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Julie starts with ... I want to buy some flower seeds from the US on eBay. They are (supposedly) a perennial form of Lobelia, which I usually grow as an annual. Is it worth trying? No reason the seed can't be imported as far as I know. Any tips as to how to go about it and not have the seeds impounded? | About the Author Julie Roleystone WA 15th May 2014 11:57am #UserID: 154 Posts: 1842 View All Julie's Edible Fruit Trees |
About the Author MaryT Sydney 15th May 2014 1:22pm #UserID: 5412 Posts: 2066 View All MaryT's Edible Fruit Trees |
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jakfruit etiquette says... You should start with checking the list of permitted imports, to make sure its allowed, then the packet labelling, the seed correctly labelled with permitted Genus + species, not just common name. ( You may need to ask for seller to label correctly, or send labels to them) Any non seed plant matter, or other species seed included in the pkt may be used as reason to confiscate. Commercial pkts maybe better regarded than home made pkts from fellow gardeners. Thats info for dried seed. Anybody want to add to this, and also tell about importing fresh seed in moist conditions ?? | About the Author jakfruit etiquette vic 15th May 2014 4:29pm #UserID: 5133 Posts: 915 View All jakfruit etiquette's Edible Fruit Trees |
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Mike X says... Check on aquis icon to see if the seeds are permitted. Sender to label the cliplock bag with scientific name and only use shredded paper, vermiculite or perlite packing inside but dry or clean moist seeds are ok. Brazil you will then get around 75% through,US 90%,Thailand 90%,Taiwan 90%,Portugal 95%,Mexico 60%,Uganda 80%,PNG 90%.I am extrapolating from places I have received over 5 parcels with seeds from. Some parcels are seized over minor spelling errors,packing issues,identity disputes and sometimes for little reason at all. | About the Author Mike X Cairns 15th May 2014 5:38pm #UserID: 9463 Posts: 7 View All Mike X's Edible Fruit Trees |
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sternus1 says... If you want to have mixed success and do the right thing, follow Jackfruit's instructions.If you want to win, this, of which I am not the original Author,the narrative first person perspective being someone other than myself, might be of help: Part 1: There is a proverb: At night, all cats are grey. A) Check the ICON list of banned species. If your seeds are on this, you need to do two things: A) First, find something on the list that isn't banned and looks remarkably similar to the seeds you're trying to import which are banned. Use google images and a bit of common sense. B) have the seller relabel the seeds as the item that isn't banned. Instruct the seller to label in black magic marker the genus and common name on the actual snap lock bag the seeds are contained in only. Always double bag. Part 2: Now, the next step concerns labeling the outside of the package at the seller's end. Simply, you don't want them doing it. Now, you might be tempted to start down the path of analogies--this is a mistake. Basically, what I mean is something like asking the seller to label the package as something other than seeds (for example, beads, or if the commodity itself is not seeds, say cuttings for example, as 'bike parts'). There are two problems with this: A) There are a range of items and commodities which are banned from import which are not listed by quarantine--many of these are seemingly benign, things that wouldn't occur to you to be banned at all. In order not to climb out of the frying pan and into the fire, you'd need to know what they all are,and you'll never be one of those people. I promise. The charade of mislabelling contents can end in the inadvertent opening of a package, parcel or envelope. This compounded by the conceptual nature of words--what exactly are 'bike parts'? B) The second problem with this is that you run into the trap of arousing the suspicions of the hard working customs team on the ground. Now, although none of them are going to be poirot or miss marple, they're no slouches either, and it is important not to underestimate the tactile competence. If something doesn't feel, by weight, shape, dimension, sound, etc as is stipulated on the contents of the label, they're going to notice. C) The way around this is simple: Have the seller not label the outside of the package whatsoever with anything other than your name and address. Make the package as small as possible, and as well sealed as possible. It is surprisingly important that your name and address is spelled clearly and correctly--if it isn't this will incur greater handling and consequently greater and careful inspection. Ideally, the package would be printed with an actual labeling machine. Part 3: Knowing the hands shaken most gladly: a) Regional and jurisdictional factors will play a very large role in the probability of your parcel or package being inspected. Simply, items from some countries are incredibly likely to be inspected, whereas others are very unlikely to be inspected. From order of least likely to most likely, these are (not including enbargoed nations) 1. US 2. Uk, France, Italy. 