Job Description of a Nursery Laborer

Nursery laborers grow and tend flowers.

Plant nurseries are overflowing with exotic and beautiful flowers, tree saplings and various other plants. Laborers handle many different tasks and jobs within a nursery to keep things green and growing, using their green thumb to ensure gorgeous blossoms and healthy branches season after season.

Duties

Some nurseries focus on flowers.

Nursery laborers handle an array of different tasks when on the job, depending on which kind of nursery they work in. Some laborers may work exclusively with trees, planting young saplings, stabilizing branches as they grow and repotting them when root structures need more space. Many nurseries focus on flowers, and laborers will water blossoms, give them plant food and haul pallets of flowers from one section of the nursery to next, while working with customers to help them find the next addition to their garden.

Commercial Nurseries

Laborers may prune plants.

Many nurseries are commercial operations, selling flowers and trees to public, and are attached to large retail or garden centers. Laborers working in such settings will engage in high levels of customer interaction, helping people find what they need and educating them about caring for their purchases to keep their new plants strong and healthy. Laborers will also tend to plants before they are sold, spraying them with pesticides, giving them sun and shelter as needed and pruning bushes and shrubs.

Federal Jobs

Some nurseries help in reforestation.

Other nurseries are government run and can be part of wider environmental conservation efforts. Many government nurseries focus on trees, finding ways to replenish forests. Employees may help grow new saplings, take note of damaged ones and cull diseased trees to prevent an outbreak and work under the supervision of biologists and other professionals.These positions can have a positive impact on the world, helping improve the environment and keep the planet green.

Education and Training

There is no specific degree or certificate required to work as a nursery laborer, as it is a fairly basic, entry-level position. Often, laborers start on the bottom of the ladder, watering plants and hauling bags of potting soil, and learn as they go in order to be promoted. There is education available for those interested in long-term nursery careers though, and courses are offered at many two-year colleges, with offerings in subjects like botany and soil science.

Salary and Working Conditions

Nursery laborer jobs can be physically demanding, requiring workers to bend, stoop, lift heavy objects and work with chemicals like plant food and fertilizers. The job is not well suited to anyone with an objection to getting dirty or those with excessive allergies. Salaries for laborers are not particularly high either, with the Bureau of Labor Statistics stating the average hourly pay for a laborer in a retail setting being $10.29.

References

• State University: Nursery Laborer Job Information
• Bureau of Labor Statistics: Nursery Job Overview

Resources

• American Nursery and Landscape Association