Hi folks,

Would there be any trouble in having cuttings mailed from private individuals in any of the lower 48 states to California? Or will I be restricted to trading / buying in-state or through select commercial nurseries?


regards
boffin

I live in California, and receive cuttings regularly with no problems.

Suzi

Legally, depends on where it's coming from.

See this page:

http://www.cdfa.ca.gov/plant/PE/interiorexclusion/ext_summary.html

Don't put California's agriculture industry at risk.

My Ag Commissioner referred me to http://www.nationalplantboard.org/laws/index.html when I wanted to know what restriction I had in shipping material out of California under my nursery license.  This site is used by many agencies to help get a usable summary of regulations for each state.  California is pretty restrictive though I think Oregon is even harder for some things I have personal experience with.

If someone is going to make the decision to violate the regulations I'd suggest that they at least deal with dormant cuttings instead of transporting live plants with soil since these post a greater risk.  But even dormant cuttings have the potential to harbor dangerous pests.  Although I'm not aware of any such pests for figs, the chestnut industry in Italy has had severe damage due to a oriental gall wasp which resides in dormant buds.  Combined with drought problems this year, the crop was down 80%.  The Eastern U.S. has also had problems with this same pest.

any of the list show Ficus carica and/or fig on them. so what exactly is the restriction on common figs? i know the risks. but what does the gov. agency do to prevent pests getting into CA or other states? do they spray them? or do they just collect the money and go.. "oh well"?

Pete, your first sentence seems incomplete so I'm not sure what you are saying.

California requires that most things that come into California be inspected by an ag official and a phytosanitary certificate issued.  That still doesn't insure that pests don't get here but it helps.  I don't see any specific restriction to Ficus specifically so dormant cuttings are probably clear to be shipped, but soil from many states is restricted.  Look at the sections "materials regulated" under each section in the regulation summary linked above.

HarveyC, where are you located?  Please put it on your profile.  Are you in California?  I repeat!  No problems here receiving cuttings, and I've received many from members here, and actually plants in dirt!  But, I spray with raid, dip in Physan 20 and nothing ever gets past that!!

I have never seen a bug of any kind in anything anyone has sent to me.  What if we had a thread, "don't send to Ohio!"  Jeeze!  You are killing me!!

Suzi

sorry, english isn't exactly my first language. what i meant to say was that the lists were not showing Ficus carica as being restricted. even after living in US for more than 30 yrs, my english isn't as good as it needs to be. belive me, i speak worse than i type.. and my korean is even worse since i'm not using it as often as i should. funny thing is i work with overseas customers most of the time.. europe.. asia.. it really doesn't help with my english either.

If I could figure out how to do a thumbs up, Pete!  I'd do it!  You got it!! thumbs up!!

suzi

Still want to know the location of this evil person who is restricting California from receiving cuttings...  But notice... He doesn't have what it takes to post that!!  I'll be happy to contact all states ag restrictions.  I will fight back!!

Pete, your English is more than adequate and I apologize if I caused any embarrassment.  I just wanted to make sure I understood what you were asking.

Suzi, I'm from Isleton, CA which is in lower Sacramento County.  Guess I should edit my signature line since it isn't in my profile.

Jake, I did send something media mail, not fig cuttings, but it came back, and I had to pay real postage for it.  I forget what it was, but from JD's mom's estate, doilies?  The cuttings I send just go in little padded envelopes and they don't raise red flags. 

Suzi

Jake, last year the USDA increased funding for inspections at sorting centers and I spoke to one of those inspectors after he had opened up six of my packages of chestnut shipments.  Even though I have a nursery license, I was unaware of requirements for shipping fruits/nuts and had to add a statement on my label as to contents.  There are many inspectors full-time inspecting packages with canine and they open up many packages.  You may not have seen it because of where you worked, but it definitely happens a lot.

Encouraging folks to go ahead and what they want is irresponsible.  We are struggling with many pests here in California because people have done that.  If you were trying to make a living growing crops you might view things differently but even citrus growers around Los Angeles see the importance after having their citrus trees stripped and sprayed.  All because some folks "shipped what they wanted."

