Phals with unstaked spikes
 

I don't bother staking most phal spikes these days and I'm really pleased with the results.

So I thought I would start this thread for people to show pictures of how NOT staking spikes has worked out of for them. Some of mine to follow :biggrin:

---------- Post added at 04:44 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:41 PM ----------

A NoID, living on my mantlepiece just now.

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3679/9...6bb1dc04_z.jpg http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7334/9...060ffb01_z.jpg http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5335/9...68eaa8cd_z.jpg

---------- Post added at 05:07 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:44 PM ----------

Here is another, this is Sogo Lovely, also in flower and living in my mantelpiece just now.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7424/9...9afc411c_z.jpg

That's a beautiful phal, Rosie! Great photographs also. I don't stake most of my phals either. The only downside is that you need a place to display them, either a hanging basket or a shelf or mantle.

http://www.orchidboard.com/community...white-phal.jpg

That's gorgeous Tucker!

Yeah, they do need somewhere they can be displayed. I generally have them on a mantle, or on one of the small stools at the base of my fireplace.

I do have some that don't hang down, but they still take up a lot of space!

---------- Post added at 05:37 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:34 PM ----------

Here's an example one that doesn't drop down... but takes up a LOT of space in bloom. This is from last year, but it's starting to open the first flowers again this year, and again the spikes are holding at a similar angle.

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8305/7...69cecf3f_z.jpg

phalaenopsis without stick are more natural, and more beautiful :)

Whoaaa......these are amazing....ya'll are making me excited even more for next year when all of mine decide to hopefully bloom!! GORGEOUS!!

Gorgeous display of blooms....I wish I had a bigger space for a cascading presentation....but staking the spikeis a must for a windowsill grower like me.

I don't stake either. I love the natural look!! Rosie and tucker you both have some very beautiful plants! Great pictures too!

I grow phals on the windowledge as well. The spikes tend not to drop down until the weight of the flowers pulls them down. While the spikes are developing they go sideways and just overlap the other orchids filling the rest of the windowlege (I turn them so they are not getting in the way of curtains, but usually they grow more towards the light).

As the flowers open the spike get's heavier and then you need space to let them hang over the edge (although some don't get that heavy and just grow out sideways). That's when they go on the mantelpiece or one of the stools below it. At that point you do need space ;)

My shelf is high so I just may give this a try.I have one of my paph's spiking now. I'm a bit twiterpated. It's the first time it has bloomed for me.

The only ones' I have ever just let do this have been my equestris and my mannii. This year I tried staking my mannii can't decide which way I like it. And last year when my equestris bloomed last year it got so long I had to stake it up.

Beautiful everyone!!! I never stake mine either... I love the way they look without stakes :biggrin:

I can post a couple pics, but the ones blooming now are species, so there isn't as many flowers :coverlaugh:

They look so beautiful in their graceful flow, rather than being stuck to a stick. All the photos are stunning, as are the phals. Thanks for the eye candy, Rosie & Tucker.

I stake mine but I do like them unstaked too very much. I dont like getting poked in the eye and even had a stake go up my nose once OUCH dayumm orchids fight back ;)

Beautiful flowers ya'wl

Rosie, the magenta Phal in your first photo looks exactly like my Phal Wild Turkey that is also in bloom now.
If you got it originally in a plastic pot and still have the pot, see if there is a name printed on the pot. It might not be a NOID after all!

BTW I also prefer my Phals grown without staking. Looks more natural!

Thanks everyone :)

It's probably a different one here in the UK. Hybrids are often different in Europe. Nothink on the pot anyway :(

I just literally LOLed when I read the up your nose part. :)
Oh man... That would be me doing that too. Hah

Another of my NoIDs with an unstaked spike.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7351/1...83b8df81e9.jpg http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7019/1...4cf10a78e4.jpg

In some cases what is the point of staking? I'm a window grower, so if I stake the spike it's just going to grow toward the light anyway. The upshot is a cascading spike either way, and the way they probably bloom in nature anyway (assuming they're a species).

Beautiful Phal!
I cannot wait for mine to start blooming, they are all in bud but one!!

Another unstaked NoID phal. This one produces really thick stems that don't hang down much. This spike just goes straight out sideways.

https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7072/...6318de808f.jpg https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2816/...7940f68002.jpg

I think I will try this with one of my mini phal.! It has four spikes, two already staked and bloomed, but now I will leave the other two unstaked for sure and see how this ends up. They're very short, so who knows how this will end up, they might stay upright anyways! :lol:

http://i153.photobucket.com/albums/s...ps07b8b13f.jpg

Wow that little fellow is doing well.

This is the first orchid I ever got, spikes every November and it is in bloom right now. And it's adding more blooms at the end of the spike, looks like at least three more.

Lovely one!

It's another unstaked spike, but this one holds it's self very upright rather than trailing down. Very waxy flowers, and the spike is very strong as well.

https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3682/...a36912e4f6.jpg

Oh, I like that one! Does it have a name?

Unfortunately something in the DNA of my Phal. Sogo Rose causes the flowers to point down when I don't stake it. The spikes are only about 10" tall so it should be perfect for leaving unstaked if the flowers weren't pointing at the floor.

No name. It's similar to Phal Brother Sara Gold, but this one could be something else as it had no tag.

---------- Post added at 08:20 AM ---------- Previous post was at 08:19 AM ----------

That's a real shame. I've not come across any of mine doing that.

Very pretty!

Thanks for responding, Rosie. I love the colors and the shape of this one!

This is a rebloom from an old spike that had been staked (top part, obviously), and a new spike that I didn't start staking early enough so I let it just grow. I like it.

I have one that looks exactly like that! I got it at Lowe's.
I got a rebloom on it this year shortly after finishing a previous bloom. One new spike, and a few short spikes coming off the old spike...even a lengthening of the old spike with four flowers at the end of that.

Thought I would add some more of my Phals with unstaked spikes.

This first one started out a Mini Phal, but while it's flowers are still relatively small the plant no longer seems like a Mini. It's never rebloomed for me though, making this pendent spike all the more exciting for me.

The flowers opened pointing in all directions, and most of the time it is sitting side on to where I sit with the laptop and giving a great display from that angle (similar to the third picture).

It's fading now, but has been open since early July.

https://c4.staticflickr.com/4/3905/1...58256366_z.jpg https://c4.staticflickr.com/4/3879/1...5b62264a_z.jpg https://c2.staticflickr.com/6/5566/1...bd8ce0d7_z.jpg https://c4.staticflickr.com/4/3893/1...85f6f2ae_z.jpg https://c4.staticflickr.com/4/3867/1...191feb7c_z.jpg

Wonderful!

Thanks Sonya. Still need to post the other couple i was planning to post yesterday. Watering them distracted me ;)

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I never stake ANY spikes, regardless of species. I love to see how the plant would flower if it were in the wild. My plants that are mounted seem to be the best representatives.

I wish I had a proper space to display them! Mine are staked to try and keep them in check on my pretty small windowsills as I have no other place for them! They are all beautiful!

Very nice. I stake some and some I leave as well.

Wow- love all of these :)

I really really love that you let nature decide, and not use stakes on them. Most of mine have been staked, some havent, and I felt I was neglecting them when I didnt bother to spike them.

This just makes me wanna let nature decide even more :)

Here are mine. I just got them the other day! Pics taken in low light with cell cam...so not so great :(

http://i58.tinypic.com/5dkq3n.jpg

Close-up
http://i61.tinypic.com/iqm2kp.jpg

My huge purple one
http://i58.tinypic.com/2j1sgoi.jpg