Staking/presentation advice needed

[Tony]

I'm still learning the finer points of staking and grooming a plant for judging after so many years of just letting them do what they want. I'm trying to figure out why so many of my spikes develop a sharp kink as they grow, it cost me points on my awarded WBW and I would really like to figure out how to prevent it. I'm careful not to move or rotate them after spike initiation but for some reason they want to jut forward as they grow. Any suggestions for getting the perfect straight spikes that judges want to see?

 

[SlipperKing]

Start staking early. I usually use a 3 ft steel rod for the multi. Early the spike is very flexible, easy to pull back to the rod. Use clips that grab the rod but not the spike. The spike will continue to elongate so it needs to be loosely held. As the spike elongate move the clip up the rod. I generally start out with 3 clips. Leap frogging them up the rod . Here is an example with 4 clips

 

[Ozpaph]

That is a great tutorial!! (and how i now do it)

 

[Tony]

Thank you, and I love that greenhouse.

 

[SlipperKing]

i can do a tutorial on the greenhouse too! LOL
One extra note; I don't stake lowii, haynaldianum parishii, dianthum nor their hybrids. I go for their natural arc.

 

[tnyr5]

What Rick said, but I add cloth tape to the inside of each clip wherever it will touch the stem, helps to keep it from scratching, and therefore slightly shortening, the internodes.