Horticultural worker
Horticultural workers grow plants in garden nurseries, work in food production, and maintain parks and gardens.
Also known as: Horticultural assistant, garden nursery assistant, garden centre worker
- Starter salary£21,000 a year
- Experienced£25,000 a year
- Typical hours40 to 45 a week
- Green jobYes
What you'll do
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
Working environment
You could work in a garden, in a park, on a country estate, at a garden centre or on a farm.
Your working environment may be outdoors in all weathers.
Skills and knowledge you'll need
You'll need:
- 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 and dexterity
- 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
How to become a horticultural worker
You can get into this job through:
- a college course
- an apprenticeship
- applying directly
- training with a professional body
College
You could take a college course, which may help you when looking for jobs.
Courses include:
- Level 2 Certificate in Horticulture
- Level 3 Extended Diploma in Horticulture
Entry requirements
You'll usually need:
- 2 or more GCSEs at grades 9 to 3 (A* to D), or equivalent, for a level 2 course
- 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, for a level 3 course
Apprenticeship
You could start by doing an apprenticeship, such as:
- Horticulture or Landscape Construction Operative Level 2 Intermediate Apprenticeship
- Horticulture or Landscaping Supervisor Level 3 Advanced Apprenticeship
These take between 2 and 3 years to complete.
Entry requirements
You'll usually need:
- some GCSEs, usually including English and maths, or equivalent, for an intermediate apprenticeship
- 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths, for an advanced apprenticeship
Volunteering
You might find it useful to get some practical experience by volunteering in horticulture or gardening , while looking for jobs.
Direct application
You can apply directly for jobs if you have experience in gardening, horticulture or retail. Employers might ask for GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C) in maths, English and science.
You could then do a part-time horticultural course or get training on the job to develop your skills.
Other routes
You can take a course with The Royal Horticultural Society to learn more about horticulture or to help you get a job.
You could learn at a training centre or online depending on the course you choose.
Career path and progression
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
Guides for this industry
Related roles
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