Greenhouse Lead Grower

Walters Gardens, located in Zeeland, MI, has been a leading grower of perennial plants since 1946. We take great pride in the superior quality of our young plants and field grown products, diverse product selection, customer-focused staff, our extensive hybridizing program, and the ability to offer the best new introductions from around the world. In 2024 we planted over 19 million liners to be shipped for sale to garden centers throughout the USA and Canada. We highly value our employees and are proud to offer competitive pay, great benefits, and a culture that promotes the family values which have kept us growing for 76 years. We are currently seeking a Lead Grower to assist in day-to-day operations of the growing department. Knowledge and Skills Required: 2+ years of Greenhouse/Nursery work experience Bachelor’s Degree in Horticulture or related field Bilingual in Spanish and English preferred Strong leadership and organizational skills Ability to work independently Available to work on call and weekends as needed Computer skills (including Microsoft Office) Environmental control management beneficial Pesticide Applicator License beneficial Key Responsibilities: Growing Validate and supervise irrigation programs in areas to ensure that plants are receiving optimum water requirements. Train growers in ranges to decide which items to conduct in-house EC/pH fertility tests on and how to adjust fertilization program based off results. Collaborate with IPM employees on the appropriate measures needed to control insects, diseases, or pathogens on crops. Review crops on a weekly basis and make sure they are free of weeds, moss, and liverwort. Set-up, record, and validate items to get plant growth regulator applications in growing ranges. Develop and provide watering coverage for Friday, weekend, and holiday watering. Environment Management Manage environmental controls in growing areas that monitor greenhouse temperatures, humidity levels, lights, irrigation schedule, and other greenhouse functions. Update information in Plant Path for future reference for crops in your area. Develop move lists of items out of ranges to make sure plants are placed in optimum growing environments. Inventory Review sales forecast reports on a weekly basis to ensure upcoming orders will be fulfilled. Review greenhouse processing requests on a weekly basis to determine best methods for working on batches. Report on quality and update stand percentages. Enter greenhouse processing requests for resorting, cleaning, and moving for items growing ranges. Review items that are flagged to be mowed to make sure they are getting trimmed to proper height at the correct time. Team Leadership Be an active member of the Greenhouse Management Team. Assist in the hiring of growing staff to fill vacancies. Train, manage, and motivate growing staff. Help answer plant production questions from customers, customer care, and sales support Participate in trade shows or company events when asked.