Apprenticeship Standard Horticulture – Horticulture or Landscape Operative Level 2

Core skills – able to: Communication; communicate with others, including clients, the public and colleagues, this may require basic IT systems use.

Team working; work alone and as part of a team effectively and recognise how all staff are dependent on each other to meet business objectives.

Health and safety; apply relevant health and safety processes and procedures. Implement specific industry information on hazards relevant to horticultural environments. Follow safe systems of work and safety information provided by employer. Implement environmental protection policies and procedures.

Environmental; prevent and control local pollution incidents e.g. use of spill kits.

Planting, plant growth and development; care for plants correctly in different environments, including basic irrigation methods, planting methods and identifying plant deficiencies. Install various soft-landscape materials e.g. shrubs, trees, herbaceous, bedding, grass areas and seed. This will include site preparation, planting, sowing, turfing, preparation of seed beds and mulching.

Soil cultivation; cultivate and improve soils by mechanical methods and by hand, making and amelioration of growing media and soils.

Tools, equipment and machinery; safely use tools e.g. spades, rakes, shovels; equipment e.g. tape measure and spirit level and machinery e.g. pedestrian controlled mowers, hand held strimmer, hedgecutter.

Vegetation control; follow processes and methods of site clearance, using tools and machinery for pruning and vegetation control, including basic turf management. Follow weed control methods.

Maintain hard structures; maintain structures relevant to the business activities.

Site presentation; work to a specified finish.