The perennial debate over which of the sexes has the greener fingers has finally been settled.

Men’s readiness to reach for the weedkiller for instant results means that they lag behind women in the environmental stakes, according to findings that were revealed at the Chelsea Flower Show yesterday.

Male gardeners’ “slash and burn” attitudes stand in contrast to the gentler, more organic approach of women, a panel of experts said.

According to the Royal Horticultural Society Chelsea Flower Show experts behind a new survey, men and women are irrevocably divided by gardens they often share.

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Guy Barter, the Royal Horticultural Society’s head of gardening advice, said that male gardeners were much more likely to strive for instant gratification than their female counterparts. He said: “It’s a completely different psychology. Men want to get results as quickly as possible and women have more empathy with the garden.

“Men are much more interested in making statements and having status symbols, while women look upon gardens as a harmonious whole.”

Mr Barter, who oversees an advisory service for the RHS’s 370,000 members, added that men were also more likely to be seduced by gadgetry. He said: “I think men just like the chug-chug of an engine. A lawn for a man is a statement of virility and they’re much more likely to collect trophy plants.

“I heard on the radio an interview with a man who collected rare and expensive tropical plants. He was asked why he went to the trouble, and he answered, ‘Because nobody else has got them’. That’s the attitude of a lot of men.”

Men’s urge to control gardens leads to them giving less consideration to environmental concerns, it was claimed.

The survey, conducted by Fetzer Vineyards and the RHS, found that women were more likely to have altered their gardening for environmental reasons. Nearly 80 per cent said that they were likely to alter their gardening style to make it more environmentally friendly, while that was true for around only 60 per cent of men; 58 per cent of men resorted to weedkiller compared with only 38 per cent of women.

Ann Thrupp, a sustainability manager for Fetzer Vineyards in California, said: “It’s almost a stereotype, but I think it’s an issue that men – and even some women – want the quick fix and there’s an assumption to go for chemicals.”

The survey found that 71 per cent of gardeners had installed a water butt in recent years in response to water shortages.

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