You don't really need to stake it now just because it's not really stressing the plant but some people like to keep adjusting the spike with a ribbon to get the thing more upright. It's supposed to make a cascading effect with the flowers. Every couple days you just slide the ribbon up the stake a bit.

This post was edited by CooperDR on Wed, Dec 3, 14 at 20:26

I use a small green bamboo stake with a light grade florist wire wrapped at the top. I cover the wire with florist tape and make a small hook out of it.

When i first started growing orchids, i broke 2 phal flower spikes in one winter trying to stake too soon. I usually wait until mine are 8-10 inches long then stake. If you try to soon and you are forced to bend the spike in order to stake, you risk breaking as i have. It that were my orchid, I'd wait until its about double that length. Staking is optional as previously mentioned.

Good luck!

Thanks for all the thoughts. I like the idea of waiting a while. I've got three Phals and they are all spiking. Can't wait to see how big they get. I'll go with the 10" idea. That sounds safe.

Alan

Alan,

Depending on 'handling' conditions, I'll sometimes just stick the bamboo/wire/??? stake in next to the spike without attaching it with tape/wire/twist ties/etc... I do this to protect the spike from getting banged-up or worse while I'm messing with other orchids in the general vicinity. I'll attach the spike to the stake when the spike seems sturdy enough, 10"" seems like a good general length for that.

This is a great time of year for phal growers, spikes and flowers abound!!!

Good luck,

Bob

Great idea Bob. I would like to get the stake in the pot so I only have to worry about attaching the spike later.

I have done something that I'm not sure is correct, but I couldn't help myself. The spike was growing at about a 50 degree angle and I wanted it to grow more upright. I know it was growing toward the brightest light so Monday, I turned the pot around with the spike pointing away from the light. It seems to have worked. It is making it's turn to a straight up position which is right above the edge of the pot. Should be easier to attach to a stake now.

Alan

At this stage of spike development turning the pot shouldn't hurt too much. But be careful be as the buds develop. Moving the pot will likely cause the flowers open in a twisted orientation. When you see flowers opening upside down and the like it is generally due to growers moving the pot and reorienting the spike. Now that you have the stake in place you can use it to guide the spike instead of the light

That's something I will have to deal with as the spike grows. My stand can only handle up to 21". For my larger plants I have them on a table beside my stand. As this spike grows, I will have to eventually move it to the table. The lights for the table will be right above the plant, so it should continue to grow vertical.

Stake is in place, so as the spike grows, I shouldn't have a problem attaching it with a clip. I'm thinking it can grow another 4-5" before I need to secure it. That's about when it will move to the table.

Alan

From a different angle.