Organic tree propagation under Welsh nursery conditions

The demand for organically raised tree and hedging plants had been reported from organic farmers in Tir Gofal, as well as within the landscaping industry. Although there are a number of plant raising nurseries producing organically raised plants for vegetable and fruit production, there are no tree nurseries producing to organic standards. Nursery tree growers were concerned that there was currently too little known about the performance of tree seedlings in organic substrates (e.g. in root-trainers), nor about the nutrient supply to seedlings under organic regimes, nor about diseases control (especially fungal diseases such as mildew). Therefore, the development of three hedging species; Hawthorn, Hazel, Blackthorn, were tested for two growing systems in five different composts types; Ystwyth nursery mix, Peat based, Peat free based, Wood chip based, Organically certified green waste based. The results of these trials are reported here

Reconciling Hierarchy and Democracy: The Value of Management Learning.

Pluralistic organizations are often argued to have become an indisputable reality for senior managers. In consequence, the role of hierarchy has come under close scrutiny. How can organizations balance the need for congruence, provided through hierarchy, with the need for greater organizational democracy? As yet, the potential for management education and learning to impact on this debate, at either an organizational or a societal level, has been largely unfulfilled. This article argues that the aspirational values of liberal adult educationalists have a significant contribution to make to the management of contemporary organizations. It positions these values alongside the business requisites that shape organizations and examine the motivations of senior managers to apply these ideas in practice. The concept of voluntarism, derived from the field of political philosophy, is proposed as an alternative organizational binding mechanism that alters the rationale for the role of hierarchy. The implications for senior executives and management educationalists are considered