Question
QUESTION: I'm becoming increasingly frustrated with trying to stake my orchids, that have had beautiful blooms for some time now.  CAN'T I PLEASE just let them grow, perhaps from a hanging basket, WITHOUT staking??!

ANSWER: Caryn, the way you best grow your orchids, in part, depends upon the type of orchids you have. Phalaenopsis orchids may require staking of the flower spike because it can become top heavy when loaded with buds and flowers.  The best types of orchids to grow in hanging baskets are vandaceous orchids, and some thin leaved orchids such as stanhopeas or cyrtopodiums. Hanging baskets are most suitable to greenhouse growing as this type of growing is best done in high humidity. Hanging baskets dry out very quickly.  

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QUESTION: Thank you for your response!  Actually my orchids are phalaenopsis; however, they are quite top heavy right now, with the stakes.  My thinking was that they wouldn't be so top heavy (& be more natural?) if I put them in a hanging basket with no stakes.  Bad idea?

Answer
Caryn, assuming that you would not encounter difficulties in growing them in a basket, the weight of the flowers on the spike would cause then to hang down without a supporting stake. While this arrangement would be more like they grow in their natural state, they are rarely grown that way even in botanical gardens.  If you decide to try it, I suggest you do so on one plant as a test before committing your collection. I do not like to discourage experimentation if you are willing to sacrifice a plant.  You might just have the right conditions to pull it off.