Depends on the orchid, and whether you're staking the plant or just flowers.

If you're talking about stabilizing a newly-repotted plant, I recommend
starting with a rhizome clip if at all possible [on sympodial plants, it
goes over the rhizome and clips on the edge of the pot; harder to use on
monopodials like phals, but still possible if you have lots of roots, or
better yet an old stub of a previously-bloomed spike]. There are different
kinds and sizes; it's important to get the right ones for the type of pot
[clay vs. plastic], length is less important [you can always cut them down,
and don't always need them to go all the way across the pot]. Often this is
all that's needed, but for plants that tend to have floppy or otherwise
unruly growth habits, you may also want to either stake individual pbs or
use a ring-stake.

Rhizome clips are available from OFE International in Miami and probably
from lots of other supply houses online. Don't know if they're still there,
but a while back a Google search turned up several designs for jigs to make
your own. [You might also check out the Reading Room at
http://www.orchidmall.com ].

For flowers, you need to use individual stakes. You probably don't have
this problem yet, but there will come a time when you just flat can't get a
stake into the pot; at that point, there are wire stakes that clip onto the
rim of the pot that you can use.

As far as the little hairclips go, people either love them or hate them, and
it depends a little, too, on the type of presentation you want. I like the
look in a "festive" basket or on a single plant with 1-2 spikes, but in a
larger or more formal arrangement, we still use the twist-ties and hide them
with moss, or use raffia if the customer insists.

Good growing,

--
Kenni Judd
Juno Beach Orchids

http://www.jborchids.com
"Shell" wrote in message
igy.com...
What does everyone use to stake orchids? I've seen the little clips,
twist
ties, string, and the wire loop kind, which is best?

Shell