Horticultural worker

Your duties will depend on whether you work in a garden centre, a park or in crop production. You could:

• plant seeds and bulbs to grow plants and shrubs
•  water, weed, prune, feed and spray plants
•  advise customers about plants and how to look after them
•  maintain plant and soil health, and control pests
•  pick, sort and pack items to be delivered
•  serve customers

We've identified this as a green job

As a horticultural worker, you can make greater use of recycled water to improve water management in parks, nurseries and gardens. This can have a positive impact on the environment.

Find out more about green careers

• to be thorough and pay attention to detail
• the ability to work well with others
• physical fitness and endurance
• the ability to work on your own
• physical skills like movement, coordination, dexterity and grace
• to be flexible and open to change
• the ability to work well with your hands
• knowledge of food production methods
• to be able to carry out basic tasks on a computer or hand-held device

You can get into this job through:

• a college course
• an apprenticeship
• applying directly
• training with a professional body

With experience, you could:

• become a supervisor or horticultural manager
•  set up your own plant nursery or garden maintenance business
•  specialise in crop production methods like vertical farming