Developing a Landscaping Training Program

As the labor shortage continues, landscaping companies are shifting focus from hiring for experience to hiring for culture fit—and training for everything else. It’s a smart long-term strategy, but it takes time and planning.

In this article (part 1 of 2), we asked our industry partners how to streamline the landscaping training process, what topics to cover, how to use technology to your advantage, and whether hiring for culture over technical skills really works.

Lightening the Load of New Hire Training

A solid landscaping training program doesn’t have to be built from scratch. In fact, it probably shouldn’t be.

Phil Harwood of GrowTheBench.com recommends starting with industry-specific landscaping training programs that already exist: “These programs provide consistency and quality for every new hire and returning team member. Do your research and select which ones are the best fit for you. There is no reason to reinvent the wheel.”

Alongside ready-made landscape training tools, a clear framework for implementation is essential. Michael Maggiotto Jr. of BEST Human Capital & Advisory Group advises documenting training objectives, methods, and success criteria to ensure every new employee gets a consistent experience.

At Wilson360, Robert Clinkenbeard recommends onboarding plans that balance general orientation with role-specific training. That includes expectations around safety, attendance, equipment care, and SOPs.

For hands-on training, Maggiotto encourages the “See one, do one, teach one” method to reinforce knowledge and accountability. “Helping others understand the ‘why’ is critical for them to absorb and retain the knowledge or skill,” he explains.

You can also break your landscaping training efforts down by role and skill level. For example, you may create different tracks or modules for new hire onboarding, crew member skills, equipment safety, or supervisor training. Many companies—especially those using platforms like Greenius—set up employee Divisions and assign relevant video courses for each role. This approach helps ensure that each team member receives the right training for their responsibilities, from basic tool safety to team leadership and budgeting.

Using Video to Extend Your Training Program

Pre-recorded landscaping training videos are an efficient way to scale onboarding efforts while ensuring consistency. Levi Jett of Jett Facility Consultants notes that videos are best for “information only” topics that don’t require hands-on learning or extensive Q&A.

Even basic video recordings made on a phone can be repurposed for future landscaping training sessions. “It doesn’t have to be highly produced,” Jett says.

Still, local context matters. Jud Griggs of Harvest Group Landscape Consulting cautions against relying solely on generic, off-the-shelf online landscaping courses. “As you move from region to region and company to company, training needs to be more specialized. You can hire a local videographer, or train someone in your company to do this.”

Video training also allows new hires to train during downtime—whether that's rainy days, slow weeks, or in-between job sites. This flexibility makes it easier to keep crews engaged without disrupting the flow of work. It can also be used for seasonal planning and simulations, like mock storm training for snow removal teams, to help prepare crews for high-pressure situations before the season begins.

Tapping Into Peer Mentorship

The buddy system remains a powerful onboarding tool. Steve Steele of Wilson360 says it’s a great way to “lessen the load” on key employees while giving new hires real-time access to knowledge and standards.

Lauren Howell of Harvest Group is intentional about assigning mentors. “I always let them know I’ve noticed their skill and intend to make use of it to grow our team,” she says. “It’s not a punishment, but a compliment.” When possible, she even compensates high-performing mentors who contribute to effective landscaping training.

Strong mentorship is one of several ways landscaping companies can create a positive company culture that improves retention and engagement. (Explore seven other ways to strengthen company culture.)

What to Include in Your Training Curriculum

Your landscaping training program should have separate tracks for general onboarding, crew member skills, and crew leader responsibilities.

General Company Onboarding

Company culture, mission, structure, and rules—both written and unwritten—form the backbone of your onboarding. Katie Magoon of People Solutions Center recommends a standardized onboarding schedule and detailed checklists to avoid confusion and ensure a smooth experience.

Many landscaping companies find success in creating a formal calendar or checklist for the first 90 days, with benchmarks tied to both learning and behavior. For example, employees might be required to meet certain knowledge milestones—like identifying plants, tools, and safety equipment—before they receive their full uniform or a raise.

