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CYMBIDIUMS
With these plants I determine if the spike is an erect or pendulous. Cym. madidum and Cym. devonianum have pendent spikes so I sit them on a tall pot to let the spike droop naturally. The others that have erect spikes I use a bamboo stake set into the bark close to the basal spike. I use a slip knot and loop and slide it up the stake as the spike grows. I keep the loop about an inch below the lowest bud.
PHALAENOPSIS
Two varieties to contend with. Group 1 the Euphalaenopsis has large spikes. Most I grow in hanging baskets that have the wires shorter on one side of the basket. This causes the plant to slope at about 22 degrees. The crown points down. This keeps water out of the crown and allows the plant to hang the infloresence. I have some in pots and these are staked with a bamboo spike close to the spike. I use a slip knot and loop that slides up the stake as the spike grows. I keep the loop about an inch below the lowest bud. Group 2 is Stauroglottis. I do not spike these since the spikes tend to be short, lax and trail close to the leaves.
CATTLEYAS and INTERGENERICS
This is a problem area for me. Some of the smaller ones take care of themselves. C. skinneri is an example. The spike is short, produced on short psuedobulbs that tend to stay erect themselves. No problem, no work. Take any of the large catts, some Slc., Lc., and Blc. Some of these can be rather large. As the leads are produced a weekly check is made to find a point when they can be trained. Left to themselves they sprawl. To obtain a nice vertical psuedobulb and eventually a new leaf, when they become flexible I start training them. I keep a wire stake in the center of the pot. When the lead is ready, I use raffia loops that slip around the lead, much in the way you tie a new tree. The loop is placed at the top of the developing psuedobulb. As the spike grows tension is increased until the lead is pointing skyward. After the bulb starts to harden, the loop is removed and the spike stays in place. If a bloom is produced then a stake is placed next to the bulb and the developing inflorescence is secured in much the same manner as all blooms. I tie only the spike. I let the blooms and their stems remain free. I have found that they have a natural way of distributing themselves. Past attempts to alter this has resulted in blooms that opened upside down.
VANDAS
All of my Vandas grow in hanging baskets. As the spike emerges I use monofilament to tie them to the bar that the plant is hanging from. This holds them upright. I use monofilament to reduce the look that they are tied.
ZYGOPETALUMS
These are treated as Cymbidiums. I use a bamboo stake set into the bark close to the basal spike. I use a slip knot and loop and slide it up the stake as the spike grows. I keep the loop about an inch below the lowest bud.
ENCYCLIAS, EPIDENDRUMS, MAXILLARIAS, COELOGYNES, BRASSAVOLAS, LYCASTES, PESCOTEREAS and ANGRAECUMS
I have not staked any of these blooms. If there is a variety that requires staking I do not possess it. Input from the group during the conference will be greatly appreciated. (I liked that group, killed a lot of birds with one stone. In absence of a stake I used a stone)
PAPHIOPEDILUMS
I will defer any comments on this genera. I own a few, have owned them for about a month, they are babies and I won't be staking them for quite a while.
DENDROBIUMS
This is another difficult species to keep standing. The plants can be tall in relationship to the diameter of the pot. I have some 4 inch (10 cm) pots that have 3 foot (1 meter) tall plants, not including the spike. To keep then upright I use another empty clay pot to which I have glued three tongue depressors to the bottom, each about 120 degrees apart. This gives the pot a large base. Other pots can be set on the tongue depressors so that they do not eat up my bench space. The tall plant is then set into the empty pot and the additional size of the base keeps it from tipping over. The spikes are staked with bamboo and a slip knot. I do not tie the spike until it is fairly well developed. It has been my experience that they remain erect until blossoming. To get the canes to grow together I use raffia loops around all of the canes. This keeps them bunched together until blooming.
I am sure that there are some that I have missed. We will add these to the notes as the conference develops. To maintain some organization (for the Note Taker - THAT's ME!) I would ask that you print this list out and we will go around the table and let each person give input for that genera or pass if they have nothing to add or don't grow that species.
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