Garden Seeds, to and From India

I wasn't planning on bringing cane toads, to Bangalore ...

Just some japanese cucumber, and string bean seeds ...

(just kidding) :P

Please Please Cane Toads, take the lot we don't really need them that much. I've got this really cool animation on Baza the Cane Toad, it symbolises the true blue Aussie to a 'T'.

So on to plants and seeds. Didn't read the rules but any bug that has been has pretty well run through India and beyond by now, kind of a little late to stop bugs. Horticulturists in India that I have met when I was full on into plants referred to it as parasites paradise, more bugs per square mile than people almost, hence the heavy chemical applications that still go on to the ornamentals.

When one is dealing with native species it is very important to pay close attention to the genetic nature of the local species and introducing plants or seeds from another ecological zone is not good practice, however saying this birds that carry seed may fly many miles before dispersing the seed naturally, so everything is relative.

In regard to vegetables especially commercial sealed packets they are normally packed to phyto sanitary standards and are safe, but seeds collected from gardens may contain beetles or fungus etc that are not necessarily an ecological problem but by the time they are to be planted they are no longer viable, passed the use by date. North India is like most of Australia, California, Arzona etc, South India is like New Orleans, Brazil etc. Look at a map and compare the distance from the equator for similarities also look at the altitude for fine tuning the zones. Dera Dhun is so close to Armidale in NSW here in Aust for altitude and latitude in opposite hemispheres.

Ornamental flower plants, wildflowers are a potential night mare, leave them out. These are the biggest pests that cause more ecological damage than people realise, thinking of say the Lantanas, Blackberries and daisies from the Americas and all of those grasses, pampas!!!!

Taking plants or seeds out of India will require full Phyto Sanitary Certification from a recognised centre and also be prepared to loose the lot for any reason especially black listed species or have them fumigated on arrival if they look a little off. No soil, bare roots plants in vermiculite would be ok but would be fumigated anyway and some plants like Phormiums do not like Formaldehyde.