wiring phal flower spikes into pleasing positions

[james mickelso]

Somewhere I posted a thread that purported to describe how to reposition phal flower spikes into more pleasing positions. For most of the flower spikes I see two schools of thought. The most common is to let the flower spike grow in whatever position it grows. Some folks even put in something to help hold the flower spike up. In Japan I've seen shows where the flowers have been grown straight up and where the flowers start on the spike, they are then brought downward to show off the flowers to their best advantage. Here I am trying to bring the flower spikes to a more pleasing symetry by using copper wire to bend the growing flower spikes into a flowing shape. I shaped and grew bonsai for around 40 years and this is a technique used to reposition branches to make use of their shapes.

[Lana]

Very cool! I really like this technique! Please post photos when this plant blooms. I'd really like to see flowers on this flowing spike.

[Cym Ladye]

James,

You have brought up an edgy problem. What you do in your own greenhouse is up to you. However in the US and in the judging programs here, wiring of stems of any genera in an artificial way is frowned on. Japan, with its love of bonsai, was a natural to "rearrange" nature and since the competition is so keen in that country in the Phal alliance, the actual growing and presentation of them becomes paramount to winning ribbons and awards. BTW, they are wired UPRIGHT and then allowed to perfectly arch over gracefully, not forced into the pendent format you have created.

Here in the US however, more and more AOS judging teams and virtually all CSA judging teams are simply not judging plants that show wiring or any other excessive staking of the stems indicating artificial manipulation, a no no in both systems.

Along with the excessive wiring, bud removal is also practiced by the Japanese and the Taiwan growers to give an even better showing. This occurs primarily in Catts and Phals and is definitely not allowed in the US judging programs if detected.

Cym Ladye

[james mickelso]

That's what I meant about the Japanese wiring. They go up then down.And they don't even hang down naturally. My efforts here aren't meant for show or competition but merely as an artistic statement. I thought others might like to see different possibilities in their presentations. In bonsai you have formal upright, slanted or cascade. But you also have literati or free style. In japanese it is called bunjin. Here it would be called abstract. There is formal with rules then there is freedom to experiment. That's all this is. Going past the formal.

[Cym Ladye]

As the saying goes, "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder". To some, this is obviously attractive. As a long time orchid grower, to me it looks like an untended spike.

But that is the benefit of this OB. We see different ways of doing things - the good, the bad and the in-between, and each reader can sift out what will work for them to enhance the health and beauty of their collections.

[tucker85]

That's an interesting idea. It seems like it would be easy to break the spike while you're trying to get the wire on it though. I've seen some vanda spikes supported that way.

[calypsoB]

Thanks for posting this! I have been very curious about home to support my spike. I find that clips puncture the stem so I am not happy with that. I was wondering about a good wire gage. I think that one could make the wire look like a grape branch and look quite pretty. It looks like the gage you used is quite think and you needed pliers for it, do you think a lighter gage would work that doesn't require pliers?

[calypsoB]

Cym Lady, Can I ask what the difference is between staking and wiring for judging purposes?

[james mickelso]

The wire is 14 guage copper wire from HD. 16 gauge works well as does 20 guage on smaller phals. The secret is to heat te wire up until it turns green then quench it in water. This makes it very pliable and soft. I used my stove for years when I was doing bonsai. The heating makes the wire very bendable or pliable until it is bent again then it assumes it's strength. I bent the wire with just my fingers. In bonsai you wrap the wire against the branch and then bend the branch. Here I am very careful not to bend the wire against the spike. Only bend it around the spike and then carefully bend the spike. The spike will bend when young and pliable but not when it has grown older. You leave the wire in the pot next to the spike and as the spike grows you bend or wrap the wire around and bend it to suit the direction you want it to grow. This is still a preliminary test to see what I can accomplish. I love ikibana and what the artist does with the materials. So I thought why not train the spike to grow where it might be a more pleasing shape and place the flowers where they would enhance the beauty of the plant. Decorative pot and all. After the spike has assumed the desired shape, the wire is cut off and the spike will keep that shape. It's just something to try if you have an eye for what can be done with plants. Phals are cheap in the big box stores and trying this technique doesn't harm the plant at all. Also if done as the spike grows, the flowers when they open will open in their normal vertical positions.

[Cym Ladye]

Originally Posted by calypsoB

Cym Lady, Can I ask what the difference is between staking and wiring for judging purposes?

Each orchid has a natural way of presenting itself going back to the species behind it. As an exhibitor, it is often necessary to help this a bit as hybridizing has often created heavier, more abundant blooms than a stem can hold erect.

That said, the purpose of staking, is to guide, NOT TRAIN a spike so that the flowers will be presented to their best. Judges want to "look the flowers in the eye" so to speak, not bend over and sort them out wandering below the pot somewhere. Hobbyists usually want to do the same thing in being able to view their flowers held proudly above the foliage. (Pendent orchids have a different way of presentation guiding, but again should never be wired).

Thin bamboo or metal stakes to support and guide upright to arching flower spikes, usually with a couple of green, plastic wrapped, plant ties, are totally acceptable for award judging; using wire wrapped around the spike to force it into a position deemed "pleasing" by the exhibitor, is not. This is termed "artificial manipulation" in judging terms.

If you ever notice the Japanese method of this manipulation, you will also note that the wire is almost invisible. Quite an art they have brought this manipulation to. That is not to say it is acceptable in the US award systems.

In my opinion, orchid spikes should be presented as naturally as possible, and only gently guided or held erect so as to show off that natural presentation. There are actually points given for stem and that generally refers to the strength of it in most genera. In short, I never want to be distracted by any wrap or artificial training methods.

CL