Responsibilities of a Landscaper

Planning and Scheduling

• Since soil properties, weather patterns and natural pests vary so much in different geographic areas, a landscaper needs to have knowledge of these variances to choose which plants will thrive. He develops and implements daily, weekly and monthly maintenance schedules for watering, feeding, pruning and trimming the foliage. His plans must be flexible to accommodate extreme weather fluctuations or recover from natural disasters like floods, droughts, insect infestations or damaging storms.

Technical Knowledge

• To keep his properties in good shape, a landscaper needs expertise in quickly identifying and resolving plant problems. He needs knowledge of soil testing and analysis, different types of plant and lawn food, plant pairing and natural and chemical pest repellents. A landscaper needs to keep abreast of the anticipated climate changes in his geographic area to protect plants from early frosts or help them withstand droughts or floods. If his job entails caring for land that is shared with animals, he needs avoid plants harmful to wildlife.

Physical Requirements

• Landscaping is a labor-intensive profession that requires good stamina and physical strength. A landscaper operates tractors and power tools to cut grass, prune trees and shrubs and trim tree branches. He needs good manual dexterity to use shovels, rakes, hoes, pruning shears, wheelbarrows and various hand tools. The job requires heavy lifting of bags of soil, fertilizers, gravel and sand as well as extensive bending and stretching. Landscapers need good physical fortitude to withstand working in inclement weather.

Communication and Administrative Skills

• A landscaper needs good communication skills to interact with his customers and vendors. He must have a clear understanding of what his clients want, give them informed recommendations on landscaping options and negotiate terms and conditions of his work agreements with them. Good working relationships with vendors and subcontractors help him provide good service at competitive prices. If a landscaper is an independent contractor, he has to maintain appropriate inventory levels, handle his own marketing and advertising and maintain accurate accounting records. Landscapers with crews have to understand and comply with workers' compensation and payroll tax guidelines and provide ample liability insurance coverage or be bonded to protect against lawsuits.