3. The rest of the EU (not including spain) and China, including Greece 4.Israel/spain/Mexico/portugal 5.South America As such, if you can source whatever you want from the US or Uk especially, you will stand a much better chance of success. Part 4: The genius of the crowd: Holidays are the best time to import things, for the simple reason of traffic. Ground staff have a lot more work to do and a lot less time to do it in--and a lot less time, or inclination to care. Consequently, the month leading up to Christmas is, in terms of importing, the best of times and the worst of times--the best for you, the worst for customs. Part 5: The Dark matter of Ignorantia juris non excusat: Ignorance of the law does not excuse anyone, unless you're dealing with the quarantine act, in which case, you're probably going to avoid sodomy and the lash without too much difficulty if your item (s) are found and seized. There has only been, in fact, one case of severe punishment doling under the qurantine act, which was a hefty fine dispensed to an importer of literally tonnes of plant material in a shipping container. Mostly, this is owing to the fact that the guidelines for importation, and especially in the instance of seeds, are vague and nonspecific in many instances. Secondly, dragging Mr Jones before the magistrate for having imported a fig cutting is a monumental waste of time, money and effort. Simply, this will not happen.This is just not how the world works. What is far more likely, in fact almost a certainty, is that you will receive a letter telling you to cease and desist.Perhaps you will incur a charge for the destruction of said items. What is important is to not display vulgar intent. You are not a smuggler; you are an hobbyist gardener new to ebay who inadvertently purchased a species which is banned from importation. However, this is something difficult to sell if what you attempted to import was contained in the false bottom of a fake can of shaving cream. Accept the entire process as a lottery. There is no way to legislate against the power of fortuna. | About the Author sternus1 Australia 15th May 2014 6:07pm #UserID: 8314 Posts: 1318 View All sternus1's Edible Fruit Trees |
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People who Like this Answer: kim14,JUJUBE FOR SALE Original Post was last edited: 15th May 2014 6:06pm | |
Julie says... Thanks everyone who answered. I'll look up Lobelia and see what they say. Edit: according to Aquis, nothing is actually permitted, everything - and I mean everything - is 'conditional'. I don't know what to make of that. I couldn't find an email address to send a question, so I suppose I'll have to call. | About the Author Julie Roleystone WA 15th May 2014 8:51pm #UserID: 154 Posts: 1842 View All Julie's Edible Fruit Trees |
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Original Post was last edited: 15th May 2014 8:53pm | |
About the Author MaryT Sydney 16th May 2014 5:35am #UserID: 5412 Posts: 2066 View All MaryT's Edible Fruit Trees |
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BJ says... Icon lists 9 species of lobelia as being prohibited entry. About 30 are on the permitted list. I'm sure the one you want to import is listed in the table of permitted species, even if it isn't... ;) I received a batch of seeds from Brazil today. All completely legal to import. However the package wasn't examined, so really anything could have been in there... Whatever you do, make sure the species name is written on the seed packet in big letters so the quarantine service people don't have to rip it open... | About the Author Theposterformerlyknownas Brisbane 16th May 2014 9:00pm #UserID: 3270 Posts: 1552 View All Theposterformerlyknownas's Edible Fruit Trees |
About the Author Julie Roleystone WA 17th May 2014 8:08pm #UserID: 154 Posts: 1842 View All Julie's Edible Fruit Trees |
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About the Author Mike X Cairns 17th May 2014 8:19pm #UserID: 9463 Posts: 7 View All Mike X's Edible Fruit Trees |
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About the Author Julie Roleystone WA 2nd June 2014 6:34pm #UserID: 154 Posts: 1842 View All Julie's Edible Fruit Trees |
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MaryT says... Good to hear of your success, Julie. I have also encountered no problems buying seeds online from the US. I did however had most seeds confiscated when I sent seeds to myself from the US so it seems they are more lenient when the seeds are sent by seed companies. Or maybe it was just fluke. | About the Author MaryT Sydney 3rd June 2014 11:17am #UserID: 5412 Posts: 2066 View All MaryT's Edible Fruit Trees |
About the Author JohnMc1 Warnervale NSW 3rd June 2014 4:33pm #UserID: 2743 Posts: 2043 View All JohnMc1's Edible Fruit Trees |
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About the Author Julie Roleystone WA 3rd June 2014 7:56pm #UserID: 154 Posts: 1842 View All Julie's Edible Fruit Trees |
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About the Author Carl76 Wilston 4051 3rd June 2014 8:05pm #UserID: 9276 Posts: 181 View All Carl76's Edible Fruit Trees |
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Mike Tr says... Today I received seeds bigger than baseballs from brazil and they passed inspection, yesterday another big Brazilian parcel that may be considered controversial also passed inspection. On Tuesday an inspected parcel from Taiwan was also unscathed. It is like a triple eclipse of the planets and will never happen again. Maybe DAFF's addiction to handing out unnecessary pain is waning. | About the Author Mike Tr Cairns 5th June 2014 8:34pm #UserID: 8322 Posts: 614 View All Mike Tr's Edible Fruit Trees |
