LAWN CARE SPECIALIST

Lawns can often make up a significant portion of a residential, commercial, or public outdoor space. While it may appear that lawns are easy to manage, there is quite a bit of science and maintenance that is required to properly care for a lawn. Lawn care specialists are landscaping professionals that are experts in all things related to lawn care. They are responsible for seeding lawns, applying fertilizers, controlling pests and weeds, and ensuring clients are equipped with the knowledge to adequately care for their lawns. Lawn care specialists are problem solvers who assess the needs of lawns and make plans to care for and maintain them.

WHAT ARE OTHER COMMON NAMES FOR A LAWN CARE SPECIALIST?

LAWN CARE TECHNICIAN, LAWN TECHNICIAN, LAWN CARE PROFESSIONAL

What will you do?

Lawn care specialists play an important role in landscaping, horticulture, and grounds maintenance. In general, they:

Visit clients to assess the health of lawns
Inspect lawns for weeds, insect, and diseases
Identify unhealthy lawns; analyze, diagnose, and specify treatments
Apply fertilizers, pesticides, and other lawn care products
Aerate, dethatch, slit-seed, and roll lawns

Where will you work?

Lawn care specialists are in demand across many industries. Lawn care specialists can be employed by:

What advancement opportunities are available?

Lawn care specialists can advance in their field by obtaining further education and on-the-job training while staying up to date on the latest best practices in lawn care maintenance. With enough experience, lawn care specialists may advance to management positions at landscaping and grounds maintenance companies. Some may also start their own companies or work as consultants.

Future employment prospects for lawn care specialists in Ontario are positive. In 2020, there were over 500 job postings for lawn care specialists and other landscape technicians across Ontario.

What can you expect to earn?

In Ontario, the median annual wage for a Lawn Care Specialist is 39,520. Pending experience, responsibilities, location, hours of work, and qualifications a Lawn Care Specialist can expect to make between $32,240 and $57,283.

WHAT’S IT LIKE TO BE A LANDSCAPE AND HORTICULTURE TECHNICIAN?

Work Context

Work outdoors, exposed to weather

Spend time using your hands to handle, control, or feel objects, tools, or controls

Interact with customers and clients

Exposed to contaminants

Work Attributes

Dependability

Integrity

Attention to detail

Initiative

Adaptability/flexibility

What education and certifications do I need to do this work?

HOW DO I BECOME A LAWN CARE SPECIALIST IN ONTARIO?

Similar to other occupations in landscaping and horticulture, there is no singular path to becoming a lawn care specialist. In Ontario, some people will begin as landscape or grounds maintenance labourers and later acquire additional training and experiences to specialize in lawn care. There are courses and certificates available for lawn care specialists to ensure they are trained on the proper application of pesticides and other materials. Many lawn care employers look to hire new people who are interested in horticulture and grounds maintenance, regardless of their experience, so long as they are hard working, eager to learn, and have an interest in lawn care. However, it is considered an asset to have education or experience in horticulture.

Many Ontario colleges and universities offer horticulture programs, which will give you a solid foundation in horticulture knowledge and expertise that is an asset many employers look for. There are also several industry associations that provide certification in pesticide application, which is essential for many lawn care specialists.

Examples of in-school training can include, but is not limited to:

Plant science, botany and plant identification
Plant material and plant-handling techniques
Plant propagation techniques and plant production
Turf grass management
Landscape construction
Pest management
Landscape equipment maintenance
Irrigation (components, pipe layout and spray rates)
Site layout, and grading and drainage
Workplace communication and applied trade mathematics
Applied safety procedures and first aid

HOW DO I BECOME A CERTIFIED LAWN CARE SPECIALIST?

Individuals looking to obtain certification for lawn care can do so through industry associations. For example, the Canadian Nursery Landscape Association offers a national Lawn Care Technician program.

Programs and Apprenticeships

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