→ See an example onboarding outline from BEST Human Capital & Advisory Group

Crew Member Training

Technical lawn care training varies widely depending on the crew’s role—whether that’s maintenance, greenhouse, design/build, or other specializations.

“Every crew is different,” says Maggiotto. “The variety of ‘crews’ is nearly endless… what topics should be included on a training checklist will always be both business and crew specific.”

But some topics are universal—especially safety. “When complacency sets in by assuming all know and understand what and how to be safe, that is when safety incidents tend to occur,” he warns. Regular landscape safety training should be a cornerstone of any crew program.

Crew Leader Training

For crew leaders, Phil Harwood identifies five core responsibilities that should guide landscaping training:

• Set the standard through their own work
  
  
• Manage equipment and time reporting
  
  
• Supervise job performance and quality
  
  
• Train new team members
  
  
• Lead with a focus on team engagement and development

One practical method for teaching leadership skills is the DORAGI framework: Demonstrate, Observe, Re-demonstrate, Assign, Goal set, and Inspect. It’s a repeatable model that helps employees master new tasks while building confidence and accountability—especially useful for foremen or team leads. (For additional strategies to help crew leaders grow into their potential, see these expert tips for developing and empowering team members.)

→ Related Reading from the NALP: Focus on Safety Training When Onboarding

Leveraging Learning Management Software (LMS)

When you're ready to level up, a learning management system can make your landscaping training program more scalable and trackable.

Robert Clinkenbeard recommends Greenius for landscape training and Trainual for building customized programs. Russell Landscape Group uses Litmos, as reported by the NALP.

GrowTheBench.com is another online course built for the landscaping industry. Harwood says companies that succeed with LMS often assign someone to champion adoption and tie training completion to compensation or rewards. This type of structure also supports long-term employee growth and development.

Beyond delivering training, LMS data can improve your business. “The data recorded from the LMS can be cross-referenced by your HRIS,” says Maggiotto. “Reports reflecting training completion rates, program success rates, and even performance improvement after training can all be created.”

He adds that LMS tools don’t have to be expensive or complicated. Small businesses can often outsource to Administrative Services Organizations (ASOs) that bundle LMS, HRIS, ATS, and payroll functions at a lower cost—making landscaping courses online more accessible.

As previously mentioned, you can also use your LMS to set up divisions by job type (e.g., maintenance tech level 1, supervisor, sales) and assign different training videos to each role to keep learning relevant and progressive.

Hiring for Culture Fit vs. Technical Skills

Is it really wise to hire for culture and train the rest? According to our experts—yes, but with boundaries.

• “Hire for culture fit? Yes, but… know what you are willing and not willing to train a candidate on,” says Michael Maggiotto.
  
  
• “Character fit and culture fit always supersedes everything else,” says Levi Jett. “Toxic team members can cause bigger issues than underqualified ones.”
  
  
• “There needs to be a set of competencies and a willingness to learn,” adds Darrin Braun of Beyond the Software.
  
  
• “Often, experienced hires come with baggage,” warns Lauren Howell. “They may need re-training—and not all are open to that.”
  
  
• Steve Steele emphasizes balance: “A person that fits the culture but has no desire or ability to do the job will quickly become a problem.”
  
  
• “Give me a person with a great work ethic and positive attitude—I can teach them the technical aspects,” says Jud Griggs.
  
  
• Katie Magoon notes the value of defining trainable vs. non-trainable skills ahead of time. “This ensures that our unconscious biases don't filter our perceptions of cultural fit.”
  
  
• Robert Clinkenbeard agrees: “If you hire the right people culturally, this will lead to quality service. Technical skills can be trained through internal landscaping classes or local/regional experts.”
  
  

For more expert advice on building a people-first culture and retaining top talent, read these employee retention strategies for 2025.

Up Next: How to Host a Memorable Training Event

In part two, we’ll share tips for organizing engaging and effective training events for your landscaping crews.

→ Read Part 2: Conducting Training for Landscaping Crews

_{This article originally published on March 18, 2024. It was last updated on April 14, 2025.}