Crop Technician Apprentice
Darby Nursery Stock LTD · Thetford · posted 8 July 2026
Apply on the official government service →No Apprentice League account needed — we never gate applications.
Working across all departments in the nursery, despatch, production and within the technical team.
- Bed preparations including liverwort removal, raking and re-sanding
- Application of fertiliser and plant protection products
- Assisting with the application of biological controls
- Caning, tying and training plants on canes and trellis
- Maintenance work
- De-leafing plants
- Disposal of unsaleable or surplus plants
- Driving various vehicles on-site and between sites (where qualified to do so)
- Finishing, labelling and packing of plants for orders
- Fleecing and un-fleecing plants
- Grading bare root and young plant liners
- Hand-potting plants
- Hand-watering and automatic irrigation operation / monitoring
- Hand-weeding
- Collating / loading plants for orders
- Machine-potting plants
- Moving plants (from one location to another)
- Opening and closing tunnel and glasshouse doors and vents
- Operation of various hand-held equipment
- Root-pruning and pruning plants
- Selecting plants for orders or potting
- Selecting labels and retail prices labels for orders
- Upkeep of the site, production areas, roadways and structures
- Transporting plants and trees
- Wrapping trolleys
Your training
- Crop Technician Standard
- English and Maths (if required) Level 2
- Level 2 Award in Safe Use of Pesticides
- Level 3 Award in Emergency First Aid at Work
- Level 2 Award in Safe Application of Pesticides using Self-propelled, Mounted or Trailed Horizontal Boom Sprayers
Where it leads
On completion of this Apprenticeship, Crop Technicians will have the opportunity to progress within the industry, potential full time position at the nursery.
About Darby Nursery Stock LTD
For over six decades, we’ve been supplying UK garden centres with British-grown premium plants that look magnificent on shelves from day one. We offer a comprehensive range across six main product categories – Shrubs, Perennials, Clematis, Climbers, Trees and Soft Fruit – all grown slowly and ‘tough’ at our all-weather sites in Norfolk to ensure they are unforced and hardy. Focusing on varieties that we know will both sell well in garden centres and perform well in UK gardens, there is plenty to catch every customer’s eye, from old favourites and A-Z staples, to the more unusual and exciting new introductions.
Things to consider
- Ability to get to the nursery, ideally the candidate will have their own transport
- Good physical stamina, as the role involves manual labour outdoors
Skills they're looking for
Entry requirements
- GCSE English or Equivalent (grade A-C or 9-4) — desired
- GCSE Maths or Equivalent (grade A-C or 9-4) — desired
Where you'll work
- OLD FELTWELL ROAD, METHWOLD, THETFORD, NORFOLK, IP26 4PW
- Broad Fen Farm, Severalls Road, Methwold Hythe, Thetford, IP26 4QU
Similar apprenticeships
- Technician Apprentice (HGV)Trumbar Truck Care Limited · Suffolk
- Food and Beverage Team Member ApprenticePotton Hall Spa Limited · Westleton
- Production Chef ApprenticePotton Hall Spa Limited · Westleton
- Arable Farm ApprenticeCd Farming Limited · Clopton