Dutch, Danish Christmas and Easter cacti get a break in U.S.

Dutch, Danish Christmas and Easter cacti get a break in U.S.    The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service said it will change its rules to allow Christmas and Easter cacti in approved growing media to be imported into the United States from the Netherlands and Denmark, effective May 1.
   “Based on the scientific evidence resulting from a recent pest risk analysis, these articles can be safely imported into the United States,” the agency said.
   To prevent the spread of pests, the USDA will require the plants to be produced from “clean” stock and grown in approved media, such as baked expanded clay pallets or cork, and in greenhouses that meet requirements for pest exclusion for a minimum of four months prior to shipment to the United States.
   In addition, the USDA said the plants must be inspected in the greenhouses and found free of plant pests no more than 30 days prior to export.