This is skilled gardening work propagating and cultivating a variety of flowers, shrubs, trees, and other plants. An employee in this position is responsible for the proper temperature control of the greenhouse. Work is performed under the close supervision of a technical supervisor.

ALLOCATING FACTORS: (The following conditions must be met for a position to be approved for this class.)

• The positions must be responsible for propagating and cultivating a variety of flowers, shrubs, trees and other plants.

• Propagates plants by budding, layering, or dividing in a greenhouse or cold frames; cultivates plants by watering, spraying various mixtures of insecticides, applying fertilizers, and regulating temperatures by ventilation and heating controls.
• Makes soil mixes; makes cuttings; plants, transplants and prunes a wide variety of flowers, shrubs, trees and other plants in the greenhouse and nursery.
• Operates hand and power tools and equipment such as vacuum sweepers, snow blowers, hedge trimmers, sprayers, soil mixers, rakes, shovels and hoes.
• Operates a Cushman or van to transport floral displays to other areas.
• Demonstrates greenhouse techniques to school groups or individual visitors; aids volunteer groups in special projects.
• Participates in planting floral displays.
• Participates in the maintenance of the grounds surrounding related facilities.
• Performs related work as required.

KNOWLEDGE OF:

• methods and materials used in propagating, cultivating and transplanting stock in greenhouses and nurseries.
• flowers, shrubs and trees which grow well in an urban environment.
• the common insects, fungi, and diseases which affect flowers, shrubs and trees.

SKILL IN:

• the budding, layering and dividing of plants.
• the method of propagating plants.
• the use and care of gardening tools and equipment.

ABILITY TO:

• apply growth regulators, herbicides, fungicides and fertilizers.
• propagate, cultivate and force grow a variety of greenhouse and nursery stock.
• transplant, trim and pot plants.

EDUCATION:

• Education equivalent to the completion of the twelfth school grade.
• Successful completion of eighty (80) hours course work in grounds maintenance.

  AND

  GENERAL EXPERIENCE:
  

• Three years of grounds or horticultural experience.

Or any equivalent combination of training and experience determined to be acceptable by the Personnel Department.

PHYSICAL AND MEDICAL REQUIREMENTS

• Ability to physically perform the duties and to work in the environmental conditions required of a position in this class.

LICENSES, REGISTRATIONS AND/OR CERTIFICATES

• Possession of a valid proper class motor vehicle operator's license as issued by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania prior to appointment and during tenure of employment in this class as required by work assignment.

PAY RANGE: 10
Class Established:
  CSC - 1/1953 ; Ad Board - 3/1953

Spec. Revised:
  CSC - 9/1992 ; Ad Board - 12/1992

TS/deb/mt