I would like to suggest that EVERYONE regardless of the state that they reside in, please go to the website and look at the information presented there BEFORE YOU MAIL ANY MORE TRADES. This message should be STICKIED by the admin of Dave's Garden.
There is a wealth of data here, and if you are going to send plants to different places in the country, you should be aware of the laws that govern that activity. And yes, they DO apply to YOU as a 'non-professional' grower.
There are state by state lists of specific laws and regulations that we should all be following when we send plant material elsewhere.
Yes, sometimes it means that you may not be able to get that 'hard to locate coveted plant' via trade, but is it worth you getting it if it can cause potential problems in not only the ecosystem, or maybe your pocketbook (if you get caught and fined)??
Think of plants as the swine flu...some areas have the flu and some don't, and those that don't quarantine to keep it out. Its the same with certain plant pests. There are guidelines, laws and quarantines in place to try to keep nasty things out of areas that don't have them, but where the climate and conditions are favorable that they could take hold, IF INTRODUCED.
Don't be the one responsible for introducing something that could be harmful.
www.nationalplantboard.org
The National Plant Board: Important Guidelines for Traders
