Monrovia Growers has established a 60-acre camellia nursery adjacent to its 900-acre Visalia, Calif., nursery. USDA and California Department of Food and Agriculture hailed the move, which will help prevent possible spread of Phytopthora ramorum, the pathogen responsible for sudden oak death.

“It is truly a separate entity, across a river and canal from the rest of the nursery, and has its own nursery license and compliance agreement,” said Monrovia president Gilbert Resendez in a statement. “Camellias are now shipped on their own trucks with no other plants from our Visalia nursery.”

Three years ago SOD was discovered at Monrovia’s Azusa, Calif., operation. The company had to destroy all camellias and nearby potential host plants to contain the threat. No SOD has ever been found on the Visalia property.

Camellias at the new location are grown on beds of compacted gravel that have a layer of plastic and are topped with groundcover cloth. Plants are grown in smaller sections to discourage the spread of any pathogens.

 

For more: Monrovia Growers, 18331 E. Foothill Blvd., Azusa, CA 91702-2638; (800) 999-9321; www.monrovia.com. 

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