Horticultural Worker 45-2092.00

Work description

Greenhouse/Nursery: Workers may perform any combination of the following duties concerned with preparing soil and growth media, cultivation, and otherwise participating in horticultural activities: haul, spread, dig, rake, and mix media to prepare the growing areas for production; cover and fill cold frames and greenhouses in preparation for planting; haul, plant, spray, weed, water, prune, trim, shape and space products; fertilize with granular or liquid fertilizer; tie, bunch, wrap, and pack trees and shrubs to fill orders and load onto trucks for marketing; work on potting line, in a greenhouse, or in an outdoor production area transplanting seedlings and liners into containers and place in growing area. Propagation and Liners: Workers will fill flats with potting soil in preparation for planting. Filled flats will be stacked and transported to planting areas. Workers will then stick cuttings or plant plugs or seedlings into flats as instructed by supervisor. Planted flats will be tagged and provided all necessary horticultural needs. Potted Plants/Hanging Baskets: Workers will fill pots/baskets with potting soil in preparation for planting. One or more transplants will be planted in each container as specified by supervisor. Completed containers will be watered and placed in growing area for finishing. Workers may be required to install hangers and tags on pots or baskets. Workers may be required to place watering tubes into containers to facilitate the irrigation process. Trees and Shrubs: Workers will be working with flowering trees and shrubs. Workers will plant, cultivate, harvest, propagate, grade, store and ship container and field grown horticultural products. Harvesting crops may include grading and tagging. Some harvesting may require digging up products and placing on pallets. Grading is done by size. Products are measured, tied in bundles and placed in storage for shipment. Workers will harvest seed and/or take cuttings from trees and shrubs, place in containers pre-filled with growing media and transplant cuttings and seedlings to prepared areas. Bare Root Products: Workers will handle a variety of bare root products. Workers will propagate, plant, cultivate, harvest, and prepare products for shipment. GENERAL CONDITIONS APPLICABLE TO ALL CROPS: Fieldwork begins at assigned time shortly after daylight. Work is performed during light rain and in high humidity and in temperatures ranging from 100 (+) degrees to 35 degrees F. Workers will work on their feet in bent, stooped, and crouched positions for long periods of time. Workers will make fast, simple, repeated movements of fingers, hands, and wrists. Workers must be able to bend, stretch, twist, or reach out with the body, arms, and/or legs. Workers will use muscles to lift, push, pull, or carry heavy objects, such as trees or potted plants. These could/will weigh 75 lbs. Workers will supply their own work clothes. All the tasks in this Job Description constitute one (1) job; the employer may assign workers to different tasks on any day or to multiple tasks during the same day in the sole judgment of the employer. Workers may be required to perform work on the farm that is incidental to farming the crops listed in the application, such as performing hand cultivation tasks, weeding, or hoeing, cleaning and repairing farm buildings, seed beds, racks, or grounds, operate tractor/farm equipment, incidental crop set up, move irrigation pipes and equipment, gardening, weeding and shrubbing, etc. All other duties assigned under this order will be those duties of Horticulture Workers, SOC code 45-2092.01. This is a very demanding and competitive business in which quality specifications must be rigorously adhered to. Sloppy work cannot and will not be tolerated.