I know there are some restrictions on importing live plants from abroad, but
can anyone clarify the position regarding importing seeds?

--
Vacutone

Vacutone wrote:

I know there are some restrictions on importing live plants from abroad, but
can anyone clarify the position regarding importing seeds?

Depends on the seeds, the vendor and the quantity.

You can bring small amounts of commercially packaged seeds home from
holiday for instance. And you can mail order from other EEC countries
with a good chance the stuff will arrive OK. It is usually worth
checking if the seed is already available from specialist UK importers.

If the species is rare or CITES listed then you may have a problem.

Seeds for a handful of obviously noxious and/or narcotic plants are
illegal.

Regards,
Martin Brown
** Posted from http://www.teranews.com **

Martin Brown wrote:
Vacutone wrote:

I know there are some restrictions on importing live plants from
abroad, but can anyone clarify the position regarding importing
seeds?

Depends on the seeds, the vendor and the quantity.

You can bring small amounts of commercially packaged seeds home from
holiday for instance. And you can mail order from other EEC countries
with a good chance the stuff will arrive OK. It is usually worth
checking if the seed is already available from specialist UK
importers.
If the species is rare or CITES listed then you may have a problem.

I believe that there are also restrictions on certain varieties of food
plant seed.


Seeds for a handful of obviously noxious and/or narcotic plants are
illegal.

Only partially true. All those planting Papaver somniferum in their cottage
gardens won't have their collars felt! But there wouldn't be such laxity
with Cannabis or Coca.


--
Jeff
(cut "thetape" to reply)

On Mon, 28 Apr 2008 22:46:02 +0100, Martin Brown wrote
(in message ):

Depends on the seeds, the vendor and the quantity.

You can bring small amounts of commercially packaged seeds home from
holiday for instance. And you can mail order from other EEC countries
with a good chance the stuff will arrive OK. It is usually worth
checking if the seed is already available from specialist UK importers.

If the species is rare or CITES listed then you may have a problem.

Seeds for a handful of obviously noxious and/or narcotic plants are
illegal.

Regards,
Martin Brown

It would be about 5 lbs of grass seeds, a mix called Eco-Lawn that I don't
think is sold here. From Canada. They don't seem to export other than to the
US, but if there was no other problem I could get a friend in the US to send
it to me.
--
Vacutone

Vacutone wrote:
On Mon, 28 Apr 2008 22:46:02 +0100, Martin Brown wrote
(in message ):

Depends on the seeds, the vendor and the quantity.

You can bring small amounts of commercially packaged seeds home from
holiday for instance. And you can mail order from other EEC countries
with a good chance the stuff will arrive OK. It is usually worth
checking if the seed is already available from specialist UK importers.

It would be about 5 lbs of grass seeds, a mix called Eco-Lawn that I don't
think is sold here. From Canada. They don't seem to export other than to the
US, but if there was no other problem I could get a friend in the US to send
it to me.

I would hazard a guess that this would get pulled by HM customs at the
border and that even if it did get through would be a total waste of
money. The grass mix needed for the UK at latitude 50+ N with our mild
wet maritime winters is quite different to the continental climate of
the USA. I expect that is why it isn't sold in the UK.

I suggest you look for a UK lawn seed with the same wear and slow
growing characteristics as the US brand you are considering.

Regards,
Martin Brown
** Posted from http://www.teranews.com **