Author Topic: Fruits of Peru  (Read 11539 times)

fruitlovers

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Re: Fruits of Peru
« Reply #25 on: June 06, 2012, 05:59:37 PM »
live plant on airplane will probably not make it given the cargo area is not conditioned and temps there drop to below 50 degree centigerate at 30,000 plus elevation. by sea is ok.

Probably depends on the carrier, but with most this is not true. I sent lots of airmail packages to test this theory. All the packages had a special device that tracked the temperatures and could later be downloaded. The temperatures never dropped dangerously low up in the air. The more problematic times are once on the ground. If you ship in winter or summer the temperatures can go to the extremes while the package is being stored, or even carried inside of a truck.
Oscar

KarenRei

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Re: Fruits of Peru
« Reply #26 on: June 06, 2012, 06:16:29 PM »
Ah, fruitlovers, good to hear from someone who is personally aware of the pain that is shipping plants internationally   ;)

Jason: Heh, it's not hard to bypass customs regulations or work through loopholes.  Heck, here in Iceland all they ever seem to care about is alcohol, people bringing it in trying to avoid taxes.  It almost made me mad, after all the pain and expense  I went through to get my permits (including becoming certified as a grower under USDA supervision), that I showed up at the airport in Keflavík with my nice shiny certified forms from all respective parties, and all the guy was concerned about was whether I was bringing wine, and if so, how much.  Didn't even ask to open my suitcases to make sure that the plants I was bringing were on the list.  I could have had my bags packed with 100 different endangered species infested with every plant disease known to man being used as travel snacks for a swarm of Japanese beetles, and nobody would have known the difference.  :Þ 

behlgarden, Filipe: It can be done; I did it.  The only plants I list were two fairly mundane ones (lemon verbena and stevia) and a plumeria cutting which I think was already a goner (the people I got it from didn't preserve it right and it had a rot spot on it already).  And I brought them to Iceland, in February at that!  But there's no question that it's really hard on the plants.  I don't plan to do it again.  Maybe planting an occasional leftover, mind you, but...  ;)  I've lost a lot more plants to plantsitters over the years than in transporting plants.  This is one place where you outdoor growers are so lucky, that your watering requirements aren't so strict.  I still miss my silver-hair tea, my pair of kiwifruits, etc... almost lost my jabo, too.  It was within an inch of its life with only three tiny half-browned leaves as its only source of energy for something like a month before it managed to get enough energy together to start producing more.  And it amazes me, no matter who I bring in to water (except my last plantsitter, who is awesome), the post-mortem conversation always goes like... "Wait, you really didn't notice anything was wrong?  Really?  You didn't notice that every plant in the room had drooping leaves, some turning brown, some falling off, some plants now bare?  You REALLY didn't notice that?"
« Last Edit: June 06, 2012, 06:27:24 PM by KarenRei »
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fruitlovers

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Re: Fruits of Peru
« Reply #27 on: June 06, 2012, 06:23:37 PM »
Ah, fruitlovers, good to hear from someone who is personally aware of the pain that is shipping plants internationally   ;)

Jason: Heh, it's not hard to bypass customs regulations or work through loopholes.  Heck, here in Iceland all they ever seem to care about is alcohol, people bringing it in trying to avoid taxes.  It almost made me mad, after all the pain and expense  I went through to get my permits (including becoming certified as a grower under USDA supervision), that I showed up at the airport in Keflavík with my nice shiny certified forms from all respective parties, and all the guy was concerned about was whether I was bringing wine, and if so, how much.  Didn't even ask to open my suitcases to make sure that the plants I was bringing were on the list.  I could have had my bags packed with 100 different endangered species infested with every plant disease known to man being used as travel snacks for a swarm of Japanese beetles, and nobody would have known the difference.  :Þ 

behlgarden, Filipe: It can be done; I did it.  The only plants I list were two fairly mundane ones (lemon verbena and stevia) and a plumeria cutting which I think was already a goner (the people I got it from didn't preserve it right and it had a rot spot on it already).  And I brought them to Iceland, in February at that!  But there's no question that it's really hard on the plants.  I don't plan to do it again.  Maybe planting an occasional leftover, mind you, but...  ;)

Karen, one of the unpredictable variables is the employee who happens to inspect your suitcases when you arrive. This can vary from not bothering to even open them to one that looks at everything with a magnifying lens! Now with heightened security in airports even your whole body will be scanned. They can actually see those seeds you stuffed into your pockets or sewn into your clothes seams!  ;)
Oscar

KarenRei

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Re: Fruits of Peru
« Reply #28 on: June 06, 2012, 06:33:31 PM »
Indeed, but the scanners are looking for weapons.  I've never heard of anyone being asked to present papers on what they're bringing at the security checkpoint.  Maybe it happens sometimes, but...

Now, if you do stupid stuff, I've heard of people getting caught.  I read about one guy who was trying to smuggle endangered birds.  He had them bundled up and taped, each one fit inside a piece of a paper towel roll tube, all of the tube segments wrapped around his body under his clothes.  I'm sure he thought he was so clever, but A) can you think of anything that would look *more* suspicious to a security screener, and B) I don't think even the best liar could pass that one off as an accident  ;)
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fruitlovers

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Re: Fruits of Peru
« Reply #29 on: June 06, 2012, 06:50:21 PM »
Hi Karen, the way it is now at USA airports is if the transportation security employees can hassle you about anything at all they will! If they see anything suspicious in your pockets or under your clothes you will definitely go to the special line where you have to take everything out of the your pockets and get the full pat down. If they really want to also the infamous: cavity search. :o This includes not just airports inside USA but also any flight at any airport that is headed to USA.
Oscar

Jackfruitwhisperer69

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Re: Fruits of Peru
« Reply #30 on: June 07, 2012, 09:01:24 AM »
Smuggling plants is a no brainer ;) I do it all the time!!!

I won't post my methods...might get in trouble ::)

Airports have people that are paid to ''read'' body language...If you are jumping like a rabbit you will get caught.  ;) Be calm at all times...you are not bringing explosives. it's just plants ;D ;D ;D
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KarenRei

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Re: Fruits of Peru
« Reply #31 on: June 07, 2012, 11:05:52 AM »
Hehe, like I said before, just have something innocent that you can pass it off as.  Back when I wasn't sure I'd be able to get my permits at all, I was coming up with all kinds of crazy ways to get the plants in, like turning them into wreaths or parrot toys or furniture etc while still alive... even did tests to see how extreme of conditions they could survive   ;)  Heck, I probably could have passed my passionfruit off as a wreath even when it was coming in as legit, as I had to reel it in a whole bunch and bind it up, and the root bundle wasn't visible through all the leaf mass.
« Last Edit: June 07, 2012, 11:08:00 AM by KarenRei »
Já, ég er að rækta suðrænar plöntur á Íslandi. Nei, ég er ekki klikkuð. Jæja, kannski...