What do the citrus quarantine rules say?
In general: don't take citrus plants, cuttings or leaves out of a quarantine area, and don't move them within it unless they come from an approved nursery; fruit with no leaves or stems is not a covered item.
What the quarantine rules generally say
Not an official determination
- The quarantine covers citrus plants and their relatives (for example lemon, lime, orange, kumquat, curry leaf and orange jasmine): the plants, cuttings, leaves, stems, budwood and seed for planting. (3 CCR 3439 (C.1))
- Citrus fruit with no leaves or stems attached is not one of the covered items. (3 CCR 3439 (C.1))
- Covered plants and plant parts may not be moved out of the quarantine area unless they meet federal requirements. (3 CCR 3439 (D.1))
- Inside the quarantine area they may only be moved if they were grown in an approved insect-proof structure under a compliance agreement, or certified. In practice: don't share, trade or move citrus plants, cuttings or leaves. (3 CCR 3439 (D.2))
- Citrus green waste and equipment used on citrus must be cleaned or treated before moving; processed green waste may go directly to a landfill or licensed compost facility inside the area. (3 CCR 3439 (C.3, C.4, D.6))
- Nursery plants allowed to move within the area carry a label saying they may not leave the quarantine area. (3 CCR 3439 (D.4))
- A new quarantine area is at least a 5-mile radius around a tree that tested positive, so the line moves when new trees are found. (3 CCR 3439 (B.1.b, B.3))
Nurseries, growers, haulers and sellers: use CDFA compliance channels (CDFA Pest Exclusion, (916) 654-0312, or your county agricultural commissioner).