Affected flowers will turn brown. For air shipment, aircraft pallets are preferred to containers. When aircraft containers are used, orchids should not be mixed with ethylene-producing products. In all cases, direct exposure to ambient conditions, particularly sunlight and rain, should be avoided. Importers can correct this damage by submerging the sprays in water for 10 to 15 minutes, time enough to rehydrate them.
Mechanical damage occurs when flowers are handled poorly or overpacked.
Most of this damage is not visible when the sprays are packed, but develops during transport and storage. Most of the damage is to the flowers, including creasing and flower removal. In severe cases, the stem may be damaged or crushed. There is considerable variation in market requirements for Dendrobium orchids. Spray lengths, flower number and condition, flowers per tray, trays per box and the overall packaging vary by importing country and by importer.