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sissifriss

State certification of nursery

sissifriss
15 years ago

just wondering if anyone has been through a state inspection of their greenhouse (small scale) and what it entailed. I am scheduled for mine next Friday and nervous that I will fail. Is it just for pests and disease or do they look at other things as well such as setup. Thanks for any info

Myriah

Comments (5)

  • muddydogs
    15 years ago

    I've been inspected several times. The inspector looks for pests and disease. They've pointed out aphids that I missed and some lamium with downy mildew. I threw out the flat of lamium that I bought in and sprayed the aphids. One time the inspector wrote that I had the best place around.
    I wouldn't worry about your set up unless your growing plants subject to SOD like rhodies or camellias in wet areas.
    Mostly their looking for pests that are harmful to our environment. They'll quarantee you if they find SOD or gypsy moths.

  • rhizo_1 (North AL) zone 7
    15 years ago

    Just make sure that your greenhouse is clean and neat, and that the plants are in healthy condition. If you've received plants from other vendors, they'll want to see a record of the inspection certificate. They will also make sure that you aren't selling anything that is considered noxious or on your state's banned list. Be sure that any pesticides are stored the way they should be, too.

    Oftentimes, these folks are a great source of information and help, so it's a good time to ask questions if you have any.

  • calliope
    15 years ago

    I've been inspected an average of twice a year for almost two decades. Your state Department of Agriculture should have sent you some sort of informational packet of what an inspector would be looking for. In our state, of course they check for pests or diseases. That doesn't mean you are going to get shut down if they find them, but it can mean you will have to dispose of, or treat the material in question. They may also occasionally take samples of material to submit to the state lab if they aren't sure what is causing abnormal looking presentation. They did that once with some mums on bench when a foliar mite was suspected.

    They may tell you to take care of a problem and then come back to check to see that you have. As mentioned before there are some pest, especially those on quarantine status in your county that, if they find, more severe measures may need to be taken. I know my inspectors were also on the lookout for new pests being shipped in from locales where liners might be sent from.

    Make sure your nursery is sufficiently neat that the inspector doesn't have to fight weeds to see the plants. One of my inspectors had a big issue with field grown stock hidden by weeds in some operations.

    Our state requires that ALL nursery stock be labeled. Even if it's just growing on. They accept either botanical or common names, and the tags don't have to be fancy. Stock in sales areas must also have pricing on it somehow/somewhere.

    They may also look at merchandise up for sale to make sure that they are sufficiently rooted in. If you've bumped some up recently, then it should not be in a sales area.

    I have found all of my nursery inspectors to be very fair, very helpful and as obliging as they can be within their limitations. Be totally upfront with them, if you have a problem and they'll help you solve it. They have the last word, so to speak, so treat them with respect.

    My annuals do not need to be inspected, just nursery stock, since I do not ship them across state lines.....but I have been asked if they can walk through my annual houses too. Of course I let them. I suppose this is legitimate in case I have nursery stock hidden in there.

  • sissifriss
    Original Author
    15 years ago

    Thank you all for your responses. I found them very helpful. I fought the rain and tried to get all the clutter out that was not needed and clean the best I could. They did not send me anything about what I would be inspected for. It is just scary knowing I have invested so much and may be not allowed to sell. I am sure I have no diseased plants but there may be an occasional white fly due to fans being on last week with the warm weather, however I can't find any infested plant and have tried to kill the ones I see. I will let you all know how it goes. I actually have to have 2 inspections one for the state and one for the farmers market if I choose to sell there. Thanks again for the info.
    Myriah

  • sissifriss
    Original Author
    15 years ago

    Thank you all again for your comments. It really did help:) I passed my inspection. Now if I could get the farmers market inspector to call me back. Have a great day
    Myriah