Description
Directly supervise and coordinate nursery and greenhouse workers engaged in plant propagation, potting, irrigation, and order fulfillment. Plan production and staffing, manage inventory and quality, respond to customer inquiries, prepare quotes based on labor, materials, and equipment, and ensure safety and regulatory compliance.
- • Establish and enforce standard operating procedures and safety practices.
- • Inspect plant stock and completed orders to ensure quality and specifications.
- • Direct activities such as propagation, potting, transplanting, spacing, pruning, and staking.
- • Schedule crews for production, shipping, and maintenance based on priorities, labor, facilities, and weather.
- • Oversee or perform irrigation, fertilization, pruning, and other plant maintenance.
- • Monitor crop cycles to ensure instructions are followed and schedules are maintained.
- • Train workers in propagation, transplanting, IPM, equipment use, and sanitation.
- • Provide hands-on assistance to meet deadlines or resolve bottlenecks.
- • Inventory plants, containers, media, fertilizers, pesticides, and supplies.
- • Coordinate with sales, shipping, and logistics to manage order picking, labeling, staging, and loading to meet deadlines.
- • Perform personnel activities, including hiring, evaluating performance, coaching, and discipline.
- • Direct or perform mixing and application of fertilizers, insecticides, fungicides, or herbicides following labels.
- • Review production plans and customer orders to determine labor, materials, and equipment needs.
- • Maintain required records and reports, including crop plans, inventory, spray logs, personnel, costs, and yields.
- • Order corrective work when issues arise and recommend procedural changes to prevent recurrence.
- • Identify plant diseases, nutrient deficiencies, or pests and order appropriate treatments.
- • Investigate product or service complaints and determine responses or corrective actions.
- • Direct or assist with maintenance and repair of tools, irrigation, and greenhouse equipment.
- • Oversee greenhouse and nursery infrastructure, climate controls, and sanitation/biosecurity protocols.
- • Perform administrative duties such as approving time sheets, scheduling shifts, and authorizing leave.
- • Recommend workflow, layout, or equipment changes to increase efficiency.
- • Confer with growers, managers, or horticulturists on crop plans, production schedules, and space allocations.
- • Communicate with customers or buyers regarding availability, specifications, pricing, and delivery schedules.
- • Prepare quotes and estimates based on labor, materials, and machine costs, and track budgets for crops or orders.
- • Tour nursery blocks and greenhouses to inspect plant health, irrigation, and environmental conditions.
- • Design or supervise installation and maintenance of irrigation and mist systems, calculating flow, pressure, and coverage.
- • Ensure compliance with pesticide regulations, worker protection standards, and environmental policies.
- • Coordinate seasonal staffing and training for peak production and sales periods.
Related specializations
Interview options
Interview options
Interviewee gender
Interviewee accent
Interview time
Related Pathways
Hospitality, Events & Tourism
View
Source
Tasks & skills:
O*NET occupational data (work activities, skills, knowledge).
Learn more
Sources & Standards:
This site includes information from O*NET by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. Career Clutch has modified some of this information for student readability. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
Last reviewed: Jan 2026
