Tried for a second season to get plants to Canada; this time I labeled it no soil, no value; this year the Canadian customs will not release the plants to her without a photo identification certificate. So she loses her trade for a second year and I will get the box back , after it has been traveling for 2 weeks. Anyone have a tip on what I can do and what the photo thing is?
trading with Canada
Maybe Chooch could be of some help to you in this respect?
I have had no trouble getting seeds into Canada, but haven't imported any plants, yet.
Just recieved plant cuttings from Ireland and there was no fuss. I think you can't send the plant in soil, but not sure.
Hi Marcia
Here is a reply from good 'ole Canada itself.
I've sent and received lots of packages of plants from the States and have sent to the States as well. All we've done is make sure the box is marked as "bareroot plant for trade" and no value and have not had one problem. I've received every plant and my trader has as well. Sometimes it takes a little longer to get through customs but they have never held them and not released. The trick seems to be to mark the package "bareroot plant" but soilless should mean the same thing. I've received plants from Carolina, Kansas, Wisconson, Georgia, you name it and received all of them. There is a lot of controversey about trading across the Canadian border but I also know a lot of people who trade and have had no problems either.
They phyto thing you mentioned they said you needed is a phytosanitary certificate which has to be completed by a Federal plant inspector which says there was nothing growing in the soil which would contaminate anything. There is usually a charge for this.
Most companies that actually charge for plants have to provide the phyto certificate and they usually charge the buyer for this but it only seems necessary when there was change of cash involved.
It's too bad some have problems getting through because it scares people off and you people in the states have such a larger variety of plants than we have in Canada that it dosen't seem fair but Canada Post has us one way or the other. Can't mail anything without goint through them.
Darlene
Nova Scotia, Canada