by James Alexander-Sinclair
Everybody is organic, or trying to be. I am mostly organic. I realise that some of my more zealous fellow gardeners might think that isn't really good enough...
To spray, or not to spray? That is indeed the question.
A couple of decades ago it was not really a question worth asking: pretty much every gardener killed stuff indiscriminately. Aphids? Aaarghh ... squirt. Mildew? Gothcha … squirt. Worm casts in the lawn? Not on my watch … squirt. Squirt … out damned blackspot. Caterpillars? No way, Jose … squirt, etc, etc. The default action was to reach for easily accessible and much-advertised chemicals.
A couple of decades before that not only did gardeners kill stuff but they did so with some seriously dangerous kit. Last year I blogged about discovering an undisturbed shed, containing bottles of liquid nicotine, powdered arsenic and all manner of scary-looking fumigators and puffers.
Things have changed a bit. No longer do television presenters urge the use of chemical warfare (you may remember that Percy Thrower got the sack for taking the chemical shilling). Nowadays everything is much more gentle and nature friendly. Everybody is organic, or trying to be. I am mostly organic. I realise that some of my more zealous fellow gardeners might think that isn't really good enough, but my logic says that every little bit helps and organic evangelism can sometimes put people off. Nobody really likes to be hectored or preached at: it often has the opposite effect. Especially if those doing the nagging are politicians.
I use no pesticides or fungicides, no fertilisers beyond bonemeal and manure, but my particular chemical of choice is glyphosate. This, as I'm sure you all know, is a weedkiller that acts upon the leaves of any plant but becomes inert when in contact with the soil. I believe that when it was first invented the salesmen used to finish their pitch by drinking some of the stuff - on the grounds that it only harmed plants and did no damage to people! I'm not prepared to go that far…
My job, when I'm not having a lovely time writing for you lot, is to design and make gardens for people. Sometimes this involves taking untouched or overgrown ground and turning it into something else. Rather than spend a lot of time (and client's money) digging out perennial weeds and scrappy grass, I tend to spray the whole lot off instead.
I have tried burning them but that doesn't really work, so until someone comes up with an alternative, I'm afraid I can't put my hand on my heart and say that I'm 100% organic.
Does that make me a bad person? I don't think so.
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