Question
Hi, i just had a couple questions reguarding these, plants.  

For the sarrs, i live in zone 6, and was wondering what a good pot size would be for overwintering them outside...most of the sarrs i recieved were from you, and im am proud to say ive kept them alive for 2-3yrs, so this year i divided the larger rhizomes and they all seem to be taking well, the only thing is i would like to get something smaller than a 14in pot for every plant, i was thinking 1 or 2.5gallon pots.  will they overwinter fine in both pots?  with a layer of mulch?  and will those pots provide enough root room for most sarrs?  counting the large flower mature plants.  

As for the mexican pings, i have been helping a friend and getting tons of pings he wants, and i was wondering what is the best way to ship them barerooted?  i just recieved a ping in the mail, it came barerooted and roots were in live sphagnum and the whole thing was wrapped in syran wrap, and it came in good condtion, but i was just wondering would this method work to ship internationally?  He says there is no photosanitary certificate needed, and he will be paying the shipping and i just want to make sure the plants make it to him alive...so i would really appreciate it if you could provide some information on how to pack them

and another thing...really like your knew podcasts on your website, ive watched them all, and can't wait for more to come out...also love the photogallery...hope to order from you soon

thanks for your help

dustin

Answer
Hi Dustin,

Congratulations on growing Sarracenia!  Pretty soon you'll have so many divisions you'll have to sell the excess at your local farmer's market.  And then you'll be quitting your job and selling these plants full-time!  This is how it started for us.  Jeff kept his job though for the health insurance and pension.  Smart.

With Sarracenia, the pot can never be too big.  As long as you have about an inch space from the rhizome to the rim of the pot, the pot is large enough.  So whenever I repot plants, I always go by the individual plant I'm repotting.  Keep in mind that plants in larger pots fare better than plants in smaller pots during winter.

In regards to shipping plants, everyone has their own method.  I'm not a fan of shipping plants bareroot, but I also know it's necessary for international shipping.  The key concepts is to keep the roots moist and the plant immobilized during the entire shipping process.

As for permits and such, it depends on the country.  We don't do any international shipping, so I'm not sure which country requires it.  As far as I know, most countries require it, including Canada.  So you'll need to check with the Department of Agriculture for the country in question.

The US also has its own rules for exporting plants.  As far as I know, none of the Pinguicula species is threatened or endangered, so you won't need CITES permit.  However, you will need to declare the plants on your customs form. Whether or not you need an export permit as a private collector, I'm not sure.   You'll need to research this one.

Also keep in mind that you'll also need to check with your carriers for any regulations they might have when shipping plants.  USPS has list of regulations on their site.  As to date, they do NOT ship plants to the European Union.  (Yes, welcome the the wonderful world of export.  This is why we don't do it.)

Good growing!
Jacob Farin