Importing Bonsai from Japan

lance111

What is the situation on imported Bonsai from Japan?


As I tried a few years ack and they said quarentine periods and rules ect... does anybody know if the laws have changed and we can import Trees from Japan?? many thanks...Lance.

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Vonsgardens

Better speak with your in country Department of Agriculture (or what ever you guy call it...). The EU importation restrictions have steadily increased- Don't know if the UK is following all of their guidelines (you know, like the common currency...)

John

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lance111

Ok thanks for that..lol

I would love to import from Japan, but when i tried a few years back they blocked it everyway i moved, it was hard work...

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edgey

G'day Lance, You should try and contact Peter Chan in England. He imports Bonsai every year from Japan by the container for his nursery. I went to Japan last year on a Bonsai tour and he was on it. I spoke to him with regards to importation, because Australia is very difficult, and how he went about it. He helped change the law to allow a small quantity of soil to be admitted with the plant, and we all know a bonsai pot only carries a small amount of soil. Smart fella!! This enables him to be able to bring them in. Maybe because he is a large nursery? imports a lot of quantity? Know's the right people? I'm not sure? He's a nice guy so look him up. Best of luck with it. Andrew

wabashene

Lance,

Pretty nigh impossible for an individual to import trees to the UK I would say.

The big UK importers go on a buying trip in April/May, select the trees and ship them in a couple of months later where - depending on the source country- they remain in 6 month quarantine on average.

Prior to being shipped they will have had to have been grown for 2 years in an approved nursery and have a phytosanitary certificate issued.

In the meantime they often sell them from photographs taken prior to shipment and you can collect in early springtime the year after generally. That's how Windybanks used to operate for instance.

Certain things can speed up import a tad such as soiless "soil" that can be sterilised more easily, pre-shipment fumigation and certification.

Full text of the Defra explanatory leaflet is Here

TimR

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rockm

I'd agree. Stick with somone who's already importing trees and who knows the ropes on the subject. Ask them if they can get the particular tree you're interested in.

wabashene

There's a first time for everything!

Happy New Year Mark.

;-)

Lance,

I would have though that Aberdare - right in the heart of the South Wales coal field - would be a gold mine for collecting stuff like hawthorns etc. if you can get permission.

There seems to be a very active bonsai scene in both South and North Wales.

There's a coterie of Welshmen over on IBC who seem to "know their onions" to say the least and an annual show at Margam Country Park where I've played cricket.

Japanese trees are all well and good but unless you're paying 2 -10 grand for a masterpiece tree it will always be just a starter tree needing a lesser or greater amount of development and refinement work taking 5-10 years. You will certainly have to pay at least a hundred for a decent imported white pine for instance. See Here as an example.

Check your local rugby club car park for one (plenty around Aberdare for sure). I got this from mine in Hampshire.

TimR

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Ravenna

Just wanted to mention that my impression is that the rules and regulations regarding the import of plants (and animals) in the UK are much stricter there than in the rest of the EU or any other country on the "continent" as the "Brits" like to designate us... When I went to the UK I left my plants on the continent because it all seemed so complicated. If I remember correctly I would have had to put that plant into quarantine even though I had already owned it for 10-12 years! My budgies definetely had to go into quarantine and had to be examined by a vet a week before transport, by a vet on the airport and within 48 or 72 hours within arrival in the UK and stay in quarantine in my room for a month or so and be examined again at the end of quarantine...

On the way back... I just took them with me on the ferry, no vets anywhere... As far as I have heard from other bonsaiists in the EU, you are allowed to import trees from Japan and people are known to visit the country and bring some with me. What I have heard though is that there are species which are excluded from that because there is a worry that certain pests and diseases are going to be imported with them. So, apparently the import of prunus mume ist being forbidden now, which is a real pity because originally I was due to work on a prunus mume at my bonsai school in the third year which would have been spring this year... But luckily I already have some...

P.S.: just wanted to add though: in the UK you have such phantastic nurseries esp. in Cornwall that it seems to me that you should be able to find good and interesting tree material even of more unusual species... :-)

thedoc_

Hi there Lance,

I personally know Peter Chan and i can confirm that he imports trees from Japan. I've been to his nursery several times and i saw the quality of the trees he imports, not only finished specimens but also pre-bonsai, including different varieties of maples, pines, junipers, pots, tools etc. I am sure he would be more than happy to help you with this, since he imports every year. He is a really nice person, easy to talk to. Visit his webpage www.herons.co.uk and have a look at his collection and nursery.

Stav.

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