Another reason I wished to move away from commercial horticulture was the use of pesticides and chemical fertilisers. Although fully trained in their use I do not like using them. I will use them if I have to but only after exhausting all other possibilities.
For example when I took over the maintenance of Lake House, the Rose garden and all the Roses where extremely diseased. For the first year I had to use chemical fungicides to control the fungal diseases, which were prevalent. Once I had started to get some control I moved over to using a garlic and sea-weed based alternative, which I now use routinely with only limited use of fungicides.
My knowledge of soil leads me to conclude that chemical fertilizers are only a short-term solution and good fertilization requires looking at the whole environmental picture, especially caring for the soil. I also believe we should all be aware of where the fertilizers have come from and how they are manufactured. For more information click on this link:
www.livinggreen.info Chemical Fertilizers versus Organic Methods
One of the first things I do when I take over a garden is improve the soil by adding organic matter and organic fertilizers.
I nearly always use organic fertilizers, bio-stimulants (such as garlic based solutions) and biological control agents (parasitic wasps) to produce healthy vigorous plants able to resist pest and disease attack.
