Description
Horticultural trades workers intensively cultivate vegetables, plants, fruit, shrubs, trees and flowers in greenhouses, market gardens, nurseries and orchards.
Tasks
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Prepares soil in field, bed or pot by hand or machine
mixes soil, composts, fertilisers and/or organic matter and spreads fertiliser and manure
sows seeds and bulbs and transplants seedlings
propagates plants by taking cuttings and by grafting and budding, applies weed-killer, fungicide and insecticide to control pests and diseases
prunes and thins trees and shrubs
supports trees by staking and wiring
Educational Requirements
There are no formal academic entry requirements. NVQs/SVQs in Horticulture are available at Levels 1, 2 and 3. Relevant apprenticeships and professional qualifications from the Royal Horticultural Society are also available.