Nursery Workers

Crops/Commodities: Nursery work: Field grown ornamental shrubs and trees.. Primary duties (performed the majority of workdays): Plant, cultivate, dig and load shrubs and trees by hand, using hand tools and/or mechanical equipment. Planting: Plant trees and shrubs using a shovel or post-hole digger by hand on marked rows. Workers must plant and keep rows straight and on right spacing. Workers must remove containers off trees and scar roots when appropriate before putting in hole. Workers must do the same for bare-root plants, knowing how to root prune and which roots to remove, and removing girdling roots. Plants must be planted at right depth and appropriate sized holes. Planting is often done in hot temperatures and workers must know when to install dripper-line as they plant. Workers must follow instructions and demonstration when conducting any assigned duties. Staking: Newly planted plants must be staked straight and tied to stake so that plant will have a straight trunk. Any crotching branches or double-leaders must be removed at this time. Workers need to know when to use fiberglass stakes, metal stakes, or bamboo. Many plants are multi-trunk trees. Install stakes at certain angles to ensure good cane angles and be able to select and remove canes not needed on multi-trunked trees. Top staking is done on the central leader of many trees as they grow to ensure a dominant central leader. Perform this task from ladders and manlifts up to 12 ft., as well as doing the necessary pruning to ensure the dominant central leader. Pruning: Plants must be pruned carefully. Workers must follow close instruction on the cuts made using hand-held and operated pruners. Cuts on the main trunks must be made at or just outside the collars of the branch when thinning canopies or limbing up to specific branch heights. Branch pruning must be done to remove any branches going in the direction of the leader or toward the center of the plant. Co-dominant leaders must be removed at this time. Certain removal of branches must be made at certain stages of the plants growth to ensure proper structure of the plant/tree later in plants growth so workers must follow and be able to duplicate examples. Much pruning is done removing suckers and working multi-trunked trees at ground level. Bend and flex, often pruning from your knees which includes getting up many times per tree. Pruning on the central leader is done using manlifts and step-ladders or pruning ladders up to 12 ft. high. Workers often carry or move ladders for extended periods of time over great lengths and climb up and down the ladders. Prune overhead with arms raised looking upward using hand pruners, shears, and pole pruners for extended periods of time. Perform these tasks, often with gloves, due mainly to extreme hot and cold temperatures. Spraying: Herbicides for weed control are applied using back-pack sprayers. Follow instructions for spraying to ensure all weeds are contacted with chemical, not hitting the trunks or foliage of the trees themselves and ensure adequate coverage of the area treated. Spray at an adequate pace to reduce drift from nozzle. The spraying of herbicides is mostly done in the mornings before breezes occur. Therefore, workers are spraying with grass wet and waterproof boots are recommended. Work involves walking great distances, often for several hours at a time, carrying sprayer on their back that can weigh 50-60 lbs. Follow directions and examples of mixing the chemicals applied. Properly check and monitor the sprayers used and notify supervisor if there is an issue in mechanical structure or performance of sprayer. Drenching is another spray method applied on plants, which involves walking great distances for extended periods. Fertilizing: Fertilizer is applied to plants using several methods. The most common is by hand throwing around the base of the tree.

Salary : $12