405 HORTICULTURAL SPECIALTY OCCUPATIONS

405 Horticultural Specialty Occupations

This group includes occupations concerned with propagating and raising products, such as nursery stock, flowers, flowering plants, flower seeds, bulbs, and turf grasses. Also included are occupations concerned with growing food crops, such as mushrooms and rhubarb, which require controlled environmental conditions. Occupations concerned with propagating, raising, and transplanting forest trees are classified in Group 451.

405.131-010 SUPERVISOR, HORTICULTURAL-SPECIALTY FARMING (agric.)

Supervises and coordinates activities of workers engaged in propagating, cultivating, and harvesting horticultural specialties, such as trees, shrubs, flowering plants, flowers, and mushrooms, applying knowledge of environmental-control structures, systems, and techniques and plant culture: Discusses plant growing activities with management personnel to plan planting and picking schedules and employee assignments; obtain authorization for changes in fertilizer, herbicide, and pesticide application techniques and formulas; resolve problems; and develop procedures for new species in product line and new cultivation techniques. Observes plants and flowers in greenhouses, pots, cold frames, and fields to ascertain condition, such as leaf texture and bloom size; and oversees changes in humidity and temperature levels and cultivation procedures to insure conformance with quality-control standards. Prepares and assigns work schedules. Trains new employees in gardening techniques, such as transplanting and weeding, and grading and packaging activities. Inspects facilities for signs of disrepair, such as missing glass-panes and clogged sprinklers, and delegates repair duties to insure refurbishing or replacement of parts in environmental-control structures and systems. May drive and operate heavy machinery, such as dump truck, four-wheeled tractor, and growth-media tiller, to handle materials and supplies. May perform variety of duties involving propagation, care, and marketing of plants and crops. Performs other duties as described under SUPERVISOR (any ind.). May be identified according to kind of establishment as GREENHOUSE SUPERINTENDENT (agric.); or crop, as MUSHROOM-GROWING SUPERVISOR (agric.); ORCHID SUPERINTENDENT (agric.).

405.137-010 SUPERVISOR, ROSE-GRADING (agric.) head rose grader.

Supervises and coordinates activities of workers engaged in grading flowers according to size and appearance characteristics, and packaging customer orders in greenhouse: Reads inventory records, customer orders, and shipping schedules to ascertain day's activity requirements. Assigns duties to subordinates and informs workers of departures from established routines. Collects, reviews, and compares daily work-tallies, and looks at and feels flower bunches and rejected flowers, to ascertain quantity and quality of subordinates' work. Prepares and submits written and oral reports of personnel actions, such as performance evaluations, hires, promotions, and discipline. Explains and demonstrates grading techniques and packing procedures to train new workers. Grades and packs flowers, according to specifications, to maintain work flow during emergencies and periods of increased workload. Performs other duties as described under SUPERVISOR (any ind.).

405.161-010 BONSAI CULTURIST (agric.) dwarf tree grower.

Grows dwarf (Bonsai) trees: Selects seedlings or other small trees suitable for Bonsai. Stunts plant growth, using root and branch pruning techniques and soil and fertilizer mixtures. Trains limbs and branches to achieve artistic shape, using cutters and wires. Arranges plantings in containers, selected according to style, size, and shape complimentary to arrangement, and adds decorative materials, such as rocks, moss, and mirrors.

405.161-014 HORTICULTURAL-SPECIALTY GROWER, FIELD (agric.)

Propagates and grows horticultural-specialty products and crops, such as seeds, bulbs, rootstocks, sod, ornamental plants, and cut flowers: Plans acreage utilization and work schedules, according to knowledge of crop culture, climate and market conditions, seed, bulb, or rootstock availability, and employable work force and machinery. Attaches farm implements, such as disc and fertilizer spreader, to tractor and drives tractor in fields to till soil and plant and cultivate crop. Inspects fields periodically to ascertain nutrient deficiencies, detect insect, disease, and pest infestations, and identify foreign-plant growth, and selects, purchases and schedules materials, such as fertilizers and herbicides, to insure quality control. Hires field workers, assigns their duties, according to scheduled activities, such as planting, irrigating, weeding, and harvesting, and oversees their activities. Maintains personnel and production records. Arranges with customers for sale of crop. May oversee activities, such as product cleaning, grading, and packaging. May provide customer services, such as planning and building planters, walls, and patios, and planting and caring for landscape and display arrangements. May bud or graft scion stock on plantings to alter growth characteristics. May develop new variations of species specialty to produce crops with specialized market-appeal, such as disease resistance or color brilliance. May cultivate out-of-season seedlings and crops, using greenhouse. May cultivate cover crop, such as hay or rye, in rotation with horticultural specialty to rejuvenate soil. May drive and operate self-propelled harvesting machine. May lubricate, adjust, and make minor repairs on farm machinery and equipment. May build, remove, and repair farm structures, such as fences and sheds. May be designated according to crop, as BULB GROWER (agric.); FLOWER GROWER (agric.); GRASS FARMER (agric.); ROSE GROWER (agric.); SEED GROWER (agric.); SHRUB GROWER (agric.).

