blown_dry yes, all my favorite nurseries here do too. It is just a product that is easy to order and sell and already comes all packaged with display units. The nursery gets the benefit of offering a wide range of bulbs and tubers for their clients with very little effort on their part. Unfortunately the super low price for the nurseries and their customers ($9 for 2 tubers and similar) makes this something that would be nearly impossible for US growers to compete with, unless they're mechanically harvesting too, which means they'll also likely have gall problems at some point.
Personally I enjoy shopping the wide variety of lily and tulip bulbs that come from the same companies at my local nurseries, but stay away from the dahlias because I know better. Most of the other clientele does not know better and are enticed by the pretty pictures.
So, what can be done?
Regulation on the import industry?
Education of gardeners far and wide?
Product development that cures the disease?
U.S. Growers competing by offering their tubers for sale at local nurseries packaged all nicely? Why do that when they can sell out online?
If there isn't a product that is affordable and accessible to cure this disease available or in the pipeline, unfortunately I think government regulation is the answer. That in itself opens up a whole other set of problems.
So maybe then it's back to educating gardeners far and wide. And how do we do that without the crazy freaking gall everywhere posts all over social media?
