PLANT HEALTH POLICY

Our company considers plant health and biosecurity of utmost importance. We are registered as a Professional Operator with the Science and Advice for Scottish Agricultural (SASA), as legally required, for plant passporting.

As a company, we adhere to the plant health policy of the Horticultural Trades Association (HTA) and will: 

• Always assess plant health risks prior to undertaking any horticultural business activities.
  

• Endeavour to educate / train staff and inform our clients of the importance of good plant health.
  

• Maintain plant passport records for each project within the business.
  

• Specify ranges of plants that are less susceptible to pest and disease.
  

• Specify the smallest plants possible in the knowledge that larger plants can provide a greater biosecurity risk.
  

• Ensure that growing media and soils are appropriate for planting as stressed plants pose a greater risk to infections. Good plant husbandry is key to reducing the impact of most diseases. So we will ensure plants are appropriately watered. When moving plants, we will take care not to damage them, to unload as quickly as we can when arriving at site and to ensure they have adequate water, air and light.
  

• Endeavour to only use nurseries that have robust plant health policies and robust monitoring systems in place and are registered “Professional Operators”

• Support local nurseries and UK grown plants or plants that have been imported responsibly. We will research the source of plants carefully and only select plants from reliable suppliers that practice good biosecurity.
  

• Ensure we have effective procedures in place when plants are delivered, and these are communicated to our staff or sub contractors. We will look for symptoms / signs of pest or disease damage.
  

• Communicate sound husbandry practices to clients and where necessary sub-contractors to ensure plants stay healthy.
  

• Regularly disinfect tools and machinery.
  

• Bag infected material and dispose of it appropriately.
  

• Continue to work collaboratively with external organisations to contribute to the management of plant health risks to the UK.
  

• Endeavour to keep up to date with all current legislation relating to Plant Health.