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Importing tropical plants
Hi all I'm in Thailand this week and there are loads of wonderful plants here. I was thinking of bringing one back. I might even try even bring a banana similar to what Monty recently dug up and stored for winter? Do you think it will survive in my conservatory this winter? What would you bring? (Ps size isn't a real issue as I am a pilot and so I can stick what I like in the hold, within reason, plus I have to carry it!)
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I'm sure you're aware of this http://www.fera.defra.gov.uk/plants/plantHealth/imports/travellers.cfm but I thought I'd post it as other people may not be aware of the restrictions on importing some plants, e.g. kaffir limes, to prevent the spread of disease.
Also doesn't the temperature in the hold get pretty chilly? Better wrap your plants in bubblewrap!
I've no idea what I'd bring as I don't have a conservatory so have never thought about it - but I'm sure there's some amazing plants out there. Let us know what you decide and how you get on
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
pansyface, I totally agree with the sentiment, but dutch elm came with a shipment of bananas, ash dieback from imported trees, and japanese knotweed were imported plants. All were totally legal.
Remember the killer spider found in bananas in Waitrose about 3 weeks ago?
bluebaron, the banana which MD dug up the other week was ensete ventricosum maurelii and can be bought in garden centres in early summer for as little as £5. I'd wait and buy one at home.
Having seen what we grow in the UK as house plants growing to full size in the gardens of Sydney I vowed never to try and grow stunted versions of those plants in my home. I even think growing tree ferns in this country is wrong having seen them growing naturally in Australia.
Some plants don't travel well, except as curiosities. Leave them in Thailand.
Pansyface, I did say " I totally agree with the sentiment"
How much poorer would our gardens be without the plants brought back by Victorian Planthunters?
I fully accept that we have to have rules to prevent importation of pests and diseases and dovefromabove posted a link to the DEFRA regulations relating to this.
I don't condone wreckless smuggling by any means.
The last big outbreak of Foot and Mouth came in on illegally imported meat from Asia - though not plant related it is a graphic example of the kind of trouble that can spread, ruin lives and livelihoods and cost billions of pounds to eradicate and fix.
There is free movement of most plants and seeds within the EU but not from anywhere else. You can find details on the DEFRA website. Do not, please, bring in any material that has not been certified disease and pest free and shipped by registered suppliers. You can but bananas and orchids and so on here anyway so why take the risk?
You can bring in seeds and cuttings. Anything with soil needs a license from Thailand. You can buy Musa and Ensete in the UK cheaply.
Pansyface, nobody disagrees with you, we should all be vigilant, but the only way to really , really try to stop importing pests and diseases is to ban all imports of plant material, which would have to include all fruit and vegetables. Let's face it, that's never going to happen, so we just have to be sensible.
I have friends who run commercial nurseries ( primulas, and hostas ) and even though ever rule and regulation is followed, some "dodgy" stock gets through. e.g. Dutch authorities say that a nursery is " clean" if no more than 5% is infected!!!! To be "clean" I'd demand 0% infection detected.
There are still wonderful plant hunters out there, e.g crug farm nursery and Marina Christopher who still bring back wonderful new varieties of plants. Under proper conditions, I'd not like to see them stopped.