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Bringing plants in from the EU
zippychick73
Posts: 6
in Plants
Hi all,
Random question but has anyone recently brought plants into the UK from the EU for their own use? ie to plant in your own garden, not to sell on?
We were planning a trip to visit some nurseries we know in Belgium and Holland and to bring plants back as we have before but post Brexit, we have hit a wall of bureaucracy and forms and can’t get straight answers out of any of the government organisations who are supposed to manage it as to what we actually have to do!
Any ideas???
Random question but has anyone recently brought plants into the UK from the EU for their own use? ie to plant in your own garden, not to sell on?
We were planning a trip to visit some nurseries we know in Belgium and Holland and to bring plants back as we have before but post Brexit, we have hit a wall of bureaucracy and forms and can’t get straight answers out of any of the government organisations who are supposed to manage it as to what we actually have to do!
Any ideas???
0
Posts
"Have nothing in your garden that you don't know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful."
1. Pick one supplier (who speaks English. They all do.)
2. Get their email address
3. Ask their advice.
4. Repeat with another supplier
or ...
1a. google MAFF (I did it for you, the answer is DEFRA)
2a. googel DEFRA's contactus
3a,. Ask DEFRA,
or ...
1b. Try the RHS, they have a website about importing plants.
But I would got first to the nurseries, they would know what they can do.
"Have nothing in your garden that you don't know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful."
What you can bring in from the EU
Although it is possible to bring in plants and plant material for personal use, the new import system for plants is tailored towards professional operators. The new plant health regulations now prevents the public from bringing in most plants and plant products in their personal baggage.
Prior to Brexit, private individuals could bring some plant material into the UK from other EU member countries providing that the material was accompanied with an EU plant passport and providing it met some specific requirements. As the UK has now left the EU, the EU plant passport is no longer valid in GB. Post Brexit you must have a phytosanitary certificate (PC) to import plant material from the EU. This includes almost all plants for planting, most seeds, cut flowers and tuber vegetables such as potatoes from the EU.
If the foreign nurseries can't help, or perhaps won't (it's a lot of time and effort) then you are on your own.
Another approach is to find someone in Calais who already has an inflatable trip booked. He might also make a low cost gardener later.
Or ... Book your trip via the Republic and Northern Ireland.
"Have nothing in your garden that you don't know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful."
I don't know if the recent Windsor modification to the agreement for Northern Ireland changes things but it's also been illegal since Bexit to transfer plants and seeds between mainland UK and NI. That's had a major effect on supplies to Eire which were usually routed thru NI.
Best to avoid the bovver because not only will material be confiscated but you may be fined and if you do sneak stuff thru you may be introducing unwanted plant pathogens and pests that can have a siginificant negative effect on UK flora and fauna in gardens and beyond - think Dutch elm disease, ash dieback, box viruses and pests, horse chestnut leaf minerand there's a new one over here with bugs which bore into agapanthus flowers. the onlytreatment is to disbud and burn the material for 3 years running to break the cycle.