What's the consequence of planting seeds imported with no documentation from random countries abroad?
I'm not talking about legal ramifications, more what would be the affect on New Zealand if you grew them.
Would they cause damage or quite possibly just grow as those from the local garden shop would?
I guess I'm asking what kinds of naughties can reside within seeds, if any.
* Roses * Chrysanthemums * Orchids * Strawberries
jphs,
May 29, 5:35am
The consequences are endless and appalling as well as wonderful. You could get both outcomes but personally, I believe that our border security should be firmly targeted at the former option. God only knows what sort of problems could be imported that way.
tweake,
May 29, 5:39am
its not just the plants but all the other things that hitch a ride. that could be absolutely devastating to everything here.
shanreagh,
May 29, 5:41am
Disease and threats to wildlife and plant life (bugs, mould etc etc)
The trouble is that while the diseases on the seeds may only 'predate' say roses in China once they get loose in NZ they can migrate to all sorts of other plants including economic type ones and cause havoc.
I seriously hope you are not thinking of doing this. It is irresponsible in the extreme and I just cannot imagine why a responsible gardener would want to do this. Pl think again.
maclad,
May 29, 5:45am
You could end up introducing plants with no natural predators or diseases which find NZ a much better/easier place to establish themselves and before you know it those plants seed and take over in our native bush, competing with our natives, smothering them, becoming huge pest plants just to name two reasons not to do it.
tintop,
May 29, 5:55am
You don't have to look far nowdays to see the results of exotic organisms. ( or watch tv for long to see how seriously imports are treated )
kateley,
May 29, 6:01am
and, why would you want to illegally import seeds of plants that do not grow true from seed? If you want to experiment with growing roses from seed, then I suggest you start with seed from a rose that is growing in your neighbourhood. Take a photo of the flower and then, in a few years time when it's begun to flower compare it to the flower it came from. There's a very slim chance that it will look the same but more likely you will get something random.
The reason that you can't buy seeds of these plants is that they are much easier and/or more reliable to grow from cutting/division
mojo49,
May 29, 6:42am
There has never been any problem with horticultural products imported from China. Just ask any kiwifruit grower.
niffer13,
May 29, 8:17am
Are U thinking of buying the "blue Strawberry" seeds advertised on Aliepress?
hidave,
May 29, 12:50pm
Thank you everyone for your explanations. If said seeds happened to be in my possession I would seriously be reconsidering planting them now.
'Hypothetically' niffer you're spot on. Thoughts?
books4nz,
May 29, 12:56pm
Kings Seeds imported seeds without permission some years ago. they ended up in court.
'They were fined $26 000 and ordered to pay $600 for solicitors fees and $520 for court costs.'
Customs will stop them. They send you a letter asking for the scientific name of the plants and if on the banned list will not be allowed in.
koru67,
May 29, 9:04pm
Since you mentioned them I just had to go look, hadn't seen them before, don't they look fantastic!. Then I needed to make sure the rainbow rose seeds are still available and whew they are. Sad to think people are actually falling for these scams.
jphs,
May 29, 10:45pm
You know, I find it incredible that a gardener would even think about importing seeds through unsafe sources like this. Anyone with a small degree of awareness in the world and their garden should be aware of the risks involved here. Not just the risk of importing undesirable weeds, but the risks of importing fungal and bacterial spores, plant virus. amazing.
jphs,
May 29, 10:46pm
Good, and so they should be.
hidave,
May 30, 5:18am
Realistically customs are unable to find & stop everything, maybe one out of six dodgy deliveries maybe. I know of a lot of countries a lot of not so legal things get through.
Good discussion guys, thanks for everyones input.
moltenfire,
May 30, 9:16am
As you are obviously not a kiwi (we hold our eco-safety very dearly here) then I suggest you move back to wherever it was that you originated and take your utter contempt with you. What an absurd question.
moltenfire,
May 30, 9:17am
+10
hidave,
May 31, 4:50am
Haha oh good a racist 'troll'. Took a while for one to appear!
Just to rub salt in the wounds that are your personal issues taken out on online forums I just want to add I'm many generations a Kiwi haha hence my asking this question Emily which I'm sure the rest of the crew picked up on. We're not all horticulturalist graduates ;)
Thank you for your mislead contempt.
kateley,
May 31, 5:20am
I'm not sure if you're serious about wanting blue strawberries and rainbow roses, or wanting to sell them to other gullible people so let me tell it to you straight:
These seeds WILL NOT produce what they say they will.
Putting aside the risk to our horticultural industry of importing unapproved plant matter, the seeds themselves are a SCAM. DO NOT BUY THEM and DO NOT TRY TO SELL THEM!
howgoodisit,
May 31, 12:06pm
LOL to all you guys. as soon as the TPPA is signed all our seeds will be imported. any other seed company will be shut down by Monsanto.
I would advise to import as many heirloom varieties as you can and seed bank, its only a matter of time before selling seeds will be banned.
hidave,
Jun 1, 8:24am
Fair call howgood! Good argument right there.
tessnjess,
Jun 1, 10:00pm
The fine is the least of the problem - what about the risk you bring to everybody else - to our country!
niffer13,
Jun 1, 11:14pm
I don't think there is any such thing as a blue strawberry!
mack77,
Jun 3, 11:11am
If you do have any seeds from China, my advice is to immediately burn them in a high temperature fire or whatever to destroy any bacteria, viruses or other micro organisms present.
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