Horticultural Assistant

What your day-to-day might look like?

• Works closely and cooperatively with other leadership at the Growing Center to achieve the goals of the Growing Center
• Oversees, schedules, and coordinates care and maintenance tasks of containerized plants within acceptable QA/QC standards
• Execute and suggest timely integrated pest management control methods and fertilization regimes as needed.
• Recommend methods for improving sustainability of growing practices. Implement agreed upon methods as approved.
• Supervises a transplant crew and/or plant maintenance crew
• Execute propagation and transplanting activities in the greenhouse environment.
• Perform care and maintenance of containerized plants.
• Oversees relocation of stock.
• Performs seed sowing and other production activities.
• Scout for pests, diseases, and nutrient imbalances of potted stock and field production plants on a routine basis.
• Prepare and send pest / disease samples to lab for proper diagnosis.
• Mix and apply fertilizers, pesticides, beneficials and other agents to implement plant health care practices.
• Diligently record and communicate directly with Plant Production Manager concerning plant health care problems.
• Oversee sanitation, housekeeping, and safety practices of all holding zones and grounds
• Oversee set up and winterization of irrigation system for potted materials.
• Train workers on pesticide safety to ensure Worker Protection Standard laws are abided.
• Suggest changes in working conditions and use of equipment to increase efficiency of work team; and, study and standardize procedures to improve efficiency of workers and information tracking systems.
• Assist with plant order filling and inventory control tasks as needed 
• Perform inventory counts and records maintenance.
• May conduct or assist with harvest of seed and plant materials. 
• May perform seed processing, especially but not limited to seed required for propagation.
• Has dotted line accountability to the Native Perennials Manager.
• Carries out work in a safe manner in full accordance with safety guideline. Immediately ceases work if unsafe conditions are identified. Corrects and reports unsafe condition and behaviors.
• Weekend and after hours are expected seasonally.

Qualifications

• High School degree or equivalent
• 1 or more years working in naturtal resources field operations 
• Ability to read a limited number of two- and three-syllable words and to recognize similarities and differences between words and between series of numbers.
• Ability to print and speak simple sentences in English.
• Ability to add, subtract, multiply, and divide all units of measure, using whole numbers, common fractions, and decimals.
• A Valid Driver’s License, may be required
• Ability to obtain a Fed Med Card, may be required.
• Forklift License, may be required (would be trained here by our corporate trainer).

• Frequently required to stand; walk; use hands to finger, handle or feel; and talk or hear.
• Regularly lift and/or move up to 10 pounds, frequently lift and/or move up to 25 pounds, and occasionally lift and/or move up to 50 pounds.
• Occasionally required to sit; reach with hands and arms; climb or balance; stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl; and taste or smell.
• Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and ability to adjust focus.
• Frequent exposure to outside weather conditions.
• Noise level in the work environment is usually moderate to loud.
• Occasional exposure to moving mechanical parts, fumes or airborne particles, extreme heat, and vibration.
• Frequently exposed to wet and/or humid conditions and moving mechanical parts.
• The employee is expected to be able to conduct field work that may require walking up or down steep grades or on uneven ground, operating in inclement, not dangerous, weather conditions, exposure to direct sun and other weather, and may be in areas occupied by wild or domestic animals. Exposure to thorny or poisonous plant materials is not uncommon in the field. The employee may be requested to wade or participate in work conducted on open water.