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Produce => Edible Plants => Topic started by: Plot22 on October 08, 2013, 16:37:38

Title: Californian Garlic
Post by: Plot22 on October 08, 2013, 16:37:38
Hi I am writing this from California where I am on holiday. I have always been a bit of a garlic freak setting 300 each year. I have bought a full stick of them whilst in California from a farm with the hope of setting some of them along with my normal ones when I return to the UK. My question is does anyone have an idea whether the ones that I have bought will be Autumn or Spring setting as I forgot to ask the farmer. They only cost me around £5 so nothing really lost and they are huge.
Title: Re: Californian Garlic
Post by: Digeroo on October 08, 2013, 17:22:37
You are allowed 5 packets of seeds from a retail seed company  but I thought that other plant material was not allowed.  My daughter brought me back a packet of Courgette seeds which she carefully declared on arrival.   We made sure the packet was unopened.

http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/sitecontent/documents/travel-customs/bringing-plants.pdf

I would have thought they came under

Bulbs, corms, tubers and
rhizomes for planting
(excluding potatoes)

X    Not allowed.

I would suggest they are not allowed. 
Title: Re: Californian Garlic
Post by: Robert_Brenchley on October 08, 2013, 20:24:24
Plant them now, and they'll work either way.
Title: Re: Californian Garlic
Post by: gavinjconway on October 08, 2013, 20:55:30
Quote from: Digeroo on October 08, 2013, 17:22:37
You are allowed 5 packets of seeds from a retail seed company  but I thought that other plant material was not allowed.  My daughter brought me back a packet of Courgette seeds which she carefully declared on arrival.   We made sure the packet was unopened.

http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/sitecontent/documents/travel-customs/bringing-plants.pdf

I would have thought they came under

Bulbs, corms, tubers and
rhizomes for planting
(excluding potatoes)

X    Not allowed.

I would suggest they are not allowed.

Why bring in something that is not allowed - its a law for a reason to stop any viruses or diseases entering the UK...

You really should not do it - it only takes one bad apple to spoil the brew and same goes for importing a virus that could spread the UK in a few years.. 
Title: Re: Californian Garlic
Post by: Jeannine on October 08, 2013, 21:21:23
If you bought them from a farmer  he will have told you their names and I would be pretty sure they will be fall(autumn planters) but you will not be able to legally get them through customs and frankly you really shouldn't try, if you get caught at the airport  the penalties will be very strict.

XX Jeannine
Title: Re: Californian Garlic
Post by: artichoke on October 09, 2013, 08:58:04
I was caught in Australia with some ginger root and a lime which I could not bear to throw away after a few days in Bangkok. They X rayed the hold luggage, pulled me out of the queue and gave me a very serious and embarrassing talking to, with the threat of a fine if I ever did it again, having recorded my passport details.....

What a shame. Can you eat them all in the time left to you???!?