Horticulture Crop Technician Apprentice

BINSTED NURSERY LIMITED

BOGNOR REGIS (PO22 0AL)

Closes in 27 days (Thursday 31 July 2025 at 11:59pm)

Posted on 2 July 2025

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Summary

As a Crop Technician Apprentice, you will learn all aspects of production from propagation to despatch. This will include growing a successful crop, including general care, watering, feeding, crop monitoring and adjusting the growing environment.

Wage

£15,311.40 to £24,761.88, depending on your age

National Minimum Wage

Check minimum wage rates (opens in new tab)

Annual salary review every January

Training course
Crop technician (level 3)
Hours
Monday - Thursday 8:00 - 4:45pm. Friday 8:00 - 3:45pm. Overtime as needed during the week and some weekends during peak dispatch times in the spring. Weekend watering duties on a rota basis.

39 hours a week

Start date

Friday 1 August 2025

Duration

2 years

Positions available

1

Work

Most of your apprenticeship is spent working. You’ll learn on the job by getting hands-on experience.

What you'll do at work

General nursery tasks, which may include all or some of the following:

  • Dispatch work: selecting, traying up, collecting, preparing plants for dispatch, labelling, packing, and cling wrapping, assembly of Danish trolleys
  • Potting: machine potting, planting, setting plants down, supplying machine with pots and plants. Hand potting of young plants or final pots
  • Plant care: trimming, weeding, caning, and tying, watering using hose and lance
  • Propagation: filling trays, collecting, preparing, and sticking in the cuttings
  • Mini-tractor driving: including transportation of plants and Danish trolleys
  • Nursery hygiene: including disposal of dead or diseased plants and cleaning of growing areas
  • Maintenance: assisting with work on nursery structures, roads and facilities
  • Any other duties as requested by your Team Leader, Supervisor or Manager
  • Ensuring that Health and Safety procedures are adhered to throughout and Risk Assessments followed

You will undertake training on crop protection, allowing you to recognise and manage common pests and diseases through the application of biological controls and chemical crop spraying.

Where you'll work

LAKE LANE
BARNHAM
BOGNOR REGIS
PO22 0AL

Training

Apprenticeships include time away from working for specialist training. You’ll study to gain professional knowledge and skills.

College or training organisation

WARWICKSHIRE COLLEGE

Your training course

Crop technician (level 3)

Understanding apprenticeship levels (opens in new tab)

What you'll learn

Course contents
  • Identify and mitigate risks to promote and maintain health, safety and security. (Core)
  • Manage accurate paper or digital records within the workplace. (Core)
  • Maintain and operate machinery and equipment in accordance with manufacturer operating instructions. (Core)
  • Maximise economic sustainability by optimising plant growth when carrying out operations. (Core)
  • Establish crops to ensure efficient and sustainable growth. (Core)
  • Operate vehicles in accordance with manufacturer operating instructions. (Core)
  • Control pests, weeds and diseases using integrated pest management.  (Core)
  • Apply and store pest management treatments in accordance with standard operating procedures, legislation and regulations. (Core)
  • Carry out plant nutrient application or irrigation tasks required by the crop. (Core)
  • Carry out harvesting and dispatch operations. (Core)
  • Assess and monitor crops for quality, performance and specification requirements. (Core)
  • Select harvesting techniques taking account of crop condition and quality requirements. (Core)
  • Maintain biosecurity and hygiene practices in line with legislation, regulations and organisational requirements. (Core)
  • Keep harvested crops in suitable conditions to maintain quality. (Core)
  • Maintain soils or substrates to ensure sustainable, efficient and healthy growth. (Core)
  • Sample and evaluate soil or substrate health to determine nutrition requirements. (Core)
  • Comply with health and safety legislation, regulations, guidelines and procedures relevant to own role. (Core)
  • Participate in learning and CPD activities. (Core)
  • Manage own time to achieve tasks to schedule. (Core)
  • Consider different approaches to current working practices, identifying improvements, developments and innovative ideas. (Core)
  • Set and monitor machinery performance to ensure good seed or plant establishment and crop growth. (Soil based)
  • Set machinery and equipment taking into account the crop, environment, soil condition and specification requirements. (Soil based)
  • Maintain non-productive areas. (Soil based)
  • Assess the impact of machinery on soil structure and identify potential damage in accordance with legislation. (Soil based)
  • Optimise growth conditions for crops, based on the specific needs of the plant relative to the environment. (Container based)
  • Maintain productive and non-productive areas. (Container based)
  • Plan for and carry out the removal of waste materials following harvest or dispatch. (Container based)
  • Evaluate and select different growing mediums taking into account site conditions and production requirements. (Container based)
  • Identify and mitigate risks to promote and maintain health, safety and security. (Core)
  • Manage accurate paper or digital records within the workplace. (Core)
  • Maintain and operate machinery and equipment in accordance with manufacturer operating instructions. (Core)
  • Maximise economic sustainability by optimising plant growth when carrying out operations. (Core)
  • Establish crops to ensure efficient and sustainable growth. (Core)
  • Operate vehicles in accordance with manufacturer operating instructions. (Core)
  • Control pests, weeds and diseases using integrated pest management.  (Core)
  • Apply and store pest management treatments in accordance with standard operating procedures, legislation and regulations. (Core)
  • Carry out plant nutrient application or irrigation tasks required by the crop. (Core)
  • Carry out harvesting and dispatch operations. (Core)
  • Assess and monitor crops for quality, performance and specification requirements. (Core)
  • Select harvesting techniques taking account of crop condition and quality requirements. (Core)
  • Maintain biosecurity and hygiene practices in line with legislation, regulations and organisational requirements. (Core)
  • Keep harvested crops in suitable conditions to maintain quality. (Core)
  • Maintain soils or substrates to ensure sustainable, efficient and healthy growth. (Core)
  • Sample and evaluate soil or substrate health to determine nutrition requirements. (Core)
  • Comply with health and safety legislation, regulations, guidelines and procedures relevant to own role. (Core)
  • Participate in learning and CPD activities. (Core)
  • Manage own time to achieve tasks to schedule. (Core)
  • Consider different approaches to current working practices, identifying improvements, developments and innovative ideas. (Core)

