Landscape Technician apprenticeship

Description of an apprenticeship as a Landscape Technician

Landscape Technician apprenticeship

DOT code: 408.364-640

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Description

Attractively designed, healthy and well-maintained lawns, gardens, and grounds create a positive first impression, establish a peaceful mood, and increase property values. Landscape technicians perform the variety of tasks necessary to achieve a pleasant and functional outdoor environment. They also care for indoor gardens and plantings in commercial and public facilities, such as malls, hotels, and botanical gardens. 

Landscape techniciansphysically install and maintain landscaped areas. They grade property, install lighting or sprinkler systems, and build walkways, terraces, patios, decks, and fountains. In addition to initially transporting and planting new vegetation, they transplant, mulch, fertilize, and water flowering plants, trees, and shrubs and mow and water lawns. A growing number of residential and commercial clients, such as managers of office buildings, shopping malls, multiunit residential buildings, and hotels and motels, favor full-service landscape maintenance. They also perform a range of duties, including mowing, edging, trimming, fertilizing, dethatching, and mulching, for such clients on a regular basis during the growing season.

Landscaping technicians use handtools such as shovels, rakes, pruning and regular saws, hedge and brush trimmers, and axes, as well as power lawnmowers, chain saws, snowblowers, and electric clippers. Some use equipment such as tractors and twin-axle vehicles. At parks, schools, cemeteries, and golf courses Landscape technicians may use sod cutters to harvest sod that will be replanted elsewhere.

During the term of apprenticeship, the apprentice shall receive such instruction and experience, in all branches of the occupation, as the necessary to develop a practical and versatile worker. Major processes in which apprentices will be trained (although not necessarily in the order listed) and approximate hours (not necessarily continuous) to be spent in each are as follows:

Work process schedule

Task Hours A. Read and analyze blueprints for landscape projects; survey landscape site. 100 B. Adjust landscape design of site for best plant balance and maintenance. 100 C. Prepare terrain for planting, using hand, tools and power-generated equipment. 300 D. Master soil contour and level grading techniques. 300 E. Identify standard irrigation materials, lay out, install, test and adjust manual and automatic irrigation systems, install drainage systems. 500 F. Prepare soil using fertilizer and additives. 200 G. Lay out and install fences, stairs, trellises and decks; make repairs to concrete and asphalt walks and driveways; uses brick, stone and blocks for landscape purposes. 500 H. Identify, locate and install plants, shrubs and tress used in landscape projects; stated, ties and waters tem. 900 I. Seed and sot lawns. 300 J. Mulch, fertilize and clean up completed landscape projects; perform general site maintenance; pruning. 500 K. Maintain and repair tools and equipment. 100 L. Practice sage working habits. 100 M. Keep job records and write reports. 100 (Every 2,000 hours = one year) total hours: 4000

Related technical instruction

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts requires 150 hours each year of related technical instruction which must be mastered by the apprentice in order to successfully complete the program. The following is a general list of instruction topics. For further information, please call the Division of Apprentice Standards at [phone].

A. Plant identification
B. Landscape construction techniques
C. Landscape irrigation
D. Landscape management
E. Small engine maintenance and repair

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