult

What is a Nursery Worker?

Nursery workers typically work outdoors or in a greenhouse. Their job is to plant, grow, water, transplant, prune, and generally care for plants, shrubs, and trees.

Workers are responsible for maintaining the quality of the greenery under their care, and determine the environmental conditions necessary for optimum growth and development. They also monitor the whole process from the initial planting to harvest.

What does a Nursery Worker do?

A nursery worker tending to a flowering plant.

Duties vary depending on the employment location, but tree farms are one of the major employers in this area. Nursery workers determine varieties and quantities of trees and shrubs and follow planting and care schedules. In the greenhouse they prepare the beds and plant the seedlings. As the plants grow and develop, workers must prune, weed, and water them. Caring for trees can also involve staking young saplings, tying and wrapping them, and packing them for transportation, as well as digging up shrubs and trees and moving them from greenhouse to field.

Most farms use some form of pest management system, so the nursery worker must develop and implement the plan. This includes identifying and controlling insects, rodents, birds, weeds, and diseases. If pesticides are used, safe handling, storage and disposal practices must be followed. Workers on organic farms must be familiar with organic farming procedures and natural pest control methods.

The horticultural industry often employs large numbers of seasonal workers, so the nursery worker may be responsible for supervising these staff in planting, transplanting, pruning, and feeding perennials, shrubs, trees, and seedlings of all types. Staff is often comprised of migrant workers who speak another language, so supervisors must find effective communication methods.

On large operations, irrigation may be controlled with computer systems, so workers must be proficient in programming and managing these. Nursery workers provide customers with information to help them select and care for trees, shrubs, flowers, and other plants. The job can also include record keeping, preparing budgets, development of marketing plans, and preparation of trees and shrubs for sale or shipment.

Are you suited to be a nursery worker?

Nursery workers have distinct personalities. They tend to be realistic individuals, which means they're independent, stable, persistent, genuine, practical, and thrifty. They like tasks that are tactile, physical, athletic, or mechanical. Some of them are also investigative, meaning they're intellectual, introspective, and inquisitive.

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What is the workplace of a Nursery Worker like?

The workplace is generally outdoors, working in fields, in shade houses, or in greenhouses. Weather conditions can be challenging and plants must be protected from damage during inclement weather. The seasonal nature of the work means long and irregular work hours are usually required, particularly in spring and summer. Things can be hectic at times and dealing with customers may be stressful.

Strenuous physical labor is usually part of the job and some heavy lifting is involved. Workers must bend and crouch and do heavy field work. Very large greenhouse operations and tree farms are often highly mechanized. In some workplaces, a variety of farm equipment is used and workers must operate a wide range of machinery: harvesting machines, tractors, fertilizer spreaders, and assembly-line equipment. Exposure to pesticides can be a health risk and workers must adhere to safety regulations.

Nursery Workers are also known as:
Greenhouse Worker Nursery and Greenhouse Worker