Job Title: 

Assistant Nursery Grower

 

Company Overview

Based in Southern Lancaster County, PA, Octoraro Native Plant Nursery is a wholesale grower of native trees and shrubs serving the Mid-Atlantic region. Our mission is to improve the natural and built environment of the Mid-Atlantic region by providing high quality, sustainably grown native plants. Our plants are mainly used for restoration purposes, but we also grow unique and hard-to-find species for retail nurseries and plant sales. To operate a commercial nursery of this size and scope, we rely on a tight knit team that has deep horticultural knowledge and a diverse skillset. It is to this team we are looking to add a passionate individual to help us to continue achieving our goals of growing premium native woody plants, while remaining a successful business within the green industry.

Position Summary

Octoraro Native Plant Nursery is seeking an energetic team member that has the diverse skillset needed to work at an active wholesale nursery. This person’s primary responsibilities will be focused on horticulture. They will be working with the plants at all stages – collecting seeds, sowing seeds, transplanting, irrigating, practicing integrated pest management and more. They should also expect to work in many areas of the nursery, such as operating trucks, transporting plants between both nursery locations, repairing irrigation, rotational weekend watering, and loading customer orders.

 

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

The essential functions include, but are not limited to:

  1. Plant Care
  • Participate in daily and weekend watering duties. Weekend watering is a shared rotational responsibility; earned time off during the week is given in exchange for weekend work.
  • Execute plant maintenance, including pruning, sheering, and staking.
  1. Propagation
  • Assist with seeding and transplanting of seedlings.
  • Participate in seed collecting and seed processing/cleaning.
  • Mix and apply fertilizer on propagated materials.
  1. Integrated Pest Management (IPM)
  • Conduct weekly scouting for pests and diseases at both nursery locations.
  • Perform pesticide applications as directed and in accordance with certification.
  • Monitor nutritional health of plants and take appropriate corrective action.
  1. Equipment Operation & General Operations
  • Operate nursery equipment, including tractors and skid steers.
  • Conduct local driving of 16’ and 26’ box trucks, primarily between our two local nursery locations.
  • Participate in pulling customer orders as well as loading and unloading trucks.
  • Assist with learning, operating, and maintaining irrigation systems and equipment.
  • Perform other duties as assigned.

Qualifications and Skills

Education and Experience:

  • Education related to horticulture from a college or technical school is preferred but not required. On the job training will be provided to all skill levels.
  • A relevant combination of education and experience will be considered.

Certificates, Licenses, and Registrations:

  • Must possess a valid PA (or other state) driver’s license with a clean driving record (verified by insurance company).
  • Must be willing to obtain a Penn DOT Medical Examiner’s Certificate (paid for by ONPN, required for operating 16’ and 26’ box trucks).
  • Must be willing to obtain a Pennsylvania Pesticide Applicator Certification within the first 12 months of employment and maintain the certification with continuing education credits (paid for by ONPN).

 

Required Skills and Abilities:

  • Strong interpersonal skills to communicate and work collaboratively with the management team and all employees.
  • Ability to work independently, safely with minimal supervision, and demonstrate self-motivation.
  • Excellent planning and organizational skills, with the ability to maintain flexibility, adaptability, and openness to change.
  • Ability to operate (or be trained to operate) Bobcat, box trucks, and other mobile equipment.
  • Basic computer skills including Microsoft and Google suite of products and nursery software.

Physical Demands and Work Environment

  • Ability to work outside in various seasonal weather conditions, including heat, cold, wind, and rain.
  • Ability to perform moderate lifting, loading, and moving of plants and products.
  • Must be able to lift 30-35 pounds frequently and up to 50-70 pounds occasionally (assistance should be sought for items over 35 lbs).
  • The employee will be required to stand, walk, bend, twist, stoop, and use hands or equipment to perform responsibilities of the job.

Position Details

  • Reports To: Owner-Growers Kevin & Claire Zuidervliet (Daily activities may also be at the direction of the General Manager).
  • Status: This is a full-time salaried position.
  • Hours: 7:30 AM – 4:00 PM Monday through Friday. Hours are seasonal in nature and require the individual to be flexible as workflow increases/decreases. 
    • Weekend duties are on a rotational basis and include watering plants, filling potting wagons, and assisting production crew with achieving their goals.
  • Compensation: Wages and benefits are negotiable and commensurate with experience. 
    • Minimum Starting Salary: $40,000 and is negotiable based on experience.
    • Health, vision, and dental coverage as well as short term disability. (Active after probationary period)
    • 10 days paid time off. In addition, the Nursery is closed between Christmas Day and New Years Day.
    • Up to 3% IRA company match.
    • Up to 10% of annual salary year-end bonus dependent on employee and business performance.
  • Probation: A new employee probationary period of 90 days commences upon the start date. After 90 days, a performance review will be conducted to determine if the position is a good fit for both parties.
  • Reviews: A performance review will be completed after the probationary period and semi-annually thereafter.

Start date: Early January 2026

To Apply

Please forward a resume and three (3) work-related references to Di@octoraro.com.

Octoraro Native Plant Nursery is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or veteran status.