405.161-018 HORTICULTURAL-SPECIALTY GROWER, INSIDE (agric.)

Grows horticultural-specialty products and crops, such as flowers, ornamental plants, and vegetables, under environmentally-controlled conditions, applying knowledge of plant culture, environmental-control systems and structures, and market conditions: Determines types and quantities of plantings to grow; allocates space in structure, such as greenhouse or shed; and schedules growing activities. Plants seeds and transplants seedlings in material, such as bark, gravel, heated water, sandy soil, and stable straw to propagate seeds and nursery stock. Removes substandard plants to maintain quality control, prunes plants to enhance development, and positions plants to artistically display products. Monitors timing and metering devices that control frequency, amount, and type of nutrient applications; regulate humidity, ventilation, and carbon dioxide conditions; and dispense herbicides, fungicides, and pesticides. Explains and demonstrates care-taking techniques to subordinates. May assign their duties. May hire workers. May maintain personnel and production records. May deal with vendors to purchase supplies and materials, and arrange with customers to sell products and crops. May be identified with crop as BEAN-SPROUT GROWER (agric.); MUSHROOM GROWER (agric.); ORCHID GROWER (agric.); or technique as HYDROPONICS GROWER (agric.).

405.361-010 PLANT PROPAGATOR (agric.)

Propagates plants, such as orchids and rhododendrons, applying knowledge of environmental controls and plant culture: Confers with management personnel to ascertain type and number of species to propagate and to develop and revise nutrient formulas and environmental-control specifications. Selects materials according to kind of plant; mixes growth media; and prepares containers, such as jars, pots, and trays. Initiates new plant growth using methods, such as following: (1) Cuts leaves, stems, or rhizomes from parent plant and places cuttings in growth media. (2) Bends, covers or buries branches of parent plant in soil, securing branches with pegs or rocks. (3) Wounds stems of parent plant, using sharp knife, inserts pebble into wound, and binds wound with moss, burlap or raffia. (4) Plants meristem and seeds in growth media. (5) Breaks off or cuts apart and plants roots, crowns and tubers from parent plant. Inspects growing area to ascertain temperature and humidity conditions, and regulates systems of heaters, fans, and sprayers to insure conformance with specifications. Gives transplanting and cultivation instructions to coworkers, and monitors activities to assure adherence to established plant-culture procedures. May graft or divide developing plants to promote altered growth characteristics. May log activities, maintain propagation records, and compile periodic reports.

405.683-010 FARM WORKER, BULBS (agric.)

Performs any combination of following tasks involved with driving, operating, and maintaining farm machinery and equipment, planting, cultivating, and harvesting flower bulbs and flowers, and maintaining structures on nursery acreage or in greenhouse: Hitches farm implements, such as plow and disc, to tractor, and drives tractor while operating implements to till soil and plant, fertilize, cultivate, dust, and spray crops, such as tulip, hyacinth, and begonia. Adjusts conveyor speeds and height of digging mechanism, using wrench, and drives and operates harvesting machine to dig up bulbs, applying knowledge of terrain contours and type of bulb being harvested. Participates in indoor activities, such as setting flowers in chilled-water troughs, packing flowers in cartons, stacking cartons on pallets, hand trucking containers of flowers and bulbs to designated areas in warehouse or greenhouse, and repairing boxes. Loads truck with containers of bulbs or flowers, and drives truck to deliver products. Repairs and paints farm structures, using ladder, brushes, and carpentry hand tools. Washes, paints, lubricates, and participates in repair of farm machinery, using mechanic's hand tools.

405.683-014 GROWTH-MEDIA MIXER, MUSHROOM (agric.)

