[IMPORTANT] International seed swaps

Good post Toni.
I know from personal experience that it is illegal to send plants/seeds etc out of Canada. As far as I know, it is OK to send those things within Canada.

 

posted some herb and veggie seeds last week to america from the uk. thankfully they arrived a week later with no issues

 

Sending seeds or any plant matter in or out of Australia is illegal. We have very strict quarantine laws here and even if you declare what's being sent, it will be seized. Of course there are very good reasons for that.

 

There are lots of restrictions on sending plant material out of Texas--fire ants, certain soil borne diseases, etc. For the same reason, citrus can't come in from other states since there is some disease that could wipe out the citrus groves in the Rio Grande Valley.
We can send seeds around the US, and can order from Canadian seed suppliers. I'm comfortable sending seeds within the United States, but wouldn't want the responsibility of introducing an invasive species or a diseased plant into another state or country.

 

I do lots of trading and swapping and seeds for SASE here in Canada. Perhaps it would be a good idea if folks are offering a trade or asking for a swap to include their home country so others will know whether to respond or not.

 

Well, under the Avatar/Username there's LOCATION.
Unless some people don't find it necessary to let others know where they are writing from.
But then there's the other thing, some people overlook this little detail and even if it's mentioned, they assume it must be from the US.
I understand most members are from the US. But there's the rest of us... the "internationals"

 

You are right about the location, something that I had forgotten about.

 

I participated in a seed swap last year and the person hosting it was in Canada. It was only vegetable seeds, too. But all we had to do was declare it at the post office, fill out the form, (what was in there and the value) and pay the postage. There were no problems with anyone, to my knowledge, getting or receiving their swap packet. Plants would be a totally different material and I am sure not a shippable material.

 

Any country in the EU and your good to go,

The only country I visit is Tenerife so I am ok to bring seed or a bought plant from the Airport home when I do go.

I watch enough of 'Anything To Declare' to be naughty.

 

Canadians can receive seeds from the USA but not live plants. I always order my non GMO vegetable seeds from the states every year and they are delivered right to my house. Through customs no problem, but they have state on the box what is inside. I live about a half hour drive to the Maine border and shop for flower seeds quite frequently as thy are cheaper there, than here in NB.

 

Seed swapping is brilliant, When the time comes, I will make a list of what I have got and I am prepared to send people in Europe seeds. I like to test my seeds the first year, if I am not sure of them, so I will be sure that they are good. Just down the road from me is a seed exchange every year in October. I also like to swap seeds with my neighbours. Soon I will have loads of Lambs lettuce seeds and red cabbage and a green brassica, that just makes leaves that we use as chicken food and the flowers make long delicious stalks in the spring.

 

what is lambs lettuce and you mentioned another in the post about covering the tomato house... what was that? started with an S?

 

lambs lettuce is also called corn salad. The S was maybe Spiruline

 

As I have likely posted before, there is a very informal seed/plant swap locally. If I have too many seeds of something, I offer them to friends and neighbors, and get seeds or plant starts in return. This spring all of my extra pepper and tomato plants easily found homes. I have sent seeds out of state, and received the most marvelous zinnia seeds from Canada.
Sharing is great fun, and sometimes you end up with plants you didn't even know existed!