I assumed that to sell plants that your garden had to be licensed. But when it's not mentioned in the description on the LA or eBay , I have been recently asking the sellers and 3 out of 3 have said they're not. I no longer feel comfortable buying from those I don't know who aren't even though I realize that in some counties, the inspection may be minimal. But it gives a little bit of comfort that licensed gardens may be keeping noxious weeds in check, etc.

I am waiting for a legislator to email me regs for the 50 states and wonder how everyone feels purchasing from unlicensed?

Edited to add regs:

http://nationalplantboard.org/...

I've never thought about it. I buy from reputable sellers so it doesn't really bother me if they are or not.

That was word for word what I was thinking. Never thought about...doesnt bother me.

We've been selling on a small scale for the past two years. We have paid the fee for a state license each year including 2013 and have yet to be inspected. So, being "licensed" does not mean all that it implies. We do try to follow all the regulations for selling and shipping except to the western states that are more strict.

I am like Michele and Pam. It does not really matter. We don't particularly like getting rust on daylilies shipped to us, but we get that from licensed nurseries too. As long as we are happy with the daylilies that we receive, it does not matter whether the seller is licensed or not.

I am with the above, do not care as long as the daylilies are as advertised. Being licensed doesn't make someone a good business person, I watch Dateline about all those Licensed people who try to rip us old folks off.

I am licensed and Michigan sure makes it a point to inspect your garden every year.

It wouldn't matter to me if I purchased from an unlicensed garden as long as the plants are healthy.

It doesn't matter to me either.

I'm probably not qualified to chime in, since I've primarily bought at daylily shows/sales, but if I were buying online, what I would care most about was whether it was a reputable dealer. Never occurred to me to wonder about licensing.

I'll chime in too, even though I'm no expert, and say that it wouldn't matter at all to me. Like everyone said, reputation is way more important, and a license really does nothing to guarantee that.

I think if the daylily was something I ate, I would for sure care more in were it came from, what went on it or in it.
To me, Im more concerned that the person is honest and will send the right plant or replace it if it blooms wrong. I think back to the guy on Ebay who was selling recent 'intro's' but sending ditch lilies.
My SIL is an inspector for FL, as a matter of fact ,Nicole Harry is in her territory. What they are inspecting for is really nothing that would effect me.
Where they store their stuff and how they dispose of things is nothing I care about. Its not like they are going to shut the business down because they see rust or something. Maybe it is different in other states.
I do think if it makes you feel better tho, there are plenty that are licensed that you can buy from.

I do see this both ways and have had bad experiences with both L & U; cut crowns, plants the size of a 6" northern grown seedling, plants with almost no root attached, plants labeled with jeweler's tags which fell off so you have no idea what the cv's are, and plants shipped with dirt. Nothing like thinking a heavy box = lots of bonus plants and find you've been gifted with soil. None of the above has anything to do with inspection so it could be a "what gripes you about sellers" thread of it's own.


I thought the purpose of having the regs in place was to prevent the spread of noxiouus weeds, disease and pests, and it's the latter that concerns me, having experienced h. gall midge here, which I believe came from an early cv shipped from an unlicensed seller in WA. If your state requires you to have a license and certification on package, I have wondered why a "reputable" person would not become licensed? But, I sense that the inspection process is some states is not what I thought so my resolution is to buy from only those I trust and have built a relationship with.

I consider it a money making exercise for the state. An inspector coming by for a few minutes once a year is hardly going to help a non caring grower sell better plants.
Playing devils advocate...why would someone become licensed, if they dont have to. What purpose does it serve? For me, anytime I can keep anybody or anything that has to do with the government away, I will do it.

Here's the thing with the noxious weeds here, my inspector will look for popcorn trees and one other type weed (I can't remember the name. It's the viney one with red flowers that butterflies like; it's invasive here), but other than that it is up to us sellers to make sure we know and follow each states restrictions/requirements.

Now there are other states that require more indepth inspections; California (nematode inspection and a bunch of forms), Hawaii and a few of the other states require phyto certificates.

If you are selling you are a business and must be licensed and pay state sales tax on what you sell. If you are selling and not licensed in essence, you are robbing your state of taxes and probably could be prosecuted if found out. Wouldn't want to take chances on that myself. I want everything on the up and up, even if it means having to pay the government more taxes.

Also, Cindy, I don't sell yet, but when I do get a license to sell, the rules require that
all incoming plants be from licensed growers, with documentation of where and who.

So, it doesn't matter to me now, but when licensed, evidently, it will matter due to state rules.

Shirlee, that may vary from state to state. I have been selling for about 10 years and my state has never required my incoming plants to be from inspected growers, not that I know of anyway. If so, I better look into it. Now the states that require strict inspections are ones that I usually do not sell too, like California, Arizona, Washington, Oregon and New Mexico. My plant inspector recommended that I do not sell to most Western states because of their strict incoming rules.

Shirlee and Cindy, we have never heard or read that we have to buy only from licensed growers in order to sell. I will be checking into this but suspect that this may be up to individual states.

Sorry, I should have put in MY State (TN) requirements to sell.

Which states that to acquire a license, after fees are paid, etc., all plants one sells must have
a tag bearing a copy of the valid certificate when shipping out, and to maintain records
showing that all stock purchased to resell was secured from stipulated certified sources.

But, as I mentioned before, I'm not selling anything, so it doesn't matter to me whether I buy from
certified sources or not, but when I acquire a license to sell, it will matter according to the rules.

Here's link that lists states.
http://nationalplantboard.org/...