Head Grower

Head Grower Position

Looking for a demonstrated leader to grow ornamental and edible plants for our retail garden center and run a greenhouse as if it were your own operation. City Floral Garden Center has a 3 acre greenhouse growing operation located on west side of Denver, Colorado near the Arvada/Golden areas. Individual will work with Assistant Growers and hourly staff members to grow crops of annuals, vegetables, herbs, and perennials sold at City Floral Garden Center in Denver. The facility includes over 63,000 sf of heated greenhouse space in multiple structures. The production includes a vast variety of finished annuals and vegetables in flats of packs and pots, #1 and #2s, hanging baskets and patio pots as well as a modest perennial program. City Floral is a 115 year old company with a solid reputation and history in the Denver market. The growing operation is of great importance to the garden center’s position as the largest garden center in the City of Denver.

Job requirements include:

· Knowledge of greenhouse production on a commercial scale with a hands on approach

· Experience with annuals and vegetables required. Experience with blooming crops such as poinsettias, cyclamen, and garden mums preferred. Experience with perennial growing preferred. 

· Proficiency in seed sowing, propagation and plug production practices as well as growing in a range of sizes including packs, 4” pots, #1s, patio pots and hanging baskets.

· Ability to set-up and supervise transplant lines and ensure that production occurs according to a forecast

· Run a propagation program for annuals, herbs and groundcover perennials including keeping stock plants and arranging propagation protocol and planting needs.

· Understanding of irrigation practices and plant nutrition

· Experience with setting up and maintaining an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Strategy

· Knowledge of disease, insect and weed problems and an ability to run a program that controls these problems

· Knowledge of greenhouse climate control systems (Wadsworth) and ability to troubleshoot problems in water lines and heating and cooling systems

· Desire to research problems in pests, crops, or other issues that arise in the growing of plants

· Desire to be detail oriented, looking for small changes in crops 

· Understanding of quality control for shipping purposes

· Ability to maintain an inventory of finished crops and complete availabilities for the garden center

· Oversee all ordering and recieging for the facility including plastic, soil, seeds, tags, and vegetative liners.

· Ability to conduct interviews, hire seasonal employees, and be accountable for a staff count based upon production needs.

· Ability and desire to develop staff and train a seasonal staff on basic growing practices every year.

· Willingness to learn in a fast paced, intensely seasonal environment

· Ability to forecast crops within a team environment and familiarity with ordering materials for production from standard brokers and greenhouse supply companies

· Ability to track production, crop timing, growing practices, ready dates and other metrics for crop management