Your training plan

Apprenticeships include time away from working for specialist training. You’ll study to gain professional knowledge and skills.

College or training organisation: Warwickshire College.

Your training course Crop technician (level 3). Equal to A level.

More training information

Your training plan:

Level 2 Awards in: Safe Use of Pesticides.

On completion of the pesticides foundation unit above, also choose one of the following units:

  • Boom sprayer, mounted, trailed or self-propelled equipment
  • Granular applicator equipment
  • Handheld applicator equipment
  • Level 3 award in Emergency First Aid at Work

Apprentices without Level 2 English and maths (GCSE grade 4 or C or above or equivalents) will need to achieve this level prior to taking the end point assessment. Those aged 19+ at the start of their apprenticeship and without Level 2 English and maths (GCSE grade 4 or C or above or equivalents) will have the option of whether they would like to achieve this.

Training at Pershore College.

Requirements

Essential qualifications

GCSE or equivalent in:

Maths and English (grade 4 (C) or above)

Let the company know about other relevant qualifications and industry experience you have. They can adjust the apprenticeship to reflect what you already know.

Skills

  • Communication skills
  • IT skills
  • Attention to detail
  • Organisation skills
  • Customer care skills
  • Problem solving skills
  • Presentation skills
  • Administrative skills
  • Number skills
  • Analytical skills
  • Logical
  • Team working
  • Creative
  • Initiative
  • Non judgemental
  • Patience
  • Physical fitness

Other requirements

The role involves working outside or under protected greenhouse structures where temperatures fluctuate with ambient weather conditions throughout the year. You need to be reasonably fit as the role involves pulling hose reels and walking around large sites. All crops are grown on the floor, regular bending to undertake essential tasks.

About this company

Binsted Nursery is part of the Tristram Plants and Farplants group. A market leading customer focussed group producing and supplying high quality container grown from perennials and herbs to succulents and bulbs to the wholesale market. Binsted Nursery was founded in 1978, based in West Sussex with two production sites.

https://www.tristramplants.co.uk/binsteds-story/ (opens in new tab)

After this apprenticeship

  • Crop Protection
  • Production Team Leader / Supervisor
  • Crop Grower

Ask a question

The contact for this apprenticeship is:

BINSTED NURSERY LIMITED

WARWICKSHIRE COLLEGE SARAH ASHMORE

sashmore@warwickshire.ac.uk

07740419319

The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC1000329205.

Apply now

Closes in 27 days (Thursday 31 July 2025 at 11:59pm)

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