Suzi,

All I read was Harvey relating what he was what he was told when contacting the agencies that govern the plant and nursery industry.  If you read his post you would see he runs a plant/nursery business out of California, Chestnuts if I am correct who he is. He as well was stating “I don't see any specific restriction to Ficus specifically so dormant cuttings are probably clear to be shipped, but soil from many states is restricted” Everything he wrote seems to be in an informative manner. California does it seems have more restrictive regulations than most states, that’s why you see the posts on California, as well as being the heart of various fruit industries which makes perfect sense  of those regulations.  I know Jon takes care to look into these regulations.  Just because you have received many cuttings from many places without any issues you are aware of doesn’t say anything other then someone sent them and you received them.  I think if you are that concerned you should do as you say and “contact all states ag restrictions” and report back what you find.  It seems like Harvey already has looked into some of that. I am not from CA. I am from GA, and I sure don’t know all the regulations, but I like others read the link above and saw nothing specific to Figs/Ficus.   I doubt that the California fruit industry has any real comfort that a household insecticide RAID , probably not even listed on fruiting plants is protecting their interests.

OMG, so nobody in california can get cuttings?  This is crazy!

Who ever started this thread should be shot!

I have the gun!!

Where did you read "nobody in california can get cuttings?"

And I would be willing to bet I have more and bigger guns. California like to regulate them as well.

Read the topic, strudeldog.  They are anti shipping to California, so I'll take it a step further.  No shipping to anyplace but California!!

I did  read the topic and I don’t see the original post being “anti shipping to California” , but sincere in asking , and  who could blame them for asking.  Regulations are not always easily interpreted, and there sure is enough contradiction and misleading statements on the forum here.

Sadly, some people just want what they want and really don't give a damn about any negative consequences that the fulfillment of their desire may have on others.  Regulations are put in place to stop or slow the spread of invasive species, pests, plants and disease.

When I moved to OR I called and asked what I had to do to bring my figs in.  All I had to do was pay a state inspector $35.  They came to my home, looked at the potted plants and said ok.  They filled out a form and that was it.  When I came to the border of Oregon I had to show the certificate, the guard looked at the plants and it was done.

Okay, I see now I missed some of the exciting posts in this thread in-between my own posts. I had two tabs open for this thread at the same time, ugh.

Suzi, the thread was asking about the legality of shipping cuttings into California.  I posted a link to the summaries of regulations for all states.  As I indicated in post #6, I do not see any restrictions in those summaries (nor in the CDFA page linked by Waiting in post #3) from shipping dormant cuttings into California from other U.S. states.  However, shipping plants in soil is restricted from several states.

I don't know if your reference to the "evil person" in your post #9 was to me or not.  I added it to my signature line today but checked my profile and it was already there.  I've not changed my profile since I joined this forum in 2008.  I certainly don't post as much here as you do but a few members, including Jon, have been to my place so I'm certainly not hiding from anyone.

I have had to deal with ag officials more than most anyone else in this forum, I'm guessing, because of my profession.  It can be frustrating at times but people do like to have food on their table and importing pests can play havoc with that.  I've shipped pomegranate plants to Florida and thought it was pretty silly that they required a snail certificate from my ag inspector ($35 plus 30 mile round-trip drive) even though they already have a lot of snails in Florida and I have none on my place.

I'm with strudeldog, I bet I've got more and bigger guns too! :P  Even though they are too regulated here, IMO....

Fun reading ;)

http://www.cdfa.ca.gov/exec/county/documents/usps_mou-signed_6-2011.pdf

Oh figs...hide.
The artillery may be coming out now all because of you..

California has the most restrictive ag import regulations in the nation, and possibly in the world.  I think it was very responsible of the OP to ask that question.  

(Typed from my bunker wearing protective glasses, a helmet and full body armor).

The OP should be commended for asking this question.

If you think the whole thing is silly read this:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/03/31/huanglongbing-california_n_1393980.html

The document I initially referred to does not list ficus specifically. However, there is one blanket exclusion that would seem to include fig cuttings:

"All earth, plants and plant parts with roots; all parts of plants produced below ground or soil level and all plant cuttings for propagation."

From: Puerto Rico and AL, AR, FL, GA, HW, LA, MS, NC, SC, TX

Pest: Burrowing and Reniform Nematode

This does not mean you cannot legally receive plant material from those areas, they can be inspected and a phyto-sanitary certificate issued.

I have legally received blueberry plants from Florida. Come Spring I'm going to get lychee and mango trees from there, as well.

I would love to grow heirloom sugar cane but the only source I've found is a small outfit in Florida and it's not worth their time to have a small order inspected. So I'll do without.

If he has any left, I'm going to get some of Mario's fig cuttings from Bill in KY (not a restricted state).