10/21/2019
“CITRUS TREE GREENING DISEASE”
”Update”
Our method of treating citrus trees is finely being recognized as a real way of treating trees. At first it was looked at as a voodoo type method to treat citrus trees which caught us by surprise. As the word spread they started seeing the true results faster than expected. So many that have never grew a citrus tree thought this was only a excuse to make citrus prices go up in the stores. But this is a real threat to our citrus Industry in Florida. In the near future there will be a recognized hike in orange juice prices throughout the country. Sunday Sept. 22, 2019 was one of the very few times that this disease has been made aware to the public. The Ocala Star Banner (New York Times) had a article about the Citrus Green disease. It finally was nice to see that WSU was awarded a $2,000,000 grant to find a way to develop a new type of citrus tree that will be resistant from this disease. This leaves us with the existing trees. This is where Harbison Farms comes into the picture. Some of our findings and start of our research came from the University of Florida Agriculture Department. Without them we could not have come up with this cure. The Star Banner article talks about the the citrus greening bacteria and what the University of Washington has done in growing this bacteria. This is a huge step in stopping this disease in it’s track. Florida went through this same thing about 50 years ago in the Cattle Industry with Brucellosis. A farmer couldn’t even sell his or her product on the market without having their herd tested for Brucellosis each year. About 20 years ago the Brucellosis threat was lifted. Until this happens in the Citrus Industry we are to take all steps to save the number one crop in Florida.
There are findings at UF to treat your trees with a formula not even close to ours, but with the same concept. Harbison Farm figured with the UF findings (this is only our estimate and no one else) it would cost a farm with 2,000 trees around $600,000 this is if they were to start tomorrow with their program. With a treatment that is known to cure your trees today from Harbison Farms the-cost for 2,000 trees would cost around $180,000. With this cost it would justify the treatment of a farmers trees.
It feels so good to be able to save something from Florida’s Heritage and to make this crop a come back to the Florida’s market. We went this afternoon to 2 different places to treat citrus trees. It feels so good when the customers are so glad to see you because you are there to save their pride and joy.
Thanks to Lloyd Green of Ocala, FL and Eddie Hall of Anthony, FL. for there trust in us to treat their trees. The trees from Lloyd Greens place was at a stage 3 going on a stage 4. (The stages of greening is listed below) we know by looking at these trees our treatment will cure these trees. But as far as Eddie Hall of Anthony his was at a different stage. By looking from about 20 feet I thought the tree was at a stage 4. When I got up close to it, it was nothing like what I had ever seen before. The top looked like a 4 but the trunk of the tree bark was already starting to break away. A photo of this is in some of the photos below. We told him we felt that there was no use in treating this tree, but he wanted it treated anyway. We are putting this tree on one of our new programs of treating a stage 5 tree. We will keep you informed of it’s progress.
_________________________________________________
- We have been working on this cure for some time now.
- For the past 18 months we have been testing our cure.
- With about a 95% (percent) success rate we can cure your tree from the greening disease.
- The success rate is based on what stage the greening is in your tree.
- The based stages are:
• Stage 1 (one) the tree is starting to
show signs of the disease by tree
leaves showing signs of yellowing.
• Stage 2 (two) the fruit
starts to harden and tree limbs show
signs of dying .
• Stage 3 (three) new growth in the
spring becomes less noticeable and
the fruit in the fall of year starts to
turn brown and not orange.
• Stage 4 (four) tree limbs are dying
faster by the month and if there is
fruit it will be the size of golf balls.
• Stage 5 (five) tree is all but dead with
just few limbs still alive.
- Our Farm has treated and saved most trees at stage 4 at a 95% (percent) success rate. Stages 1, 2 & 3 at a 100% (percent) success rate of saving the tree.
- This treatment must be given twice within 2 mouths.
- The best time to treat Citrus Trees is September through February. This does not mean you can’t treat them throughout the year. We have found by treating them while the trees are in a semi dormant stage allows the medication to treat the tree without rushing the medication to the fruit and new growth in the spring, allowing for treatment to just treat the hard wood.
You cannot put a price on the worth of a citrus tree. One citrus tree can stay with you throughout your life if taking care of. They can be replaced but it takes years to get to a size that you can really enjoy. The other reason for treatment of the trees you have now is when purchasing new trees it does not mean they are resistant from this disease. If you have this disease it will stay in the ground for years. This treatment can be given to new trees as well.
This treatment is not a vaccination but a tree antibiotic to make the tree well once again. Our study has been going on for three years. We do not know in 5 years from now if the tree will need another treatment or not but if it does we know how to cure the disease.
Our treatment plan and price:
(Please take note) depending on your location of 20 miles or more there will be $1.50 a mile service call. Everyone within 20 miles from the farm will be charged a $25.00 service call.
- 1 through 10 trees • 1st treatment is $75.00
per tree and 2nd time $40.00 per tree.
- 11 through 20 trees • 1st treatment given
Is $65.00 per tree and 2nd time $30.00
per tree.
- 21 and over you will need to call the farm for price.
You can contact Troy Harbison @ (352) 239-3552
Harbison Farm Cattle & Produce
4696 NE CR 339, Anthony, FL 32617
