Plant protection in private gardens in germany: Between growing environmental awareness, knowledge and actual behaviour

Abstract

The issue of plant protection on private land is currently caught between a growing awareness of the environment and real action. While the application of pesticides in agriculture is a thematic field of regulation and monitoring, the private sector is comparably a grey zone. Here, monitoring activities are the exception, so the correct use of pesticides depends on the sense of responsibility of the amateur gardener. To shed some light on the current use of plant protection products in home gardens and allotments in Germany, an explorative approach combining a nationwide survey and expert interviews has been chosen. In addition to a change of generations and a corresponding diminishing knowledge base for garden issues, the results show a growing rejection of pesticides on the one hand, but a consistently high proportion of pesticide applications on the other hand, with herbicides partly being used on paved areas.