Training a Spike

[Maria]

I have heard that flower spikes can be trained so that the flowers drape over the plant. Anyone doing this?
Maria

[SWEarly]

Trainning depends on the genera. - you can add small weights to the spikes to pull them down but with most of our pendulous cymbidiums the weight of the flowers do it foir us. Use short stakes to spread the spikes.
Stephen Early

[Maria]

I am most interested in how to train phal spikes. A small weight? perhaps a metal paper clip would do? I will give it a try. Any other advice?

[SWEarly]

The other way to train spikes on arching and decorative orchids is to take an aluminium stake and bend it to the shape you want the spike to go in. Use plenty of ties and train the spike around the wire. when you get to a show remove the stake and replace it with an upright one. For most orchids the spike will have set and no one will know how it got like that. For upright cymbidiums the easiest is some hat elastic onto the spike and a peg. keep the tension on the spike and you will find it goes up nicely.

Stephen Early

[SteveT]

A very easy way to train a spike is with light.

Cytokinins cause internode elongation, which is what mostly causes the spikes to grow. When exposed to light, they are destroyed. On the side that is not recieving light it grows faster. That is why a plant grows toward the light.

So if you want to train a spike:

Put the only source of light the direction you want the spike to grow. The brighter the light (below burning) the more stunted the spike. The lower the light, the more etiolated the spike.

[Neofalcata]

Perhaps a really easy way for you to train a phal spike would be to use wire. I have seen spikes wrapped loosely in the same wire they use to train bonsai. You can get aluminum wire at art/craft stores, but it might be more espensive. I would think any wire might work that was pliable enough to bend. I am looking for medium weight green floral wire right now. I want something that will blend in with the spike.