High School

Take agriculture, shop, and other courses that will help you gain familiarity with the machinery, fertilizers, and chemicals used in lawn maintenance. Agriculture courses will also teach you about different grasses and plants, and how to care for them. Business and accounting courses are also useful to learn about record keeping, budgeting, and finances.

Postsecondary Training

After high school, you can learn about lawn maintenance on the job, either by assisting someone with an established lawn care business, or by taking on a few residential customers yourself. Though a college degree is not necessary, lawn and gardening service owners benefit from advanced courses such as small business management and finance to help run their business.

Certification

The Professional Grounds Management Society offers the School of Grounds Management Certificate Program to students who complete coursework in the following areas: People, Leadership and Culture; Financial and Program Management; and Technical Management. Visit https://pgms.org/page/SchoolofGroundsManagement for more information. The National Association of Landscape Professionals (NALP) offers two certificate programs: landscape technician and principles of turfgrass management. Visit https://www.landscapeprofessionals.org/LP/LP/Certification/Certification-NALP.aspx for more information. Colleges and universities offer certificate programs in horticulture, business management, and related fields. Contact schools in your area for information about available programs.

Other Education or Training

The International Franchise Association offers continuing education (CE) classes, webinars, and workshops such as Marketplace Fundamentals, Knowledge-Driven Financial Performance, and Cash Flow: How to Prevent Your Cash Flow From Going South. The National Association of Landscape Professionals and Professional Grounds Management Society offer a variety of horticulture-related CE opportunities, some of which are available only to members. Contact these organizations for more information.

Certification or Licensing

Certification is not required, but many lawn and garden service owners choose to earn professional certifications—such as landscape industry certified manager—from the National Association of Landscape Professionals. The Professional Grounds Management Society, Golf Course Superintendents Association of America, Sports Field Management Association, and the International Society of Arboriculture also provide certification.

Most states require lawn care professionals who apply pesticides to be licensed. This usually involves passing a written examination on the safe use and disposal of toxic chemicals. Contractors and other self-employed people may also need a license to operate their businesses.

Aspiring lawn and gardening service owners should obtain as much experience in the field as possible by participating in summer internships and part-time jobs with lawn care service companies, golf courses, and public gardens.

As entrepreneurs, lawn and gardening service owners need to have people skills and be self-motivated to successfully promote their own business and attract clients. They need to be good salespeople and committed to doing a quality job for every customer. Service owners should have an eye for detail to notice all the areas where lawns need work. They must also be in fairly good health to withstand the hard labor that the job calls for, often during the heat of the summer.