Gardener

Field of Activity

In the specialisms arboriculture, vegetable growing, fruit growing, culture of herbaceous plants and ornamental plant culture, the activities of the gardener are primarily concerned with propagating, cultivating, harvesting, processing and marketing plants and plant products. Gardeners specializing in cemetery gardening are also responsible for laying out and tending graves and for mourning bands and funeral decorations. Gardeners specializing in horticulture and landscape gardening lay out and tend outside plantings of all types in both urban and open landscapes.

Occupational Skills

Gardeners are qualified by their vocational training to carry out the following activities independently, while at the same time complying with the requirements of nature conservation, environmental protection and health and safety at the workplace. Training is provided in one of seven specialist areas:

1) Arboriculture

• use and maintain machinery, tools and works equipment;
• record and assess work flows and relevant economic information;
• work and tend the soil; assess, use and store different types of earth and substrates;
• use plants and plant products, taking into account their requirements, quality standards and economic considerations;
• use cultivation areas and equipment;
• establish tree nursery quarters and areas for container-grown crops;
• propagate and raise young plants;
• carry out appropriate production procedures on the crop in question;
• clear, sort, label and store woody plants;
• market woody plants; advise customers.

2) Cemetery gardening

• record and assess work flows and relevant economic information;
• use and maintain machinery, tools and works equipment;
• work and tend the soil; assess, use and store different types of earth and substrates;
• use plants and plant products, taking into account their requirements, quality standards and economic considerations; use cultivation areas and equipment;
• propagate and raise different species of plant;
• lay out, tend and renew graves; comply with cemetery law and cemetery regulations;
• prepare mourning bands and funeral decorations;
• sell plants and mourning accessories; advise customers.

3) Horticulture and landscape gardening

• record and assess work flows and relevant economic information;
• use and maintain machinery, tools and works equipment;
• work and tend the soil; assess, use and store different types of earth and substrates;
• use plants and plant products, taking into account their requirements, quality standards and economic considerations; prepare, set up and operate building sites;
• carry out excavation, irrigation and drainage works;
• carry out land stabilization works;
• carry out exterior building works, e.g. walls, steps, ponds, fencing, noise protection walls, sports and games facilities; carry out technical procedures relevant to plantings.

4) Vegetable growing

• record and assess work flows and relevant economic information;
• use and maintain machinery, tools and works equipment;
• work and tend the soil; assess, use and store different types of earth and substrates;
• use plants and plant products, taking into account their requirements, quality standards and economic considerations;
• lay out and use production areas and production facilities;
• raise young vegetable plants;
• implement various production procedures and use cultivation systems; produce various types of vegetable;
• harvest, process and store vegetables;
• market vegetables, provide information to customers.

5) Fruit growing

• record and assess work flows and relevant economic information;
• use and maintain machinery, tools and works equipment;
• work and tend the soil; assess, use and store different types of earth and substrates;
• use plants and plant products, taking into account their requirements, quality standards and economic considerations;
• lay out fruit orchards;
• implement various production procedures, produce various types of fruit;
• harvest, process and store fruit;
• market fruit; provide information to customers.

6) Culture of herbaceous plants

• record and assess work flows and relevant economic information;
• use and maintain machinery, tools and works equipment;
• work and tend the soil; assess, use and store different types of earth and substrates;
• use plants and plant products, taking into account their requirements, quality standards and economic considerations;
• lay out and use cultivation areas and equipment;
• propagate and raise herbaceous plants;
• implement various cultivation processes and use cultivation systems; cultivate herbaceous plants for different uses; select and prepare herbaceous plants;
• market herbaceous plants; advise customers.

7) Ornamental plant culture

• record and assess work flows and relevant economic information;
• use and maintain machinery, tools and works equipment;
• work and tend the soil; assess, use and store different types of earth and substrates;
• use plants and plant products, taking into account their requirements, quality standards and economic considerations; lay out and use cultivation areas and equipment;
• propagate and raise young plants;
• implement various cultivation processes and use cultivation systems; cultivate and tend ornamental plants;
• harvest, prepare and store ornamental plants;
• market ornamental plants; advise customers.