# Shipping Orchid Seed



## goods (Mar 5, 2012)

I have a local grower who does his own flasking work. I was wondering how difficult it is to import seed from out of the country. Is it as difficult of a process as importing/exporting plants?

Thanks in advance for any help!


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## Rick (Mar 5, 2012)

My understanding is:

Supposed to get a phytosanitary certificate. The cost of which will vary with country.

For CITES 2 stuff they are supposed to come in sterilized flasking media.

But that is just my understanding and you may want to confer with Troy Meyers, who has been getting imported seed.


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## goods (Mar 5, 2012)

Thanks Rick, I'll get in touch with Troy. I know someone in Canada who offered me a couple pods. Maybe I should just try to find some in the U.S. I'm mainly just looking to learn the whole process.


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## John M (Mar 5, 2012)

I use a 3" x 3" square "Post it" note to make a small envelope to contain the clean, dry seed. Then, I cut a thin piece of cardboard to fit snugly inside a regular #10 letter envelope. Don't use a really thick piece of cardboard. A single sheet of cardboard from a pizza delivery box lid works great. I place the small paper envelope containing the seed on the cardboard and trace around it. Then, using an exacto knife, I cut out the shape that the tracing made. The little envelope of seed will fit perfectly in this "void" in the cardboard. Hold it in place with a little bit of tape. Wrap the whole piece of cardboard, along with the seed envelope taped in place, in a regular 8 1/2" x 11" sheet of printer paper. Slide the whole thing inside an addressed, stamped #10 envelope and mail it in the regular first class letter-mail. The envelope will not be over weight, so no extra postage other than regular first class letter-mail postage is needed. You use the thin piece of cardboard to provide a little bit of thickness to the letter envelope. Othewise, the seed can be crushed in the automatic mail sorting machines. Remember, the seed is held in the void in the cardboard; so, the cardboard, not the seed, takes most of the beating that comes from being sent through the high speed sorting rollers.


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## TyroneGenade (Mar 6, 2012)

I have received seed much as John describes and got germination.


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## NYEric (Mar 6, 2012)

This whole thread is amusing.


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## Rick (Mar 6, 2012)

NYEric said:


> This whole thread is amusing.



Yes, no one really answering directly.


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## s1214215 (Mar 6, 2012)

Here is a pic of a cardboard folder and the enclosed packets. This may help. Technically while you need a phytosanitary permit to import seed to the USA, plenty of people do without it. You may also find people in other countries reluctant to get a phyto for seed due to expense or the trouble of going to get one: this has been the experience of friends of mine.

Brett


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## Rick (Mar 6, 2012)

s1214215 said:


> Here is a pic of a cardboard folder and the enclosed packets. This may help. Technically while you need a phytosanitary permit to import seed to the USA, plenty of people do without it. You may also find people in other countries reluctant to get a phyto for seed due to expense or the trouble of going to get one: this has been the experience of friends of mine.
> 
> Brett



Technically you should use the term "legally" instead of "technically", but yes few people get the paperwork.

And "technically" I believe all slippers are listed under CITES 2 (not just the illegal Vietnamese paph species).


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## Rick (Mar 6, 2012)

NYEric said:


> This whole thread is amusing.



You never know Eric. Maybe Paph vietnamense will become a native species in the Adirondacksoke:


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## NYEric (Mar 7, 2012)

I know where the hangianum and tranlieanum patches are!


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## John M (Mar 7, 2012)

Rick said:


> Technically you should use the term "legally" instead of "technically", but yes few people get the paperwork.


Rick; does ANYBODY get the paperwork? Can you name even one person who gets dry seed inspected and certified? I bet not! 




Rick said:


> And "technically" I believe all slippers are listed under CITES 2 (not just the illegal Vietnamese paph species).



All Paph and Phrag species are listed in CITES Appendix 1 (not 2), including vietnamense. The "illegal" part has nothing to do with CITES; it has to do with US law, which takes restrictions further than CITES does. All Cyp species and Selenipedium species are listed in CITES Appendix 2.


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## s1214215 (Mar 7, 2012)

Please forgive my grammar misdemeanor Rick oke:

Some people do send seed with phytos to the USA, but you have to get someone do to it first.. I used to send seed all the time to the USA with phytos from Thailand.. Sent some Paph vietnamense seed too several years ago before I had heard of the Lacey Act and all the sillyness you have over there with Viet Paphs. Interestingly the seed was inspected and passed to the recipient :clap: Must have gotten lucky.

Hmmm Cyps in App I and Paphs and Phrags in II. Stupid really when many Cyps are rarer than most Paphs.

Brett


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## s1214215 (Mar 7, 2012)

Reason I dont do papers from Australia is the cost of a phyto here is insane.. over $100. Mind you I dont know if I can get one on seed here too, as I have never tried. I could look into it sure and I am a member of a paph club and grow my own, so never know if I will have seed some time.. A friend on mine in Thailand posted helenae seed the other day and it got here.. certainly we have no issues with seed coming in as we dont need certs.


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## NYEric (Mar 7, 2012)

The reason I dont get papers for seed....Bahhahahhahhahhahaaha! :evil:


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## Rick (Mar 7, 2012)

John M said:


> Rick; does ANYBODY get the paperwork? Can you name even one person who gets dry seed inspected and certified? I bet not!
> 
> All Paph and Phrag species are listed in CITES Appendix 1 (not 2), including vietnamense. The "illegal" part has nothing to do with CITES; it has to do with US law, which takes restrictions further than CITES does. All Cyp species and Selenipedium species are listed in CITES Appendix 2.



Granted I don't personally know anyone who has done the phyto, but with my recent conversation with TM, he was bringing in several batches of seed from out of the country that were intended to be inspected. 

Yes phyto cert is under USDA or APHIS (agriculture jurisdiciton). However according to TM there is still a CITES aspect for plant products (including seed) for endangered species. Sorry I get my 1's and 2's mixed up!!


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## keithrs (Mar 7, 2012)

Whats that.... Laws are made to be broken.....oke:


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## s1214215 (Mar 9, 2012)

No laws broken by me importing seed to Australia. We dont need phytos for seed here, and a permit is only needed once you go into larger amounts of seed (6 samples or more according to DAFF). Thankfully we dont have to get a phyto on seed, which to my mind is rediculous. 

Seed I sent of Cyp subtropicum was legally imported from China to Thailand with a phyto permit from there meeting Thai requirements. Some of that seed was then sent to the USA with a THai phyto with Cypripedium subtropicum printed on it. It was inspected and accepted by USDA and sent to the receiver who has planted out the seedlings that have been grown form him recently. As far as I can see, if appropriate docs are used, its legally there now.

Brett


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