Top heavy orchid

[Fuzzy]

Hi, I have this large blooming phal that I recently repotted into a plastic pot. The pot and the medium in it is very light, and the spike with the flowers is very big and heavy, so this orchid wants to topple over. When the medium was wet I got it to stay up with the help of the stake. But now the medium is drying out for the first time and I cannot get the pot to stay up without toppling over! Has anyone else encountered this admittedly silly issue? What do people do?

[nikkik]

Lava rocks at the bottom of the pot work wonders. If you don't want to remove the plant to put rocks at the bottom of the pot, you can set your plastic pot inside a heavier clay/ceramic pot to keep it from tipping.

[Atzau]

so many flowers the plant keeps toppling over? admittedly a very good problem to have.

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[Bud]

I invested on decorative cache pots that are made of glass, porcelain or stoneware. Put the plastic pot inside the cache pots to hold it firmly and to give it stability.

[cbuchman]

I usually put into another heavy (i.e., clay or ceramic) pot.

In the future when potting, put some rocks (lave, or other heavy) material in the bottom of the pot. You get too benefits - helps with drainage and helps keep the pot upright

[tucker85]

I place the plastic pot inside a clay or ceramic pot while it's in blooom.

[lotis146]

I'm with the others on putting the pot inside a heavier clay, ceramic, porcelain or glass pot. I would advise it be a pot however that your plastic pot just fits into. Anything much bigger and it will fall/lean over inside that pot, been there done that.

[kindrag23]

I like the Lava rock works wonders on my catasetum. I crunch mine up and place it around the top of my plant as well to help stabilize the bases of my Catasetums. Could we possibly see this fantastic blooming specimen?

[Fairorchids]

Top heaviness can be a problem. This is one of the reasons, that I have a list of vendors I will not buy from again = those who use styrofoam packing peanuts in the bottom of the pots.

Lava rock, broken clay pot shards or regular rocks will usually do the job.

On some plants with very large spikes (Cymbidium, and I guess also very large Phalaenopsis), you may need support from above. In nurseries they attach a spring loaded spool to overhead wires, and run a string down to the flower spike.

Go to Chula Orchids - Clear Pots - Orchid Supplies - Plant Clips, and look for 'Cymbidium Clips'.

[RosieC]

As others have said, an outer cache pot can be a good solution. I have all mine in the house in those anyway, but I've had one that still wanted to topple over so I put some stones in the cache pot as well.