(a) It is an unfair or deceptive act or practice to sell, offer for sale, or distribute industry products by any method or under any circumstance or condition that misrepresents directly or by implication to purchasers or prospective purchasers the products with respect to quantity, size, grade, kind, species, age, maturity, condition, vigor, hardiness, number of times transplanted, growth ability, growth characteristics, rate of growth or time required before flowering or fruiting, price, origin or place where grown, or any other material aspect of the industry product.
(b) The inhibitions of this section shall apply to every type of advertisement or method of representation, whether in newspaper, periodical, sales catalog, circular, by tag, label or insignia, by radio or television, by sales representatives, or otherwise.
(c) Among practices inhibited by the foregoing are direct or indirect representations:
(1) That plants have been propagated by grafting or bud selection methods, when such is not the fact.
(2) That industry products are healthy, will grow anywhere without the use of fertilizer, or will survive and produce without special care, when such is not the fact.
(3) That plants will bloom the year round, or will bear an extraordinary number of blooms of unusual size or quality, when such is not the fact.
(4) That an industry product is a new variety, when in fact it is a standard variety to which the industry member has given a new name.
(5) That an industry product cannot be purchased through usual retail outlets, or that there are limited stocks available, when such is not the fact.
(6) That industry products offered for sale will be delivered in time for the next (or any specified) seasonal planting when the industry member is aware of factors which make such delivery improbable.
(7) That the appearance of an industry product as to size, color, contour, foliage, bloom, fruit or other physical characteristic is normal or usual when the appearance so represented is in fact abnormal or unusual.
(8) That the root system of any plant is larger in depth or diameter than that which actually exists, whether accomplished by excessive packaging material, or excessive balling, or other deceptive or misleading practice.
(9) That bulblets are bulbs.
(10) That an industry product is a rare or unusual item when such is not the fact. [Guide 1] [44 FR 11177, Feb. 27, 1979, as amended at 59 FR 64549, Dec. 14, 1994; 72 FR 902, Jan. 9, 2007]