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Horticulturist / Landscape Gardener

Agriculture

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.

You can enter this career straight after SPM. A degree is optional, not required.

AgricultureArchitecture & Built Environment

In Malaysia

O*NET's landscaping worker is mostly a grounds-maintenance job; in Malaysia the same skills lead to work at plant nurseries, fertigation and hydroponic farms, landscaping contractors, resorts, golf courses and city councils' parks departments. With a horticulture diploma you can join the Department of Agriculture as an assistant agriculture officer.

How people get into it here
Start after SPM with on-the-job training at a nursery or landscaping firm, or take an SKM in horticulture or landscape, a certificate from an agricultural institute, or a diploma in horticulture or agrotechnology. A landscape architecture degree leads to design roles.

Sources:spa.gov.myecentral.my

What you'd do all day

The tasks that matter most in this job, most important first.

  1. 1Gather and remove litter.
  2. 2Use hand tools, such as shovels, rakes, pruning saws, saws, hedge or brush trimmers, or axes.
  3. 3Operate vehicles or powered equipment, such as mowers, tractors, twin-axle vehicles, snow blowers, chainsaws, electric clippers, sod cutters, or pruning saws.
  4. 4Water lawns, trees, or plants, using portable sprinkler systems, hoses, or watering cans.
  5. 5Prune or trim trees, shrubs, or hedges, using shears, pruners, or chain saws.
  6. 6Mix and spray or spread fertilizers, herbicides, or insecticides onto grass, shrubs, or trees, using hand or automatic sprayers or spreaders.
  7. 7Use irrigation methods to adjust the amount of water consumption and to prevent waste.
  8. 8Provide proper upkeep of sidewalks, driveways, parking lots, fountains, planters, burial sites, or other grounds features.
  9. 9Shovel snow from walks, driveways, or parking lots, and spread salt in those areas.
  10. 10Maintain irrigation systems, including winterizing the systems and starting them up in spring.
  11. 11Plan or cultivate lawns or gardens.
  12. 12Care for established lawns by mulching, aerating, weeding, grubbing, removing thatch, or trimming or edging around flower beds, walks, or walls.
  13. 13Follow planned landscaping designs to determine where to lay sod, sow grass, or plant flowers or foliage.
  14. 14Trim or pick flowers and clean flower beds.
  15. 15Attach wires from planted trees to support stakes.
  16. 16Plant seeds, bulbs, foliage, flowering plants, grass, ground covers, trees, or shrubs, and apply mulch for protection, using gardening tools.
  17. 17Mow or edge lawns, using power mowers or edgers.
  18. 18Rake, mulch, and compost leaves.
  19. 19Maintain or repair tools, equipment, or structures, such as buildings, greenhouses, fences, or benches, using hand or power tools.
  20. 20Decorate gardens with stones or plants.
  21. 21Care 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.
  22. 22Install rock gardens, ponds, decks, drainage systems, irrigation systems, retaining walls, fences, planters, or playground equipment.
  23. 23Care for natural turf fields, making sure the underlying soil has the required composition to allow proper drainage and to support the grasses.
  24. 24Advise customers on plant selection or care.
  25. 25Haul or spread topsoil, or spread straw over seeded soil to hold soil in place.
  26. 26Build forms and mix and pour cement to form garden borders.

Also known as

What this job is called on JobStreet, LinkedIn and in job ads. Search these too.

  • Sexton
  • Sodder
  • Weeder
  • Yardman
  • Gardener
  • Caretaker
  • Greensman
  • Lawn Tech
  • Sod Layer
  • Groundsman

How far is this from you?

Roughly how much preparation this job usually takes. In Malaysia your UPU route and the programme's syarat still decide entry, so treat this as a guide, not a gate.

  1. 1

    Entry straight after SPM

  2. Typical entry

    SPM + sijil / short TVET course

  3. 3

    Diploma / TVET (sijil–diploma)

  4. 4

    Degree (ijazah sarjana muda)

  5. 5

    Postgrad (sarjana / PhD) or professional route

Typical educationLess than high school

Subjects that matter here

The SPM subjects worth your effort for this career, with the reason for each.

EnglishDraws directly on English Language — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).
ChemistryDraws directly on Chemistry — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).
Mechanical Engineering StudiesDraws directly on Mechanical — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).
PhysicsDraws directly on Mechanical — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).
Design & Technology (RBT)Draws directly on Mechanical — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).

What you'd need to know

The subject areas this job leans on most, and the SPM subjects that build them.

  • English Language68%

    English

  • Customer and Personal Service65%
  • Chemistry60%

    Chemistry

  • Mechanical59%

    Mechanical Engineering StudiesPhysicsDesign & Technology (RBT)

  • Public Safety and Security55%
  • Administration and Management53%

    BusinessEconomics

Tools you'd use

Software and equipment that show up in this job, worth learning early.

Where to learn these, free

Scholarships & funding

What the work feels like

Day-to-day working conditions, so you can tell whether the job suits how you like to work.

  • Face-to-face discussionsEvery day
  • Contact with other peopleConstant contact
  • Dealing with customers or the publicA little
  • Leading or coordinating othersNot at all
  • Handling conflict situationsOften
  • Indoors, air-conditionedAlmost never
  • Outdoors, in all weatherEvery day
  • Noisy environmentEvery day

Where this job is heading

Newer tasks O*NET has flagged for this occupation, a hint at how the role is changing.

  • Move furniture.

AI and demand for this job

A few real, dated data points — not a single score. AI making some tasks faster usually means a job changes, not that it disappears.

0%

Share of everyday tasks today's AI can already help with (2023)

This estimate is from 2023 — already out of date, since AI moves fast. Treat it as a rough, aging starting point, not the current picture.

Growing role in the US

US Bureau of Labor Statistics data, not Malaysian. Shown because it's the only forward-looking demand estimate we have for this job.

Pay in Malaysia

We don't have a sourced Malaysian salary range for this job yet, and we'd rather show nothing than a number we can't stand behind.

Where to check:

  • JobStreet and Hiredly job ads for this title
  • DOSM Salaries & Wages Survey
  • SSPA scheme tables, if you're aiming for a government post

Check what you may qualify for

Enter your SPM grades and see which routes and programmes you may qualify for. An estimate to plan with, not an offer.

Check my eligibility Not sure yet? Take the quiz

How to get here

Post-SPM pathways with programmes in this career's fields. Tap one to see real programmes and entry requirements.

Asasi / Foundation

One-year runway into a specific university: public via UPU or private direct entry.

12 months

Diploma

Skill-first qualification. Work after, or enter degree Year 2. Polytechnics keep it affordable.

2.5–3 years

Related careers

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About this information

This describes what the job involves. Pay, demand and entry routes differ in Malaysia, so check the Pathways and Programmes pages for local requirements.

O*NET occupation: Landscaping and Groundskeeping Workers

Job responsibilities, knowledge areas and work context from O*NET 30.3, US Department of Labor, used under CC BY 4.0. onetcenter.org