Unsolicited Seeds-What do I do with them?

Written by

Mary Carol Sheffield

August 8, 2020

The Georgia Department of Agriculture as been notified that many Georgia residents have received unsolicited packages containing seeds that appear to have originated from China.

The packages were sent by mail and may have Chinese writing on them. The types of seeds in the packages are unknown at this time and may be invasive plant species. The United States Department of Agriculture is investigating the origin and identity of these seeds.

What do I do if I receive seeds?

If you still have the seed packets and shipping/packaging materials, please do the following:

• DO NOT open the seed packets;

• DO NOT plant any of the seeds;

• DO NOT compost the seeds;

• DO NOT throw the seeds in the trash, flush them down the drain;

• DO NOT expose them to the environment in any way; AND

• DO put all seeds and packaging materials into a Ziploc bag.

What do I do if I no longer have the packaging or already planted the seeds?

If you no longer have the packaging materials or have already planted seeds, please do the following:

• DISPOSE seeds using the recommended USDA disposal methods; USDA recommendations for disposal.

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Mary Carol Sheffield

Mary Carol Sheffield works with University of Georgia Cooperative Extension in Paulding County. She is a Senior Public Service Assistant, serving as an off-campus faculty member of the University of Georgia with the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. Mary Carol’s work focuses on increasing agricultural and environmental literacy and improving soil and water conservation practices in Paulding and Northwest Georgia through research-based education and outreach. In addition to her role as an Extension Agent for Agriculture and Natural Resources, she is also the County Extension Coordinator, providing leadership, mentorship and administration to an office of 7 staff members and more than 100 volunteers. She works with other agencies and businesses to provide outreach to address environmental literacy and soil and water conservation by providing gardening education for youth, Master Gardener Extension Volunteers, and homeowners as well as professional education for urban agriculture and farmers. Mary Carol has been an active member of the International Society of Arboriculture, National Association of County Agricultural Agents, Epsilon Sigma Phi, and the Association of Natural Resource Extension Professionals. She holds a BA in Biology from Agnes Scott College and an MS degree in Forest Biology from Auburn University.