Drives and operates machinery, such as crane loader, dump truck, and manure-turning machine, to move and treat straw and manure and dirt for use in mushroom beds: Operates crane loader to scoop wet manure from wet pit and dry manure from dry stack and dumps dry and wet manure into dump truck bed. Drives dump truck to haul manure to shed-covered area and dumps manure into rows. Drives dump truck loaded with dirt to rows of manure and moves levers to dump dirt over manure. Operates manure-turning machine to turn and mix manure with dirt and specified additives. Drives scoop loader to push manure from place to place on mushroom farm and to load manure onto trucks.

405.684-010 BUDDER (agric.)

Buds field-grown rose plants with hybrid buds during rose-growing season: Crouches over rows of rose plants to reach plant rootstock. Cuts T-shaped incision on rootstock and opens incision, using budding knife. Slices hybrid bud from scion wood and inserts bud into incision. Observes tying of buds to ensure quality of tie. Repeats procedure, rapidly, throughout work period to maintain production.

405.684-014 HORTICULTURAL WORKER (agric.)I

Plants, cultivates, and harvests horticultural specialties, such as flowers and shrubs, and performs related duties in environmentally-controlled structure applying knowledge of environmental systems: Ascertains growing schedules and deviations from established procedures from grower or manager. Sows seed and plants cuttings. Looks at and feels leaf texture, bloom development, and soil condition to determine nutrient and moisture requirements and to detect and identify germ and pest infestations. Sets fertilizer timing and metering devices that control frequency and amount of nutrients to be introduced into irrigation system. Applies herbicides, fungicides, and pesticides to destroy undesirable growth and pests, using spray wand connected to solution tank. Reads and interprets sensing indicators and regulates humidity, ventilation, and carbon dioxide systems to control environmental conditions. Grafts scions to seedling stock. Pollinates, prunes, transplants, and pinches plants, and culls flowers, branches, fruit, and plants to insure development of marketable products. Harvests, packs, and stores crop, using techniques appropriate for individual horticultural specialty. May maintain and repair hydroponic and environmental control systems. May maintain and repair structures, using materials, such as corrugated fiberglass panels, lath, glass panes, and putty, and tools, such as hammer, saw, and putty knife. May be designated according to work location as GREENHOUSE WORKER (agric.); according to techniques employed as HYDROPONICS WORKER (agric.); or according to horticultural specialty as ORCHID WORKER (agric.).

405.687-010 FLOWER PICKER (agric.)

Harvests flowers, such as daffodils and tulips, working as member of crew: Pinches or cuts flower stem to remove flower from plant. Bundles specified number of stems, using rubber band, and carries bundles to collection box.

405.687-014 HORTICULTURAL WORKER (agric.)II

Performs any combination of following duties concerned with preparing soil and growth media, cultivating, and otherwise participating in horticultural activities under close supervision on acreage, in nursery, or in environmentally-controlled structure, such as greenhouse and shed: Hauls and spreads topsoil, fertilizer, peat moss, and other materials to condition land. Digs, rakes, and screens soil and fills cold frames and hot beds to prepare them for planting. Fills growing tanks with water. Plants, sprays, weeds, and waters plants, shrubs, and trees. Sows grass seed and plants plugs of sod and cuts, rolls, and stacks sod. Prepares scion and ties buds to assist worker budding roses. Traps and poisons pests, such as moles, gophers, and mice. Plants shrubs and plants in containers. Ties, bunches, wraps, and packs flowers, plants, shrubs and trees to fill orders. Moves containerized shrubs and trees, using wheelbarrow. Digs up shrubs and trees and wraps their roots with burlap. May be designated according to employing establishment as GRASS-FARM LABORER (agric); GREENHOUSE LABORER (agric.); NURSERY LABORER (agric); ROSE-FARM LABORER (agric.); or according to horticultural specialty as BEAN-SPROUT LABORER (agric.); MUSHROOM LABORER (agric.).

405.687-018 TRANSPLANTED, ORCHID (agric.)

Transplants orchids in greenhouse, according to specific instructions: Slides meristem from jars of nutrient solution, or lifts plants from trays or pots. Trims and cleans plant roots, using knife, tweezers, water, and fungicide. Spreads pebbles and inert growth-media around roots, and sprinkles surface with water and fertilizer solution. Records species code and planting date on plastic market, and inserts marker in container. Places planted orchids on designated greenhouse shelves. Washes jars and lids in sanitizing solution, and carries them to laboratory.

Adapted from US Department of Labor DOT for Dictionary of Agricultural Occupations



Dictionary of Agricultural Occupations

Send questions to: gebillikopf@ucdavis.edu

Gregorio Billikopf Encina
(209) 525-6800


15 November 2004