How to Train Orchid Spikes — Clips, Ties, and Yoyos Explained

Training orchid spikes is one of those tasks that separates a well-presented collection from a chaotic one. A spike that's been guided from early on produces straighter growth, better flower spacing, and a plant that looks intentional rather than accidental. It's also one of the easier things to get right — if you start early enough.

Why spike training matters

Orchid spikes are phototropic — they grow toward light. In a shadehouse or on a bench, that usually means sideways or downward rather than straight up. Left unguided, a heavy Cymbidium spike will lean, droop, and by flowering time the blooms are poorly spaced and hard to photograph or show. A Dendrobium spike that droops into the foliage of a neighbouring plant picks up disease and becomes difficult to manage.

The goal isn't to force the spike into an unnatural position — it's to provide enough guidance early that the spike grows in the direction you want, while still expressing its natural habit.

When to start

Start training as soon as the spike is long enough to clip — usually when it reaches 10–15cm. Waiting until the spike is fully extended means it's already set in whatever direction it chose, and bending it then risks snapping. Early intervention is gentle; late intervention is risky.

For Cymbidiums with pendant or cascading habits, don't try to force upright growth — work with the natural direction and use a yoyo or tie to control the rate of droop, not eliminate it.

Stem clips

Stem clips are the standard tool for most spike training work. A clip attaches the spike to a bamboo or clear stake, holding it at the angle you want while allowing it to continue growing. They're reusable, inexpensive, and the right choice for most Dendrobium, Phalaenopsis, and standard Cymbidium spike work.

Two sizes cover most situations. Medium clips suit Phalaenopsis and thinner spike types — the smaller jaw doesn't crush fine tissue. Large clips suit Cymbidium, Dendrobium speciosum, and any spike with real diameter. Using a medium clip on a heavy Cymbidium spike is a common mistake — it won't hold, and the spike will slip.

Green clips disappear against foliage and green stakes. Brown clips work better against bark, wooden benches, or terracotta pots. Neither colour affects function — it's purely aesthetic.

One clip every 10–15cm of stake is usually enough. Don't over-clip — you want to guide, not immobilise. Leave room for the spike to move slightly as buds develop and swell.

Cymbidium yoyos

Yoyos are a different tool for a different problem. Where clips hold a spike against a fixed stake, a yoyo provides upward tension from above — a retractable spring-loaded line attached to a fixed point overhead (shadehouse wire, a cross rail, or the top of a bamboo stake) and clipped to the developing spike below.

The advantage is that the spring self-adjusts as the spike extends. You set it once at the right tension and it maintains that tension through the entire growth phase, without re-clipping or re-tensioning. For show growers this is valuable — even bud spacing is largely determined by how evenly the spike grew, and a yoyo produces more consistent results than clip-and-stake alone.

Yoyos work best on upright Cymbidium spikes. They're less useful on pendant types, where the goal is to control droop rather than provide lift. Attach the top hook high enough that the line runs at roughly 45 degrees to the spike — too steep and you're pulling the spike sideways, too shallow and you're not providing enough lift.

Ties and soft wire

Twist ties and soft ties are useful for temporary attachment or situations where a clip won't fit — attaching a spike to a narrow stake, tying a drooping growth to its neighbours for support, or securing a mounted plant's new root growth to the mount. They're flexible, quick, and work in situations where the geometry doesn't suit a clip.

The risk with ties is overtightening. A tie cinched down on a developing spike will constrict it as it swells, leaving permanent scarring and potentially cracking the tissue. Tie loosely — the goal is direction, not compression.

What not to do

Don't stake against the spike's natural direction. If a Cymbidium spike wants to cascade, don't try to force it upright with clips — you'll either snap it or create unnatural kinking. Work with the direction of growth, not against it.

Don't start too late. A spike that's already set in the wrong direction is difficult to correct without risking damage. Check spikes every few days during active growth and adjust early.

Don't leave clips on after flowering. Clips left on a fully mature spike can cause pressure damage and make the spike difficult to cut cleanly at the end of the season. Remove them when the spike is no longer developing.

Products

We stock stem clips in green and brown (medium and large) and Cymbidium yoyos in the Orchid Supplies range.