Question - Orchid Supports

[quietmorning]

What happens to an orchid if the bloom is not supported? Are the supports a necessary thing?

Thanks!

[metalop1g]

It depends of the specie of the orchid. In the nature, many orchids have pendulous blooms.
The orchid itself will not suffer if it's bloom is not supported. If it's ment to grow downwards, it will, unless you support it. In nature, there are no supports, and they still managed to survive for a couple million years.

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

If you're referring to Phalaenopsis spikes then here's the explanation...

Most people grow Phalaenopsis using pot culture. When grown potted, they are grown "upright".

Here's the thing...Phalaenopsis don't grow that way in nature. They grow sideways with the leaves drooping downwards. The spikes also grow downwards.

Now certain species of Phalaenopsis have short spikes and others have long ones.

Many of the Phalaenopsis in places like the Home Depot or Lowes carry Phal hybrids with long spikes.

So...

Growing a Phal with long flower spikes in potted culture means the spike has a tendency to not grow upright. When I worked at a nursery, the spikes were always supported by thin wires and trained to curve a certain way.

Orchids like Vandas don't have this problem because in nature they do grow upright.

However, if you're talking about Dendrobiums. Some Dendrobiums grow pendulously (downwards). I'll name a few: Dendrobium nobile, Den anosmum, Den pierardii, Den crepidatum.

Of course, many places grow Dendrobiums in pot culture. This is no exception for the hybrids involving Den nobile or it's close kin.

For the Dendrobiums that are considered "Nobile Types", the canes need to be supported in order to grow upright. If you took the supports off, they'll start growing they way they do in nature, which is downwards.

Dendrobium hybrids with any Dendrobium in the section Spathulata in the parentage don't have to be supported because they naturally grow upright. Some examples of Dendrobium species that belong to the section Spathulata are: Den lineale, Den antennatum, Den strebloceras, Den stratiotes.

To answer your question, it's a matter of what kind of orchid you're talking about and how you're growing them and what you're trying to achieve. But for the most part many orchids don't need to be supported.

[chips]

I agree with King of the Orchid. In nature orchids do not grow upwards, we pot them this way. Claudio at Cloud's nursery told me Phals actually grow their leaves sideways so that water does not collect in the crown. It is nature's way to perserve them from rot. He told me, nurseries pot them upright and stake them only so they will look good and people will buy them.

[WhiteRabbit]

I stake the spikes for a couple of reasons -

First - when growing in a window sill the spikes keep growing towards the window and keep growing - can only move them so far away from window lol

second - to help prevent me from breaking spikes while moving plant around for watering

third - I had a lovely long spike on an onc intergeneric that I let grow as it will - when blooms opened the spike was heavy and whole plant - pot and all was tipping - even putting it in another pot
was difficult to water without getting water on blooms
and was very afraid of breaking the spike

I love the look when spikes are allowed to grow any which way - but its just not very practical for me

[Amanda L]

I think for the most part if you are growing orchids in pots it would be more practical for them to be supported, for exactly all the reason WhiteRabbit says. If you are growing on mounts you wouldn't use a support. This is only my 2 cents.
My orchids have to be staked, when/if they bloom, for two reasons:
1) I simply don't have the room to let them wonder about.
2) Flowers dangling are an unintentional kitty toy.

[quietmorning]

Thank you everyone! I've always had a hard time getting the stakes to actually anchor properly in the soil and I'm scared to death I'm going to damage the roots with them. The thought of orchids growing sideways in the wild to prevent rot makes SO much sense! But I guess until I'm ready to start setting up tree stumps, I'm going to stick to the pots for now and continue to stake. . .my . . .one. . .orchid.

Thanks again! Orchidking, your information was wonderful and over and beyond the call of duty, thank you so much for taking the time to explain everything!