When to stake spikes?

[Lucille]

One of my new noid phals has a spike, so far it is only 5 inches long. For those of you who use stakes, when do you stake them?

[Ray]

It depends upon your goal for doing so.

If you're looking for a specific presentation, such as the straight-up often seen in shows and mass-marketed plants, start now, "training" it as it grows.

I only stake spikes for convenience, so tend to wait and see which way they are going naturally, and only stake them if the are going to create some sort of interference with other plants, or will be pendant, making the harder to see.

[Paphluvr]

If you haven't done it before be aware that young spikes are very tender and snap easily of bent too much. I tend to train them in stages, not applying all the correction at one time.

[greenpassion]

I also place the stake in the pot as soon as I see the general direction the emerging spike will take. That way when if comes time to 'train' it, it'is already placed. If you have a phal that has leaves making 'in pot staking' impossible due to the way the leaves are growing, (as I do!) then I use the kind of stakes that clip onto the outside rim of the pot, rather than going down into the medium. I actually have another one that even that wouldn't work, so I got some bendable floral wire and made a stake that is bent to hold onto the edge of the pot, and meanders over the air roots to where the spike is growing. As far as using the bamboo stakes that I generally use, I'm always a little leery about spearing a root when pushing them in, which makes the clip on ones a better choice. However, these aren't as attractive (in my opinion) as the bamboo ones as they are metal, and much thinner. WAY too much info-sorry!

[Fishkeeper]

I don't stake mine, I just let them flop in whatever direction. If yours has a branching spike, you'll probably want to gently stake it so the spike doesn't have too much weight on it, but I like the un-staked look and they can generally hold themselves up fairly well.

[greenpassion]

Originally Posted by Fishkeeper

I don't stake mine, I just let them flop in whatever direction. If yours has a branching spike, you'll probably want to gently stake it so the spike doesn't have too much weight on it, but I like the un-staked look and they can generally hold themselves up fairly well.

I love the way they look unstaked, and if I had the room for them to be 'elnatural' I would, but that's not the case here!

[aliceinwl]

Most of my phal spikes have originated between the leaves. I let them grow until they're clear of the leaves and then add a stake and gradually train them upright. I let the portion of the spike between the leaves stay horizontal but the bend doesn't bother me. For spikes not coming in between leaves I start training as soon as they're long enough to secure to the stake. I try to bend the stake as little as possible when first securing it and then gradually tighten the attachment and add more attachments to the stake as it grows. I also don't have space to let them flop.