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Elements and Performance Criteria

1. Prepare to work
   • Select and use appropriate materials, tools and equipment
   • Identify work health and safety hazards, assess risks and implement suitable controls
   • Select, use and maintain suitable safety and personal protective equipment (PPE)
2. Monitor and maintain the nursery environment
   • Monitor environmental parameters against the needs of the plants
   • Alter environmental parameters, as required, to meet the needs of nursery plants and market requirements
   • Service irrigation system components for basic operational use and repair or replace basic user serviceable parts
3. Determine daily water requirements
   • Determine water requirements according to the needs of the plant and environmental parameters
   • Apply water to meet the needs of the plant group
   • Monitor water requirements of the plant
4. Promote plant growth by intervention
   • Test potting media in production areas to ensure quality specifications are met
   • Monitor the health of the plant
   • Undertake plant interventions as required
   • Dispose of waste with full consideration of the environmental implications
5. Complete work
   • Clean and store equipment, tools and equipment
   • Maintain records on all maintenance activities

Range Statement

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Performance Evidence

The candidate must be assessed on their ability to integrate and apply the performance requirements of this unit in a workplace setting. Performance must be demonstrated consistently over time and in a suitable range of contexts.

The candidate must provide evidence that they can:

prepare for nursery plant maintenance activities

calculate daily water needs

implement a range of plant maintenance activities

monitor plant health

operate irrigation systems

recognise stages of plant growth

record workplace information

repair or replace user serviceable irrigation components

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Knowledge Evidence

The candidate must demonstrate knowledge of:

the principles and practices of nursery plant maintenance

botany and plant physiology as it applies to plant maintenance

characteristics of various types of potting media

common problems that occur with nursery plants and their treatment

effect of different pruning and intervention methods

effects of environmental parameters on plant growth

factors affecting the growth of nursery plants

methods of calculating daily water needs

optimum growing conditions for a range of plants in a nursery

principles and operations of a range of irrigation systems used in nurseries

processes for modifying environmental parameters

relationship between plant water needs and environmental parameters

symptoms of unhealthy plants

treatments required by plants at different stages and environmental parameters

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