ATLANTA – John Deere Landscapes is working closely with the Georgia Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Department of Agriculture to combat the Sudden Oak Death disease, after a limited supply of Camellias in three company stores in the Atlanta area were confirmed to be infected with the disease.
John Deere Landscapes already has implemented a plan to contain the disease that is affecting the plants of landscape suppliers and other growers in various parts of the country. In addition to close cooperation with the two departments of agriculture at the state and national levels, the response plan also includes quarantining plants that are near those affected, incinerating those plants, and cleaning the plant sites. All of these actions take place under the supervision of the Georgia Department of Agriculture.
Company officials said the problem might have originated with a supplier from another part of the United States. At this time, there is no way to estimate how extensively the disease has affected John Deere Landscapes or other providers of landscape services. However, John Deere said its first priority is to ensure customers that prudent steps are being taken to combat the disease.