I placed a order for fig cuttings,set up a FedEx account.
When I get home this evening,I checked my emails.
Before I forget,Hello everybody,as you can see I am new here.
Is it worth the $50.00 for the certificate? You can buy a lot of cuttings for &50.00.That I know will survive NC weather.


Below is a copy of the email,

Hello:
We have received your request for germplasm as follows: Ficus
We do not distribute live plants, only cuttings (as in budwood) rhizomes and seeds when available. The material listed does not produce seeds here in Miami. Most of the material requested is distributed as budwood to be grafted on to existing rootstock grown by the recipient.
The State of Florida Department of Plant Industry (DPI) charges $50 for the phytosanitary certificate (DOES NOT APPLY TO FLORIDA RESIDENTS). This is required of all plant material crossing state borders. You need to send us a check made out to DPI (not the USDA) Florida. This cost is the same regardless of the amount of budwood being sent.
The recipient is responsible for the cost of shipping from the SHRS germplasm collection. For convenience in expediting shipment of the requested material, the recipient should set up a UPS/DHL/FedEx account, we will send the specifics of package size and weight. The recipient can generate a label as a pdf file and send that to us to affix to the package. If you have any questions please feel free to contact me. Upon receipt of confirmation of the UPS/DHL/FedEx account set up, we will work with you on filling this request.
Upon receipt of the check for the phytosanitary certificate we will work with you on filling this request.
Regards,
L

Tomas Ayala Silva, Ph.D., Horticulturist/Curator
USDA-ARS-SHRS, National Germplasm Repository

I live in Florida and have no idea what Florida has to do with cuttings shipped from California to North Carolina, am I not reading this correctly?

I did a search going by what I read there is a repository in Miami,Florida. The cuttings have to be shipped from Florida.

Okay, but most of us get our cuttings from http://figs4fun.com/UC_Davis.html

By the way Jimmy, welcome to the forum! UCD/USDA cuttings only cost is shipping.

I think you may have requested the wrong type of ficus. There are several.

Go here and try again

http://www.ars.usda.gov/Main/docs.htm?docid=12146

The above link is where I place the order. But what I believe what is causing the $50.00 fee is the ornamental ficus cuttings. I,ll put in another order and leave out the ornamental ficus.

Welcome, Jimmy.

Go to http://www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/npgs/swish/accboth?query=ficus+carica&submit=Submit+Text+Query&si=0 and chose from here.  The Davis repository obtains phytosanitary certificates from Yolo County but does not charge for them.  Most counties in California will charge a minimum fee for one phyto but can also do an hourly fee and I imagine that works out cheap enough that it's not worth trying to collect a fee for that.  I was previously told by staff at Davis that they don't even has a system set up to collect any sort of payment.

There's a YOLO county? Now that's funny.

Where everyone is dropping the Double Cork 1440.

So if I received the initial confirmation order does that mean the order for fig cuttings will be sent? Is the Fedex / ups account a must for delivery? An institution/ research is very narrow definition for a recipient and would likely require documentation for confirmation of recipient status? any comments out there for recent delivery from the NCGR

They don't take orders anymore. You need to join the NRFG and attend scion exchanges since that's where the US Davis cuttings are distributed. Keep in mind the are less then 20 varieties at the events.

Welcome to the forum, Jimmy!