Landscaping and Groundskeeping Worker
Other Titles
Gardener, Greenskeeper, Grounds Maintenance Worker, Grounds Person, Grounds Worker, Grounds/Maintenance Specialist, Groundskeeper, Landscape Specialist, Landscape Technician, Outside Maintenance Worker
Landscape or maintain grounds of property using hand or power tools or equipment. Workers typically perform a variety of tasks, which may include any combination of the following: sod laying, mowing, trimming, planting, watering, fertilizing, digging, raking, sprinkler installation, and installation of mortarless segmental concrete masonry wall units.
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, chain-saws, 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 fertilizers, 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.
Plant seeds, bulbs, foliage, flowering plants, grass, ground covers, trees, or shrubs and apply mulch for protection, using gardening tools.
Mow or edge lawns, using power mowers or edgers.
Rake, mulch, and compost leaves.
Decorate gardens with stones or plants.
Use irrigation methods to adjust the amount of water consumption and to prevent waste.
Provide proper upkeep of sidewalks, driveways, parking lots, fountains, planters, burial sites, or other grounds features.
Maintain irrigation systems, including winterizing the systems and starting them up in spring.
Plan or cultivate lawns or gardens.
Maintain or repair tools, equipment, or structures, such as buildings, greenhouses, fences, or benches, using hand or power tools.
Care for artificial turf fields, periodically removing the turf and replacing cushioning pads or vacuuming and disinfecting the turf after use to prevent the growth of harmful bacteria.
Install rock gardens, ponds, decks, drainage systems, irrigation systems, retaining walls, fences, planters, or playground equipment.
Care for natural turf fields, making sure the underlying soil has the required composition to allow proper drainage and to support the grasses used on the fields.
Advise customers on plant selection or care.
Haul or spread topsoil or spread straw over seeded soil to hold soil in place.
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→ Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work→ Developing specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work.
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events→ Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.
Repairing and Maintaining Mechanical Equipment→ Servicing, repairing, adjusting, and testing machines, devices, moving parts, and equipment that operate primarily on the basis of mechanical (not electronic) principles.
Thinking Creatively→ Developing, designing, or creating new applications, ideas, relationships, systems, or products, including artistic contributions.
Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment→ Running, maneuvering, navigating, or driving vehicles or mechanized equipment, such as forklifts, passenger vehicles, aircraft, or water craft.
Assisting and Caring for Others→ Providing personal assistance, medical attention, emotional support, or other personal care to others such as coworkers, customers, or patients.
Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards→ Using relevant information and individual judgment to determine whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.
Coaching and Developing Others→ Identifying the developmental needs of others and coaching, mentoring, or otherwise helping others to improve their knowledge or skills.
Scheduling Work and Activities→ Scheduling events, programs, and activities, as well as the work of others.
Dispose of trash or waste materials.
Operate grounds maintenance equipment.
Irrigate lawns, trees, or plants.
Drive trucks or other vehicles to or at work sites.
Trim trees or other vegetation.
Prepare chemicals for work application.
Treat greenery or surfaces with protective substances.
Remove snow.
Maintain equipment or systems to ensure proper functioning.
Cultivate lawns, turf, or gardens.
Evaluate reports or designs to determine work needs.
Clean facilities or sites.
Install equipment to protect or support trees.
Plant greenery to improve landscape appearance.
Remove debris from work sites.
Decorate indoor or outdoor spaces.
Provide information about landscaping services or costs.
Multilimb Coordination→ The ability to coordinate two or more limbs (for example, two arms, two legs, or one leg and one arm) while sitting, standing, or lying down. It does not involve performing the activities while the whole body is in motion.
Manual Dexterity→ The ability to quickly move your hand, your hand together with your arm, or your two hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble objects.
Trunk Strength→ The ability to use your abdominal and lower back muscles to support part of the body repeatedly or continuously over time without 'giving out' or fatiguing.
Arm-Hand Steadiness→ The ability to keep your hand and arm steady while moving your arm or while holding your arm and hand in one position.
Control Precision→ The ability to quickly and repeatedly adjust the controls of a machine or a vehicle to exact positions.
Extent Flexibility→ The ability to bend, stretch, twist, or reach with your body, arms, and/or legs.
Static Strength→ The ability to exert maximum muscle force to lift, push, pull, or carry objects.
Near Vision→ The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
Problem Sensitivity→ The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.
Stamina→ The ability to exert yourself physically over long periods of time without getting winded or out of breath.
Visualization→ The ability to imagine how something will look after it is moved around or when its parts are moved or rearranged.
Language→ Knowledge of the structure and content of a language - English, French, Swahili et cetera - including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
Customer and Personal Service→ Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
Chemistry→ Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.
