New Florida rules mean rare citrus plants must sell or be destroyed
New government regulations that limit the growing of young citrus trees to indoor nurseries were designed to protect against the spread of diseases such as canker and greening. But there's one unintended consequence: Many of the rare or lesser-known varieties growing outdoors in Florida's citrus nurseries must be sold or destroyed, and soon.
One of the state's few best-known producers of hard-to-find varieties Harris Citrus Nursery, in the Tampa area is in a race now to sell hundreds of its larger trees to homeowners before the regulations take effect at the end of December
"It's a tragedy," said Herb Von Kluge, an Orlando business executive who has bought many of the unusual, heirloom citrus varieties from the Harris family's nursery through the years. "They have to get rid of the trees."
The unusual varieties range from the Ortanique on Swingle rootstock to the Sunquat on X-639, a still unnamed rootstock. The hybrid fruits have different parents from different trees and a blend of flavors and colors. Citrus trees typically are hybrids, with the rootstock at the base adding some hardiness and other characteristics to the fruit variety at the top.
"Most nurseries just don't carry the wide variety that we have collected," said Harris' manager, Ruth Nowland, whose parents, Paul and Rebecca Harris, started the business as a retirement hobby about 22 years ago.
Through the years, the Harrises collected many types of citrus that never caught on commercially. The fruit had too many seeds, for example, or exhibited some other characteristic that made it less suitable for mass cultivation and sale.
But the selections include citrus trees with legendary old-time taste, such as the Duncan grapefruit, the oldest variety grown. Another one is the Marsh grapefruit on "smooth flat Seville" rootstock. The nursery has about 25 of those left, in 5-gallon pots.
Prices vary by variety, but they have been slashed to wholesale or below-wholesale levels: about $14 for the smaller, 5-gallon-pot trees, to $199 for many of the tallest, older trees in 45-gallon pots.
Owens said the family decided it would cost too much to enclose the larger trees to meet the new indoor-cultivation regulations. Younger trees, in pots smaller than 5 gallons, are already inside and will continue to be grown, she said, keeping the unusual varieties' seeds and germplasm going for future generations to enjoy. Government agencies also have stored the rare seeds and a range of citrus rootsocks for research and breeding.
Not many landscape or foliage nurseries grow citrus trees for sale because of the government red tape, said Robert Vincent Sims, owner of Sims Nursery in Eustis.
"The regulations are just too much," said Sims, known as "The Garden Rebel" on his nationwide radio landscaping program and on television. Industry specialists said the Florida foliage industry is feeling the financial pinch from increased regulations and costs. But the tougher rules for citrus are necessary, said Ben Bolusky, executive director of the Florida Nursery Growers and Landscape Association, which is based in Orlando.
"Steps must be taken, such as these, to protect the future of the citrus industry," Bolusky said.
He noted that, in many cases, even members of the trade association who don't grow citrus have been hit by the new rules. All stock of the fragrant "orange jasmine" ornamental plant, for example, must be sold, moved indoors or destroyed by Jan. 1 statewide, he said, because the plant has been found to be a "host" for greening, a citrus disease that kills trees and renders the juice unpalatable well before the tree succumbs.
So the sweet-smelling orange jasmine bloom will become increasingly rare, banned from commercial outdoor cultivation.
"That's a really popular plant, especially in South Florida," he said.
Source: sun-sentinel.com
Publication date: 11/27/2007
