Don't know if anyone already posted this anywhere.

From my email to the Florida Budwood Program:


> Mr. Bergen,
>
> Unfortunately, the new regulations do not allow homeowners to bud any
> longer. You would have to purchase trees from a registered nursery or a
> store like Walmart, Home Depot, Lowe's, etc.
>
> Thank you for checking on this.
>
> Vicki Fisher
> Citrus Budwood Registration
> FL Dept. of Agriculture and Consumer Services
> 3027 Lake Alfred Road
> Winter Haven FL 33881-1438
> (863) 298-7712
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: jbergen@sunstoneengineeringinc.com
> [mailto:jbergen@sunstoneengineeringinc.com]
> Sent: Thursday, February 22, 2007 2:08 PM
> To: Budwood
> Subject: Budwood for home use
>
> Can a Florida resident still order budwood for home use with the new
> policy in
> effect?
>
> Thanks for any info.
>
> Jeff Bergen

The new home owner regulations are "certainly the answer to Florida's citrus problem -- "no doubt about that" -- those home owners, look at all the damage they have caused the citrus industry. In the past I foolishly had some doubts about the wisdom of Florida's Agricultural officials, but now I can see that they are THE MAN when it comes to weeding out the REAL problem causers.

Millet
Carl Linnaeus 1707 -1778
300th Anniversary

This really saddens me. I have been growing out a bunch of flying dragon rootstock for a grafting this coming spring of varieties I don't have. No I won't be able to. It just makes no sense.

ALL HAIL the WISDOM of Florida Agricultural Officials!!!

That is a big mistake! How is this suppose to reduce the spread of disease? It will do the exact opposite!

I have to agree with Skeet, wouldn't it just invite more people to illegally bring in budwood. This seems strange that they would do this because all of the budwood that they supply is virus and disease free anyway so what do they accomplish my implementing this ban?

While this is certainly a step back for the citrus hobbyist in Florida, it isn't the end of the world.

Approach your certified local greenhouse/nursery with a proposal to:

A: Maintain (rent) a space in their nursery for your plants
B: They Water, fertilize etc your rootstocks
C: They Order budwood and graft for you
D: When the tree(s) are ready, you take them home.

This is akin to outsourcing your citrus propagation to the local nursery. While you are robbed of the joy of grafting, cutting your fingers, getting dirty and whatever else, you will still be able to enjoy the benefits of the numerous disease free citrus varieties the budwood program has to offer.

If I was a nursery in Florida, I would have been advertising this solution as soon as I heard about the impending change. Big $$$ for the guys that get it done first and get it done right. Who knows, You might even be the guy to get this business plan off the ground and get a cut of everybody who participates...?

Go, make it happen!