Work in nursery facilities or at customer location planting, cultivating, harvesting, and transplanting trees, shrubs, or plants.

Realistic - Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.

1. Plant, spray, weed, fertilize, and water plants, shrubs, and trees, using hand tools and gardening tools.

2. Harvest plants, and transplant or pot and label them.

3. Feel plants' leaves and note their coloring to detect the presence of insects or disease.

4. Operate tractors and other machinery and equipment to fertilize, cultivate, harvest, and spray fields and plants.

5. Inspect plants and bud ties to assess quality.

6. Dig, cut, and transplant seedlings, cuttings, trees, and shrubs.

7. Move containerized shrubs, plants, and trees, using wheelbarrows or tractors.

8. Clean work areas, and maintain grounds and landscaping.

9. Haul and spread topsoil, fertilizer, peat moss, and other materials to condition soil, using wheelbarrows or carts and shovels.

10. Maintain and repair irrigation and climate control systems.

11. Record information about plants and plant growth.

Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.

Equipment Maintenance - Performing routine maintenance on equipment and determining when and what kind of maintenance is needed.

Coordination - Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.

Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.

Time Management - Managing one's own time and the time of others.

Repairing - Repairing machines or systems using the needed tools.

Instructing - Teaching others how to do something.

English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.

Transportation - Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.

Production and Processing - Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.

Mathematics - Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.

Chemistry - Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.

Mechanical - Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.

Education and Training - Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.

Job Zone One: Little or No Preparation Needed

Education: These occupations may require a high school diploma or GED certificate. Some may require a formal training course to obtain a license.

Training: Employees in these occupations need anywhere from a few days to a few months of training. Usually, an experienced worker could show you how to do the job.

The college search results are undergraduate programs associated with Nursery Workers. Further education may also be required to pursue this career.

The training search results include both short and long-term programs associated with Nursery Workers, and may be more appropriate for adult and non-traditional students. Further training may also be required to pursue this career.

In NY the average wage for this occupation was:

$17,270 for entry level workers, and $25,870 for experienced workers.

Based on the total number of annual openings and its growth rate, the employment prospects for this occupation are described as Favorable.

During 2006, there were approximately 28,800 Nursery Workers employed in NY.

We estimate that in 2016 there will be 29,280  employed in NY. This represents an increase of 50 job(s) each year, and a total of 720 job openings each year.

PLANTS Database - The PLANTS database includes information on the vascular and nonvascular plants of the United States and its territories. It includes checklists, species abstracts, distributional data, crop information, plants symbols, growth data, references and a variety of other plant information.

Agricultural workers - Visit this link for additional information on this career from the Occupational Outlook Handbook; a publication produced and maintained by the United States Department of Labor.

Discover Cornell Plantations Children's Tours - Throughout the year, Cornell Plantations hold children's guided group tours. Children investigate an assortment of temperate and tropical plants that feed and clothe the world's population, use their sense of smell and match herbal products to plants while exploring some of the myriad ways herbs have enriched our lives for thousands of years, and pick, smell, and taste their way through the history of vegetable growing in the northeastern United States.

Landscaping and Groundskeeping Workers - Landscape or maintain grounds of property using hand or power tools or equipment. Workers typically perform a variety of tasks, which may include any combination of the following: sod laying, mowing, trimming, planting, watering, fertilizing, digging, raking, sprinkler installation, and installation of mortarless segmental concrete masonry wall units.

Farmworkers, Farm and Ranch Animals - Attend to live farm, ranch, or aquacultural animals that may include cattle, sheep, swine, goats, horses and other equines, poultry, finfish, shellfish, and bees. Attend to animals produced for animal products, such as meat, fur, skins, feathers, eggs, milk, and honey. Duties may include feeding, watering, herding, grazing, castrating, branding, de-beaking, weighing, catching, and loading animals. May maintain records on animals; examine animals to detect diseases and injuries; assist in birth deliveries; and administer medications, vaccinations, or insecticides as appropriate. May clean and maintain animal housing areas.

Hunters and Trappers - Hunt and trap wild animals for human consumption, fur, feed, bait, or other purposes.

Packers and Packagers, Hand - Pack or package by hand a wide variety of products and materials.