Do paph blooms really need support?

[dakini]

I have a beautiful paphiopedilum with 3 blooms on it. I came with 3 "stakes" and twist-ties and those little plastic clip things holding the stems to the stakes. Moral of the story, you see as many stakes as you do stems and I think they really detract from the beauty of the flowers. The stems themselves seem flexible but fairly sturdy. I have already taken the clips away and have loosened the twist-ties, but I am wondering if I can take the stakes away completely. I wouldn't want the stems to slump over and/or break.
Thanks for your help.

[jerrymeola]

Paph stakes are always used in shipping but are not always necessary to keep. If the stem is small they remove easily. If the stem is around a foot they may be necessary to keep.

Carefully remove the stake and allow the flower to adjust to its weight. Usually nothing will happen and the stake can be left out. If the stem starts to sag replace the stake. If it is neceesary for the flower to keep the stake you can substitute the thin wire stakes for the offensive wooden ones.

When shipping paphs the wooden stake is often much bigger than necessary for the flower. It is actually chosen to go from the botom of the pot to over the top of the flower. Then when it is wrapped in paper for shipping there is little chance of the flower stem being bend and broken.