About the Author MaryT Sydney 5th June 2014 9:43pm #UserID: 5412 Posts: 2066 View All MaryT's Edible Fruit Trees |
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Mike Tr says... Newman is doing to Queensland what Abbott is doing to Australia. The university students, elderly, special needs people and public servants should join the army, become a priest, get employment with mining or big business or just get wealthy. If this mob did exactly the opposite of all their ideas things would be better. | About the Author Mike Tr Cairns 5th June 2014 10:27pm #UserID: 8322 Posts: 614 View All Mike Tr's Edible Fruit Trees |
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About the Author ivepeters CARINDALE,4152,QLD 5th June 2014 11:29pm #UserID: 6741 Posts: 527 View All ivepeters's Edible Fruit Trees |
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Mike Tr says... I have a few cambucas planted out now and a few seedlings of Plinia rivularis in pots.All jaboticabas will go to the genus Plinia. Good luck with the maprang they are very slow and you don't want to wait 10 years and find they did a switcheroo with mayon chid. I have a wan and thought it was the only one about. | About the Author Mike Tr Cairns 5th June 2014 11:57pm #UserID: 8322 Posts: 614 View All Mike Tr's Edible Fruit Trees |
About the Author ivepeters CARINDALE,4152,QLD 6th June 2014 12:12am #UserID: 6741 Posts: 527 View All ivepeters's Edible Fruit Trees |
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BJ says... I received an unsolicited parcel of seeds that may be deemed invisible in terms of the white list. Fully labelled and all. Just tempting the customs folks. The package was untouched. No big surprise, customs are falling apart and biosecurity is too big a word for any of the Libs in power, so its now just a crap shoot free for all, it seems. | About the Author Theposterformerlyknownas Brisbane 6th June 2014 8:52am #UserID: 3270 Posts: 1552 View All Theposterformerlyknownas's Edible Fruit Trees |
About the Author sternus1 Australia 6th June 2014 9:25am #UserID: 8314 Posts: 1318 View All sternus1's Edible Fruit Trees |
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About the Author ivepeters CARINDALE,4152,QLD 6th June 2014 10:50am #UserID: 6741 Posts: 527 View All ivepeters's Edible Fruit Trees |
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About the Author Mike Tr Cairns 6th June 2014 12:31pm #UserID: 8322 Posts: 614 View All Mike Tr's Edible Fruit Trees |
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About the Author ivepeters CARINDALE,4152,QLD 6th June 2014 1:34pm #UserID: 6741 Posts: 527 View All ivepeters's Edible Fruit Trees |
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Mike Tr says... I lost another parcel today and this one was from India. Customs seized and destroyed the seeds and I got an empty parcel with their letter. The permitted seeds were destroyed due to being packed in soil and it was noted the seeds had sprouted. Pearlite and vermiculite are permitted for packing. It is a bit insulting as I studied soil at uni and know what soil is.Someone who probably failed sandbox at kindy has declared vermiculite is soil.If seeds sprouting was an ancillary reason for destruction it was because Customs dragged their sorry backsides for so long the resulting plants were almost of bearing age.I am not impressed with their F troop approach to biosecurity. | About the Author Mike Tr Cairns 25th June 2014 8:06pm #UserID: 8322 Posts: 614 View All Mike Tr's Edible Fruit Trees |
Mike Tr says... Either the Einsteins in Customs can't tell vermiculite from soil or they pulled a pincer manouvre once again.That is advise to use vermiculite and then pounce when it is used.It is hard to battle against seeds sprouting while in their custody as they move at the speed of continental drift.Automatically destroying the evidence and not offering an appeal has become standard fair for this Keystone Kops outfit.For an outfit big on rules they should not be so baffled and unable to follow their own rules. | About the Author Mike Tr Cairns 26th June 2014 7:17am #UserID: 8322 Posts: 614 View All Mike Tr's Edible Fruit Trees |
About the Author denise1 auckland NZ 26th June 2014 8:08am #UserID: 6832 Posts: 688 View All denise1's Edible Fruit Trees |
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Mike Tr says... denise 1 they were express mail and if insured and express the bungling is heightened not diminished.Officers pocketed the contents on the basis of the vermiculite being soil and the finest minds in DAFF routinely bungle in this regard.The level of intellectual firepower DAFF bring to the table on this matter is frightening. | About the Author Mike Tr Cairns 26th June 2014 10:05am #UserID: 8322 Posts: 614 View All Mike Tr's Edible Fruit Trees |
About the Author Boris Spasky 26th June 2014 10:16am #UserID: 7085 Posts: 184 View All Boris Spasky's Edible Fruit Trees |
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About the Author Mike Tr Cairns 26th June 2014 10:22am #UserID: 8322 Posts: 614 View All Mike Tr's Edible Fruit Trees |
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