Horticulture Workers

What do they do?

Horticulture Workers plant, cultivate, and harvest flowers, trees, plants, and shrub. They apply fertilizer and other materials to condition the land. They plant according to planned growing schedules. They also watch for signs of disease. Some may work in greenhouses.

Work Activities

• Put seeds, bulbs, or plants in beds.
• Protect plants from insects and disease.
• Spray and fertilize plants.
• Pollinate, prune, and transplant to ensure adequate supply of healthy productive plants.
• Prepare goods for sale.

Skills & Abilities

• Knowledge of plant propagation and disease.
• Understanding of planting, pruning, transplanting, and fertilizing.
• Skills in making careful observations and keeping records.
• Skills in specialty area such as budding, crossbreeding, or disease control.
• Ability to understand and follow directions.
• Ability to see slight differences in objects and colors.
• Good eye-hand coordination.

Work settings

Environment: Work indoors in greenhouses and/or outdoors in fields.
Hours: Work 40 hours a week with longer hours possible; part time or seasonal work may be available.
Employers: Nurseries, bulb and seed wholesalers, landscape and horticultural service firms, Christmas tree farms, orchards, and retail businesses.

Employment & Wages

By 2000, it's estimated that 1,314 nursery workers will be employed in Nebraska. Growth and/or turnover create approximately 39 annual job openings. It's estimated that 109,000 nursery workers will be employed in the U.S. by 2005.

Projected growth
Nebraska - Decline, -5%
National - Faster than average, 31%
Nebraska annual beginning wage: $8,800 to $10,400
Nebraska annual experienced wage: $9,900 to $13,104
National annual average wage: $12,000 to $16,000

Training

Most employers prefer to hire high school graduates.
Experience working with plants and flowers is helpful.
A bachelors degree is necessary for those who wish to become horticulturists.

Helpful high school subjects

High school subjects that may help prepare individuals for this occupation include biology, science, physics, government, algebra I and II, geometry, trigonometry, calculus, foreign language, business and consumer law, geography, and computer applications.

Bibliography

Nebraska Career Information System: Occupations (1996-97 ed.), pp. 87-88.
Complete Guide for Occupational Exploration (1993 ed.), pp. 122-124.
Dictionary of Occupational Titles (4th ed. Revised, 1991), p. 42.
Occupational Outlook Handbook (1996-97 ed.), p. 103.