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Orchid Shipping
Edited by Aaron J. Hicks
4/25/96
Orchids aren't fragile.
Well, most of the epiphytes we'll be dealing with aren't exactly what
one might call wilting violets of the horticultural world. Many are readily
packed and shipped, typically with no harm to the plant.
The first trick is to make sure that the contents are known to the
WORLD. I use photocopies of a set of laser-printed labels that do this
quite nicely.
Four of them fit on a sheet of paper (divided into quarters), if this
gives the reader an idea of what size I am speaking about. They read:
LIVE PLANTS
HANDLE WITH CARE
Maintain temperatures
between 55F and 90F
DO NOT ROUGH HANDLE
Boxes should be labeled prominently, with THIS SIDE UP as appropriate.
The photocopied labels should be adhesed on with clear tape, along with the
address label, if the box cannot be labeled itself. I use a Sharpie or other
pen that is absolutely water-indelible, in the event the package gets wet.
The box should be packed such that plants will move as little as
reasonably possible. I pack mine in with large quantities of wadded
newspaper, and sometimes duct tape. I always ship plants in-pot. Typically,
I water plants and allow them to dry for 3-4 days before shipping.
If shipping plants that are not extremely well-established (i.e.,
if it were inverted, the mix would all fall out), I pack the top of the
pot with newspaper, and tape it in place. Florist's shredded wax paper also
serves this purpose well, but is a nuisance to clean up afterwards.
Heavy-Duty Shipping
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From Rgangus@aol.com Fri May 17 04:44:14 1996
To: ahicks@mailhost.nmt.edu
Subject: Shipping a collection of orchids
Shipped a large mixed collection 1000 miles last Oct.
Contacted a truck broker up on the east coast for an 18 wheeler.
Told her what we wanted to do. We had to be somewhat flexible in order to
get a refrigerated truck, but as it turned out we did get one on the day we
wanted. Time is also critical as to what other crops are moving, because
food crops will pay more for the truck. The rate was 80 cents a mile --we do
all loading and unloading.
Several weeks ahead I collected lots of corrugated boxes, cut the tops
off, and filled with lots of newspaper.
Packed the plants in them and secured with wadded newspaper.
Hired some packers who loaded the plants. (On this end they were
unpacked by day labor.)
Asked the driver to keep the temp. at 80 degrees.
He called collect to predict time of arrival.
The documentation was checked at every weigh station.
They were on the road 2 days. Not one plant out of pot, all in god
condition.
Even shipped a 10 ft. vanda.
Thanks ----------- Evlyn
Moderate-Duty Shipping
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From JRUPP@VM.STLAWU.EDU Fri May 24 09:57:55 1996
Subject: shipping orchids
To: ahicks@NMT.EDU
X-Acknowledge-To: <JRUPP@VM.STLAWU.EDU>
You requested comments from people who have shipped orchids as a hobbyist.
I have had two sabbaticals in Hawaii and each time obtained numerous orchds
and shipped them back to the East Coast of the mainland, i.e. northern New
york. I have had no casulties; everything arrived in fine shape. I have
used both UPS and US Postal system Priority Mail with equal success with
the US mail being much les costly. I believe each time I shipped between
20 and 25 boxes, varying in size from 15 x 15 x 24 inches to 24 x 24 x 48
inches in size and crammed with wrapped plants. Being shipped from Hawaii,
all plants were inspected at the state agricultural station, final wrapping,
boxes sealed and stamped as approved, then shipped, with virtually all being
shipped in the pots.
Wrapping of plants: The last watering of the plants was done 2 days prior
to shipping. (If the plants and/or the potting medium are wet, the moisture
will gradually soak all the packing material and cause possible rot.) Small
strips of newspaper was rolled/crumpled to pack as tightly as possible on top
of the potting medium and taped in place with masking tape. Soft leaved
plants, phaelonopsis, cattleya, etc. will quite readily permit their leaves
to be gently pulled up, and while doing this, the pot and plant were wrapped
in layers of newspaper sort making a cylindrical package, then taped shut.
With hard, nonbendable leaved plants like vandas, one just does what one can
generating a package somewhat wide and flat, but with plenty of newspaper for
padding. To cushion the pots in the package, I usually would put a layer of
foam, packaging "peanuts", crumpled nespaper, or anything that was handy.
The wrapped plants were then merely placed into the boxes in whatever manner
would fit, with the biggest, heaviest ones on the bottom, then fill in the
gaps to make a firmly packed box with no movement of plants. Sometimes
crumpled nespaper was used to fill voids which were unavoidable. Used I
prferred to use small plants.
I have had clay pots break, but never plastic ones. Shipments arrived
at their destination in 2 or 3 days. Plants were unpacked and given a day
or two to re-aclimate to light, then placed into their permanent positions.
I have never lost a plant, and only very rarely had any even minor damage.
Recently, I brought some plants back from San Diego via airplane, where
I used the same wrapping methods, and just stuffed the bag carrying them
in the overhead bins in the airplane cabin. Again, everything arrived
safe and sound.
I hope this helps your compilation. If anything else is needed. please
let me know.
John
DR. JOHN J. RUPP PHONE: (315) 379-5856
DEPARTMENT OF CHEMISTRY E-MAIL: JRUPP@VM.STLAWU.EDU
ST. LAWRENCE UNIVERSITY
CANTON, NY 13617
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