Thanks Richard I didn't plan on not getting a permit if I choose to order. Karl On Feb 22, 2013 6:37 PM, "Richard" <richrd@nas.com> wrote: > We're a certified nursery as is every nursery in the US that ships > interstate, or exports to Canada. We are inspected every year for > Phytopthera ramorum, (Sudden Oak Death), an introduced fungus that infects > many species including liliaceae. This disease is present in GB, the EU, > Sweden, Italy, and certain locations in North America. Here the disease > apparently is spread on nursery stock from commercial nurseries. We are > fearful of an infection at our bare-root, field grown nursery, a positive > would essentially shut down our operations until we could demonstrate the > nursery is disease free. Our only defense is to essentially quarantine our > nursery by only propagating from seed and avoiding any plant material > import, also keeping customer cars and trucks away from our fields since > the disease is soil borne. In neighboring British Columbia, standards for > commercial nurseries are even more restrictive than here in Washington. > > Before the annual inspection by APHIS, here in the US anyway, many > commercial nurseries apply heavy doses of fungicides that suppress these > fungi, making it unlikely, even if the disease is present it will be > detected. There are millions of dollars at stake for the nurseryman. As a > result nursery stock is the primary agent of distribution for this disease. > Nurseries who ship intrastate only and individuals moving plants around are > not regulated. This disease in warm, humid climates like coastal northern > California, has escaped to native plant populations. This is a serious > problem, one that I have been told by APHIS that eventually we will lose. > In certain California locations, the disease is endemic in native flora > surrounding commercial nurseries and gardens. > > I have no problem bringing seed onto our farm. A good seed collection is > totally clean.Any debris collected in the seed cleaning process should be > burned or sent to a landfill. Once the disease becomes established in our > native plant populations, our viburmums, maples, rhododendrons, douglas fir > and many, many perennials seed acquisition for our seed propagation of > native plants will become very difficult. Just from the standpoint of this > single disease I think the standards should be expanded to include movement > of live plant material from all nurseries and private gardens. Current > standards have been a political decision that will eventually bite us all. > > Unfortunately diagnosis of this disease is very difficult. Symptoms vary > greatly between species. In a briefing from APHIS last year we were told > the list of susceptible plant species and families keeps expanding and will > likely continue. I would suggest when bringing plant material on to your > garden it be isolated for a period if time and to submit any diseased > material for diagnosis. And please let the regulatory system function. > > Rich H > Bellingham, Wa., > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > pbs mailing list > pbs@lists.ibiblio.org > http://pacificbulbsociety.org/list.php > http://pacificbulbsociety.org/pbswiki/ >