Nursery Notes Nov-Dec 2011 - The Paginator

Getting the Most from Your
Nursery Certificate
NCDA&CS—Plant Industry Division Update
Starting in April of each year, the
Plant Pest Specialists with
NCDA&CS begin their annual visits
to each Certified Nursery
within North Carolina
and perform the
yearly inspection
and certificate
renewal. Each
nursery pays their
fee and soon
receives a new green
certificate in the mail, suitable
for framing and hanging on the wall.
Before taking that final step, I would like
to encourage you to make enough copies
to send one with each shipment of plants
that leave your nursery. It would be similar
to signing a piece of artwork. Everyone
will know who grew such wonderful
plants. It also provides the plant pest regulatory
inspectors with the information
they need to ensure all quarantine restrictions
are being met. The role of the Plant
Pest Specialist in NC or any other state is
not to prevent you from selling your
plants or expanding to new markets. Our
role is to prevent the introduction or
spread of injurious plant pests.
You have heard the old saying, “We are
the government and we are here to help!”.
After 28 years with state government, I
still believe that to be our goal. We try to
facilitate the movement of your plants
while protecting the environment of North
Carolina and every state that receives our
plants. Inspectors in each of the other
states perform similar roles when plants
are shipped here. Plant regulatory officials
from each state, in partnership with
USDA-APHIS, make up the National Plant
Board. Quarantine regulations for each
state can be found on their web site.
http://nationalplantboard.org/laws/index.html
Information such as shipping requirements,
quarantine pests, regulated areas,
regulated articles, restrictions, and contact
information can be accessed easily online.
One of the most important parts of the
nursery inspection is communication
between you and the inspector. Our role
is to help you understand the regulations,
evaluate your options, and if possible,
provide certification that your plants meet
the shipping requirements for the destination
state. Imported fire ant, Japanese
beetle, gypsy moth, witchweed, soybean
cyst nematode, burrowing and reniform
See Getting the Most from Your Nursery
Certificare – continued on page 38
Looking For Large, Landscape
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828-682-1471 fax 828-682-1303
November-December, 2011 • 37