Electronic mail software
Office suite software -- e.g., Google Workspace; Microsoft Office
Operating system software -- e.g., Android; Microsoft Windows
Spreadsheet software -- e.g., Google Sheets; Microsoft Excel
Web page creation and editing software -- e.g., Instagram; Facebook
Word processing software -- e.g., Google Docs; Microsoft Word
Adjustable widemouth pliers
Adjustable wrenches
Agricultural tractors→ Tractors
All terrain vehicles tracked or wheeled→ Utility vehicles
Axes→ Pick axes
Backhoes
Cable reels→ Electrical cord reels
Cargo trucks
Concrete mixers or plants→ Concrete mixers
Cultivators→ Soil pulverizers; Tillers
Draglines→ Drag brooms; Drag leveling bars; Drag mats; Drag spikers; Nail drags; Plow pan spikers; X-drags
Dump trucks
Ear clamps→ Oetiker clamps
Ear plugs→ Protective ear plugs
Fertilizer spreaders or distributors→ Fertilizer spreaders; Hand spreaders; Salt spreaders
Forestry saws→ Pruning saws
Forklifts
Front end loaders
Garden forks→ Mulching forks
Gas generators
Gas welding or brazing or cutting apparatus→ Gas welders
Goggles→ Safety goggles
Graders or land levelers→ Box blades; Bunker rakes; Drawn box scrapers; Land levelers; Land planes; Landscape rakes; Power rakes
Grinding wheels→ Knife sharpeners
Hammers
Hand sprayers→ Backpack pump sprayers
Handheld thermometer→ Digital soil thermometers
Harrows→ Flexible chain-link harrows; Reversible spike harrows
Hedge clippers→ Hedge shears; Hedge trimmers
Hoes→ Scuffle hoes
Hydraulic truck cranes→ Aerial lift trucks; Hydraulic booms
Ladders→ Extension ladders
Lawnmowers→ Flail mowers; Greens mowers; Hydrostatic mowers; Manual mowers; Push mowers; Riding mowers
Levels→ Mound slope gauges
Measuring wheels for distance→ Measuring wheels
Paint sprayers→ Paint sprayguns; Wheeled paint sprayers
Pallet trucks
Picks→ Ground picks
Pipe or tube cutter→ Pipe cutters
Power blowers→ Backpack blowers; Leaf blowers
Power chippers→ Leaf-grinding machines; Wood chippers
Power drills→ Hammer drills; Handheld power drills
Power saws→ Chain saws
Power trimmers→ Line trimmers; String trimmers
Precision file→ Precision files
Protective gloves→ Safety gloves
Rakes→ Arena rakes; Artificial turf groomers; Infield grooming rakes; Iron rakes; Leaf rakes; Turf sweepers
Rollers for lawn or sports grounds→ Turf rollers; Turf striping rollers
Rubber mallet→ Rubber mallets
Saws→ Handsaws; Pole saws
Screwdrivers
Scrubbing machines→ Power sweepers; Tractor broom attachments
Secateurs or pruning shears→ Loppers; Pruners
Seeder attachment→ Overseed enhancing tools
Shielded metal arc welding or stick welding machine→ Shielded arc welding tools
Shovels→ Dirt shovels; Snow shovels; Sod lifters
Snow blowers
Snowplow attachments
Sockets→ Socket wrenches
Soil core sampling apparatus→ Hex pluggers; Soil probes; Soil profilers
Spades
Sprayers→ Pressurized sprayers; Truck-mounted chemical sprayers
Squeegees or washers→ Roller squeegees
Stencils or lettering aids→ Field painting stencils
Tape measures→ Field layout systems; Measuring tapes
Tarpaulins→ Ground tarps
Trowels
Water pumps→ Puddle pumps
Water sprinklers→ Sprinklers
Weeders→ Brush trimmers
Wheel loaders→ Bucket loaders
Realistic→ Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.
Conventional→ Conventional occupations frequently involve following set procedures and routines. These occupations can include working with data and details more than with ideas. Usually there is a clear line of authority to follow.
Attention to Detail→ Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.
Integrity→ Job requires being honest and ethical.
Cooperation→ Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude.
Self Control→ Job requires maintaining composure, keeping emotions in check, controlling anger, and avoiding aggressive behavior, even in very difficult situations.
Dependability→ Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.
Achievement/Effort→ Job requires establishing and maintaining personally challenging achievement goals and exerting effort toward mastering tasks.
Concern for Others→ Job requires being sensitive to others' needs and feelings and being understanding and helpful on the job.
Adaptability/Flexibility→ Job requires being open to change (positive or negative) and to considerable variety in the workplace.
Stress Tolerance→ Job requires accepting criticism and dealing calmly and effectively with high stress situations.
Initiative→ Job requires a willingness to take on responsibilities and challenges.
Independence→ Job requires developing one's own ways of doing things, guiding oneself with little or no supervision, and depending on oneself to get things done.
Persistence→ Job requires persistence in the face of obstacles.
Social Orientation→ Job requires preferring to work with others rather than alone, and being personally connected with others on the job.
Analytical Thinking→ Job requires analyzing information and using logic to address work-related issues and problems.
Innovation→ Job requires creativity and alternative thinking to develop new ideas for and answers to work-related problems.
Leadership→ Job requires a willingness to lead, take charge, and offer opinions and direction.
Relationships→ Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to provide service to others and work with co-workers in a friendly non-competitive environment. Corresponding needs are Co-workers, Moral Values and Social Service.
Working Conditions→ Occupations that satisfy this work value offer job security and good working conditions. Corresponding needs are Activity, Compensation, Independence, Security, Variety and Working Conditions.
Support→ Occupations that satisfy this work value offer supportive management that stands behind employees. Corresponding needs are Company Policies, Supervision: Human Relations and Supervision: Technical.