Career guide

Horticultural worker: career guide and training

As a horticultural worker you sow, plant and care for vegetables, fruit and ornamental plants.

What will you do?

Working as a greenhouse horticultural worker or a seasonal harvest worker, you prepare the soil and the plantings, plant or multiply the crops and keep an eye on how they develop. You harvest ripe crops according to the grading instructions, maintain your workstation and tools and follow the rules on quality, safety and the environment. This is outdoor and greenhouse work close to nature, often physical and seasonal.

  • Prepare the soil and the plantings
  • Plant, sow or multiply the crops
  • Monitor the development of the crops
  • Harvest ripe crops following the grading instructions
  • Maintain the workstation, tools and equipment
  • Follow up on hygiene and stock levels
  • Work with respect for quality, safety and the environment

Skills to develop

  • Feeling for plants, crops and nature
  • Physically fit for repetitive and outdoor work
  • Willing to work in season and at varying hours
  • Careful, accurate way of handling crops and harvest
  • Basic knowledge of hygiene and safety rules on the farm

Your foundation for this occupation

Learn plant identification and links between water, light and growth stage. Growing media have different properties.

From preparation to your first day

  1. Develop the practical skills

    Practise potting, pricking out and care without damaging roots or shoots.

  2. Check your work

    Check growth, moisture and pests; record differences by batch.

How can you grow?

Specialise in greenhouse crops, nursery stock or crop supervision.

Frequently asked questions

Why not water every plant equally?

Roots, species, growing medium and climate affect demand. Assess the plant and medium rather than relying only on a fixed schedule.

Sources and training

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