Where there's a will, there's a way - lifting a Phal spike

[Jennyfleur]

Hi,
For every Phal spike I've had, they have all behaved nicely and grown upwards so I haven't had to bend them too much when staking. However, just to be difficult, my Phal Mini Mark has decided to grow it's latest spike horizontally across the leaf.

Due to this, I was seriously considering letting it grow naturally and not using a stake support in case I bent it to snapping point. However, I was planting some new wee Pleione bulbils (sent to me by Kelo ) and, while I was chopping some polystyrene chips in half for the bottom of the pots I had a thought...

... try and use some of the chips as a gradual prop. So, from a totally flat spike, I now have what's in the picture below. This was yesterday morning and, since it's grown a bit more since then, I've added another 'guide stack' and all seems ok. Hopefully, I can now get it to the point in a couple/ few weeks where I can pop a stake in

Has anybody else had dealings with flat spikes? how did you bend them upwards? or did you leave them? - I thought by popping this in the beginners, it might be of some help to someone and I'd be interested in hearing about your own experiences

[Zoi2]

If I catch the spike early enough I do something similar to your proping method until I can actually stake it, if not they grow flat and take up an awful lot of space!
Joann

[Cpt Skip]

Thank you this helped me. I was wondering about training the flowering spike vertically. This is my first blooming orchid as I have been in recover mode as my wife has not been successful in keeping them alive. This is a great treasure we can enjoy.

[tucker85]

I think your method should work well. I've seen styrofoam peanuts used in that manner before. As the stem gets longer it should be easier to stake and train in the right direction. Good luck.

[camille1585]

I have 2 Mini Mark's and both often showed the same behavior. I think that it's just part of their genetic makeup, so it's one Phal I don't bother to guide when that happens. I have to be more careful when the plant to avoid snapping the spike when I move the pot around (like for watering), but it seems happy enough to do its thing.

On the advice of Nenella I used that propping method in the spring for a Gastrochilus spike that decided to grow straight into the mount. I managed to coax it to make a 180° turn using progrssively larger pieces of syrofoam.

[nenella]

Well done Jenny! I do that alot of the time with different 'chids. The nice thing about styrofoam is you can cut pieces to suit your needs. Any electical or other appliance that I buy where this is part of the packaging I hoard in my garage.. so always have some handy if needs be.
You will be able to stake your spike when it gets a little bit longer if you want. My Mini Mark had 4 spikes this year and the flowers are now starting to wilt so I look forward to seeing pics of your flowered spike.

[Merlyn]

You did just fine !! Whatever it takes, if you do it gently and your "convincers" spread the suggestion out, it will work just fine !! I've found this velcro-in-a-roll stuff that has become indispensable because it's gentle and spreads out the suggestion so you don't cut through the spike or new growth. They use it for tomatoes I'm told, I got it at Home Depot.

[Phal grower]

I've had very few spikes as I'm new to this. My most recent one grew under the leaf of my phal at the same time that a root was growing and the root continued to push the spike under the leaf. I finally gave up and clipped the spike. lol. The plant was a lowe's noid and was looking weak so it was prudent I thinks

[Call_Me_Bob]

nice job! i have a noid that spikes fine last year, this year its growing horizontally. i didn realize it and now its to the end of the leaf, so ill just see what happens

post pics when yours blooms!

[Jennyfleur]

Hi everyone

Since this was first posted back in March, the blooms have been and gone now! However, the propping worked wonderfully and you can see the results here:
http://www.orchidboard.com/community...-re-bloom.html

The pics of the full blooms are on page two Hope you like x