5 questions with Peter Robinson

It is five years since experienced nurseryman, Peter Robinson, joined ICL’s Technical Area Sales Manager team working with growers in the North-West.  Here we ask him 5 questions about his horticultural interests.

Why did you choose a career in horticulture?

I didn’t!  Aged 15 and having finished school for the holidays, I was all set for a lazy summer when I found out my mother had arranged for me to start at Bridgemere Garden World the following Monday morning! After much futile protesting, off I went on my pushbike. Having thoroughly enjoyed the six weeks (and the money!) I stayed on working weekends and holidays before moving away to study for an HND in commercial horticulture at Writtle College.

What hands on nursery experience do you have? 

During my college years I continued working at Bridgemere during the holidays, and for my sandwich year I worked at Johnsons of Whixley. After graduating, I spent 20 years working for several leading ornamentals nurseries in the North-West, working my way up to Nursery Manager. In search of a new challenge, I then spent 14 years specialising in sales and technical support in fertigation and precision irrigation – before joining ICL in 2019.

As a fertigation specialist, what do you like about the Universol range?

It is well defined in terms of each product’s specific use and is colour-coded. For example, Universol Blue is a well-balanced feed for mid-season, while Universol Green delivers a Nitrogen boost for extra growth etc. Easy to use, the products dissolve quickly and completely, maximising nutrient availability and help ensure a clean irrigation system. There are also products specifically designed for soft or hard water. While the rates are simple to understand and the stock tank mix and dilution ratios easy to calculate, there are also useful calibration and dosing rate instructions in the datasheets. All in all, it’s a great value range.

What excites you about the future?

The move into biostimulants and IPM products – implementing integrated pest management and integrated disease management programmes to reduce chemical inputs. The fact that many of these biological products can be growing media incorporated is a bonus for growers.

How do you relax at weekends?  

I have a decent sized garden which takes a bit of looking after. Then there are the tomatoes – all 35 of them! Every year I say I’m only going to grow a few. Then I start sowing the seeds and the project develops a life of its own, a couple of this variety, three of that …….