10-04-2008, 07:49 AM
The bare-root part of it is because of the root nematodes. Louisiana, California and Florida are the most stringent, and the rules for us shipping to the mainland are based on them. In order to ship plants to the mainland, we must grow in a non-soil mix. Plants must be on benches at least 18" off the ground, cuttings taken at least 1' off the ground, pruners or other tools never touch the ground. For our certification, we are inspected twice a year, and during one of them, they take soil samples from each bench. If any of the particular nematodes are found, the plants on that bench would have to be removed and not shipped at all. If all is well, then we can ship rooted plants to the mainland. Hotkatz, your plants were probably grown in soil, which is why they would have to be bare-rooted and no roots to those few states.
Jane
Jane