Most commonly reported Work Activities

• Handling and Moving Objects Using hands and arms in handling, installing, positioning, and moving materials, and manipulating things.
• Controlling Machines and Processes Using either control mechanisms or direct physical activity to operate machines or processes (not including computers or vehicles).
• Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.
• Performing General Physical Activities Performing physical activities that require considerable use of your arms and legs and moving your whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling of materials.
• Getting Information Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
• Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.
• Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Material Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials to identify the cause of errors or other problems or defects.
• Making Decisions and Solving Problems Analysing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
• Organising, Planning, and Prioritising Work Developing specific goals and plans to prioritise, organise, and accomplish your work.
• Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events Identifying information by categorising, estimating, recognising differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.

The Work

Horticultural workers involved in commercial horticulture grow, look after and harvest plant stock. Some specialise in fruit farms or orchards where the work involves spraying, mulching, pruning, picking and grading. Where they work with crops under glass, they look after flower stock or fruit crops, such as tomatoes. They prepare soil beds, sow seed and plant cuttings.  
 
Other tasks include controlling heat, light, temperature, humidity and watering, often with sophisticated computers. Horticultural workers control pests by spraying the stock with chemicals and also pick and pack produce ready to be sent to retailers or markets.  
 
During the busy harvest times, horticultural workers may also be required to supervise casual staff. They may also be required to drive tractors and use other light machinery such as hedge trimmers, rotavators and mowers as well as using hand tools. They may be required to carry out basic maintenance and minor repairs to tools and equipment.  
 
Most horticultural workers work outdoors in all weather conditions. For certain jobs such as spraying, they may have to wear protective clothing including face protection.  
 
In garden centres, the emphasis is on retail sales to the general public. Such products would include field vegetables, fruit, protection crops grown under glass or polythene, and hardy nursery stock, such as trees, shrubs, roses and herbaceous plants.

Most commonly reported Work Tasks

• Gather and remove litter.
• Use hand tools, such as shovels, rakes, pruning saws, saws, hedge or brush trimmers, or axes.
• Operate vehicles or powered equipment, such as mowers, tractors, twin-axle vehicles, snow blowers, chainsaws, electric clippers, sod cutters, or pruning saws.
• Water lawns, trees, or plants, using portable sprinkler systems, hoses, or watering cans.
• Prune or trim trees, shrubs, or hedges, using shears, pruners, or chain saws.
• Mix and spray or spread fertilisers, herbicides, or insecticides onto grass, shrubs, or trees, using hand or automatic sprayers or spreaders.
• Care for established lawns by mulching, aerating, weeding, grubbing, removing thatch, or trimming or edging around flower beds, walks, or walls.
• Follow planned landscaping designs to determine where to lay sod, sow grass, or plant flowers or foliage.
• Trim or pick flowers and clean flower beds.
• Attach wires from planted trees to support stakes.

This occupation is typically suited for people with the following Career Interests:

Naturalist

Not surprisingly, some aspect of the natural sciences will run through the Naturalist's interests - from ecological awareness to nutrition and health. People with an interest in horticulture, land usage and farming (including fish) are Naturalists.

Some Naturalists focus on animals rather than plants, and may enjoy working with, training, caring for, or simply herding them. Other Naturalists will prefer working with the end result of nature's produce - the food produced from plants and animals. Naturalists like solving problems with solutions that show some sensitivity to the environmental impact of what they do. They like to see practical results and prefer action to talking and discussing.

Administrative

Administrative people are interested in work that offers security and a sense of being part of a larger process. They may be at their most productive under supervisors who give clear guidelines and while performing routine tasks in a methodical and reliable way.

They tend to enjoy clerical and most forms of office work, where they perform essential administrative duties. They often form the backbone of large and small organisations alike. They may enjoy being in charge of office filing systems, and using computers and other office equipment to keep things running smoothly. They usually like routine work hours and prefer comfortable indoor workplaces.

Training can be done on the job but there are many relevant courses available throughout the country.

Key Skills Certs: 

Health & safety Pesticide spray NFQ level 5 [single cert] 

Safepass 

Manual Handling 

Driver CPC Driving license

Solas CSCS Construction Skills Cert scheme machinery tickets 

These courses may be available at low or no cost in FET training centres depending on cisrcumtances. You can search for these skills certs via Search our FET Coursefinder 

Training & Development  

Teagasc Horticulture NFQ Level 5-6

FET Centre Traineeship: Greenkeeper NFQ Level 5 Search our FET Coursefinder 

FET Centre PLC Courses: Horticultural courses NFQ Level 5-6 Search our FET PLC coursefinder 

Apprentcieship Applied Horticulture  NFQ Level 6 [in development launching shortly] Search Apprenticeships  

Last Updated: March, 2023

Salary Range (thousands per year)* €26k - €62k

Salaries vary by employer, location, duties. Role, experience, and location.

Data Source(s):
Payscale/ Eirieri/ Indeed

Last Updated: February, 2024

* The lower figures typically reflect starting salaries. Higher salaries are awarded to those with greater experience and responsibility. Positions in Dublin sometimes command higher salaries.

View Salary information from Indeed.ie
Note: data not aways available

This information has been derived from the Solas National Skills Bulletin (2023).

Although the employment growth over the five-year period was negative for this occupation, employment levels have remained static since 2020. At 37%, the share aged 55 years or older was almost double the national average of 19%.

A relatively high share of persons employed in this occupation were employed part-time. The administrative and support services sector accounted for the largest share of employment for this occupation at almost two-fifths.

• Coillte

  • The Irish Forestry Board, Newtownmountkennedy, Co. Wicklow
  • Click Here

• Teagasc - Irish Agriculture and Food Development Authority

  • Head Office, Oak Park, Carlow
  • (059) 917 0200
  • [email protected]
  • Click Here

• Royal Horticultural Society of Ireland

  • Cabinteely House, The Park, Cabinteely, Dublin 18
  • (01) 493 7154
  • [email protected]
  • Click Here

• National Botanic Gardens

  • Glasnevin, Dublin 9
  • (01) 804 0201
  • [email protected]
  • Click Here