Nursery Worker

Nursery Worker at ELSA NURSERY in HUNTLAND, TN.

Workers must be able to perform work including but not limited to planting, digging, mulching, transplanting, cultivating, hoeing, mowing, preparing soil, watering in nurseries and seasonal holding houses. Fertilize, prune, spray, space, water, tag and person other plant maintenance. Count and inventory plants. Propagate plants from cuttings. Ability to be trained in bareroot potting techniques and citrus budding techniques. Load finished plants onto wagons and trucks. Remove plastic from seasonal holding houses in spring and cover seasonal holding houses with plastic in fall. Assist with building seasonal holding houses. Plant and dig field grown plants, burlap roots, perform general maintenance of field grown plants. Fill, lift and carry various size pots with soil and plants weighing as much as 75 pounds. Plants must be handled carefully so that minimal leaves, limbs and roots are broken during transplanting process. Performs any other duties involved in the maintenance of plant materials and nursery stock. Workers will require minimal supervision. Perform ditching, shoveling, hoeing, hauling, ground preparation, and other manual tasks. Bending, stooping and kneeling required. Use hand tools including but not limited to hoes, shovels, shears, clippers, loppers, and saws. Lift, carry, and load/unload products or supplies. Use power equipment including but not limited to: tractors, planters, mowers, electric mules, plows, sprayers, cultivators, power shears, chain saws, high lifts, fork lifts, skid loaders. Must operate agricultural equipment safely, with or without direction. Install/maintain imitation systems and water lines. Move and install imitation pipes and equipment. Dig and maintain ditches. Apply pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, and other crop protectants. Mix and apply fertilizers, plant growth chemicals, conditioners, and other plant related treatments at the correct times depending on plant type, growth, climate and crop conditions. Mow, cut, and weed fields. Clear debris from field and clean/maintain farm buildings, structures, equipment, and work areas. Assist with farm building/field maintenance and repairs. Build/repair fences. Prepare fields/soil for planting. Remove cull stock, debris, tree stumps, brush, limbs, vines and other growth from planting area using tractor, mattocks, brush hooks and/or axes. Plant, cultivate and maintain nursery stock and/or bedding plants in condition for shipping and sale to customers. Pot seedlings or 'liners' by hand or mechanical planter. Propagate plants from cuttings. Perform general plant maintenance. Prune, trim, space, transplant and cull plants to ensure availability of marketable products, apply fertilizer. Pack, label, tag, pull, and store plants by variety. Count, grade, and inventory plants. Prepare plants for digging by tying or wrapping as necessary. Dig plants. Drum lacing and quarter lacing. Wrap burlap or other covering around root balls and secure with twine and/or staples. Crimp wire baskets. Must understand nursery quality control standards and have working knowledge of production procedures. Must harvest crops according to specific standards. Must select and harvest crops pursuant to customer needs. Products must be handled carefully to prevent damage. Work is done in the field for long periods of time. Workers may assist in handling product weighing up to 75 pounds and lifting to a height of 5 feet. Workers must work on their feet in bent positions for long periods of time. Work requires repetitive movements and extensive walking. Work required in fields when plants are wet with dew and rain, and may be required during light rain, snow, moderate winds, direct sun, high humidity and extreme temperatures. Temperatures in fields during working hours can range from 10 to over 100 degrees F. Workers may be required to work during occasional showers not severe enough to stop field operations.

Work begins January 1, 2027 and ends September 30, 2027.

Pay is $17.34 per month.

Housing is provided.

Typical schedule: about 48 hours per week.