Citrus Tree Sales Banned In Parts Of Texas

[Millet]

The Texas Department of Agriculture temporarily has banned the sale of citrus plants in Harris County Texas after citrus greening disease was identified in stock at a local retail nursery near Webster. Hidalgo and Cameron counties also are under the quarantine designed to slow the spread of the plant disease. Once a tree is infected with citrus greening, there is no cure. Over a million acres of citrus crops have been wiped out across the U.S.  Citrus plant sales are on temporary hold while the department works with retail and wholesale nurseries to determine the best way to control the spread of the disease. The disease was discovered in the United states in 2005 in Florida and first discovered in Texas in January 2012.  - Millet

[mrtexas]

Bad but could be worse. Severe freezes kill the psyllids. Psyllids appeared on my trees in Beaumont one spring and what a pain they are. The next winter with a severe
freeze killed them off so I had no psyllids the next year. We have severe freezes here in the Houston area. Best solution IMHO would be to prohibit shipping citrus trees from the Valley which doesn't get severe freezes to areas that do. BTW there is a HUGE wholesale
nursery in Orange County, TX 100 miles east of Houston that could provide all the trees the Houston
area could ever want. Saxon Bechnel nursery is growing more than 1,000,000 trees, enough to  flood the market for the entire state of Tx. I understand that the propagation of citrus trees in Florida has moved north, perhaps for the same reason.

[mrtexas]

They could also require in TX propagation of citrus trees in screen houses like in Florida.
I don't expect that. The regulation of citrus tree growing in Tx is nearly non-existent.
Now, California really is serious about regulation of crops. I remember being stopped at the California
border with Oregon on I5 and asked if I had any fruit in my car. Nothing like that exists in Texas.

BTW, the way psyllids and greening got into TX is likely by way of Indian Curry leaf trees imported from Florida
before it was recognized that ICL could support psyllids.

[buddinman]

Do not be surprised that all nurseries in Texas will be required to grow their citrus nursery stock in screened green houses in the near future.

[mrtexas]

They will need time to build them.

[Millet]

All Harris County Citrus Trees Under Quarantine

(HOUSTON) — All citrus trees in Harris County are now under quarantine for a tree disease that has already devastated the Florida citrus crop.
Monte Nesbitt, a horticulturist with Texas A&M’s Extension Service, says it’s not dangerous to eat fruit from a tree infected with citrus greening, but it might not taste good. The fruit never matures beyond the green stage.
It’s called “citrus greening” — a bacteria that can kill a lemon, orange or grapefruit tree within two years.
Although the disease hasn’t been widely detected in Harris County, there is also no known cure for citrus greening, which prompted the quarantine.
“Which means we don’t want plant material to move out of that area that’s already infected,” Nesbitt said.
Nesbitt said they are also fighting the spread of citrus greening by using insecticide on the bug that carries it from tree to tree.
“It’s about the size of the tip of a toothpick; white or tan in color,” he said.
If you have any questions, Nesbitt says call your extension agent.
A typical tree infected with citrus greening will have leaves that turn a mottled yellow. - Millet

[mrtexas]

Apparently the ban is over:

http://urbanharvest.org/blog/-/blogs/citrus-greening-disease-%E2%80%93-what%E2%80%99s-it-all-about-

[Millet]

From reading the above post by Phil, I see there still are some restrictions on retail citrus sales in Harris county, and that is citrus tree  sales can only be for trees that must remain in Harris county. No out of county retail sales. - Millet

[mrtexas]

Talked to the Fort Bend County ag agent today. They will be having a
meeting next week with Texas Dept of Agriculture and let me know what the
latest plan is for selling citrus.

[Millet]

I have purchased citrus trees from Phil  (Mr. Texas), all of them were excellent trees.  My Xie Shan tree came from Mr. Texas.  Lets hope he is allowed to sell out of state again. - Millet

[mrtexas]

Apparently the restriction is now that citrus trees can't be moved out of Harris county. This will put a crimp on Treesearch, whole sale grower,  which raises citrus in Harris County. The retailers are putting large tags on each tree with the warning. I wish they had banned import
of trees from the Texas Valley as a good freeze will kill the psyllids and that they don't get there.
We get good freezes in the Houston area however.

[mrtexas]

I have purchased citrus trees from Phil  (Mr. Texas), all of them were excellent trees.  My Xie Shan tree came from Mr. Texas.  Lets hope he is allowed to sell out of state again. - Millet

Not selling since I moved to Fort Bend County a year ago or out of state since the quarantine was imposed a couple years ago.
Texas growers can sell out of state as far as I know but the requirements are pretty onerous as far as inspection and spraying.