Horticultural Supervisor or Specialist
What the work is
Supervises or performs specialist roles in horticultural farming operations, including the planting, cultivation, harvest and packing of horticultural crops.
Would you enjoy the work?
These are the main tasks in the official description. Mark how each one sounds to you.
- Oversees the planting, cultivation and harvest of horticultural crops, and the packing and storage of horticultural produce
- Supervises horticultural farming routines such pruning, trimming, picking and tree training
- Oversees and undertakes the maintenance, repair and operation of horticultural farming machinery
- Monitors horticultural crops for signs of pests or disease, and to identify watering or nutrition problems
- Prepares and applies chemicals to control pests, weeds and diseases
- Oversees the maintenance and use of horticultural farm equipment and infrastructure, including irrigation and fertigation systems
- Organises and trains horticultural farm workers, and supervises work routines and day-to-day horticultural production activities
Try it
A simulation and a case study from this kind of work, set in a fictional mixed farm and orchard in a river valley, with a small crew, tractors and a packing shed. They are fictional.
The kind of days you could have
Good days
- Harvest goes smoothly, the crew finishes early and the fruit is perfect
- You spot a pest or a watering problem early and save a whole block
- A new worker you trained runs a task on their own for the first time
Hard days
- A storm or heatwave hits at the worst possible moment in the season
- A machine breaks down on the day the crop has to be picked
- A rushed picking crew, a tight truck deadline and a quality problem you cannot ignore
Written by Career Calling as a general guide. Real roles vary by employer and place.
Work a mission
Step into a simulated workplace in this field, with a brief from your manager.
Description and tasks: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Occupation Standard Classification for Australia, 2024, Version 1.0 (opens another site), occupation 343134, used under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 licence. The skill guide above is our plain English summary.