Using metal supports, are they okay?

[platinum60]

I am new to the Orchid Board. I am a member of the Cape Fear Orchid Society in Wilmington NC, and have been a member for about 4 years. I am also a member of the AOS. I have about 70 orchids and have been growing them inside the house.
Now my question, is it okay to use metal stakes in support of orchids or forming a pendant? I have heard/read where some do not like to use metal at all that would touch the orchids. I want to form some rings to hold up my long leaved plants and hooks to help form a pendant spray.
Thank you

[Leafmite]

I have seen use of the green, coated, metal supports at orchid shows and used by vendors. Some people prefer them as they are thinner and stronger than bamboo or other stakes.

[Orchid Whisperer]

Most wire supports are made of steel wire, sometimes galvanized. Coated or not, that should be fine for orchids.

I would probably avoid copper, in part because it is expensive and soft, but also because copper is potentially harmful to plants (you would need to have a lot of chemical reactions going on to release enough copper to be harmful, but why risk it). Avoid lead for the same reasons.

[bil]

Watch out for metal. If you look at the image you can see how I used a galvo wire ring to support my Stan leaves. One of the plants (not shown) got a 'burn' where two leaves touched the wire, so I took out all the galvo supports. I replaced them with 4mm irrigation tube with the galvo ring pushed into the tube.

I haven't seen a problem with the Den Nobiles I support in the same way, but I am keeping a careful eye on them.

[estación seca]

Welcome! In the house, the metal rings shouldn't get hot enough to cause trouble.

[bil]

Originally Posted by estación seca

Welcome! In the house, the metal rings shouldn't get hot enough to cause trouble.

I don't know if it was heat I assumed chemical...??

Thinking about it, the burn faced the setting sun, and would have been in the shade at that point, so I really don't think it was heat.

[silken]

I don't grow Stans but I use the galvanized metal rings for quite a few other orchids, all with no ill effect.

[platinum60]

Thank you all for your info. I haven't figured out how to respond to each answer so I am just doing a blanket THANK YOU!! I didn't think about the wire getting to hot and burning the orchid but that would be a possibility if I grew outdoors. Right now they are all indoors but some will go out when it gets a little cooler, it's been in the high 90's. My husband has made me a large arbor which I am going to put some white 50% knitted shade cloth on and then will put them outside.