Kaki persimmon, also called Japanese persimmon (Diospyros kaki); common persimmon (D. virginiana). Persimmons are delectable fall fruit for home gardeners in Zones 6-10. Although unpleasantly astringent when hard and immature, a fully ripe persimmon is soft and sweet, with jellylike flesh.

The results are often large, dramatic flowers with soft colourings, as can be seen in the hybrid genus Maclellanara, which combines Brassia with Odontoglossum and Oncidium. The species are characterized by the extremely long and narrow petals and sepals, which give rise to the common name of spider orchids.

The common persimmon grows wild in much of the southern and eastern half of the United States and will grow in Zones 5-10. Trees grow 30 to 60 feet tall with a spread of 20 to 30 feet. This species bears 1- to 2-inch yellow, orange or purplish fruit in the fall. Good varieties are Early Golden, Garrettson and Killen. Plant trees of at least two varieties to ensure that the trees bear fruit.

Several nonresistant varieties are recommended because many gardeners find them worth growing for their flavor, color, size or vigor, even at risk of loss.

Whatever is added, it should be as durable as the bark. Avoid any rapidly decomposing materials, such as dried bracken.

Repotting should not interrupt the growing cycle of the plant and is therefore pRom best undertaken in the spring, at which time the new growth is showing, but prior to the commencement of the new roots. When these follow they will grow immediately into the fresh compost taking maximum nourishment from it. Some orchids, particularly the cattleyas and their hybrids, have two growing cycles and will often commence new growth in the autumn, in which case this is also a good time to repot them.

An ‘orchid tree’ with several plants tied to a tree branch can become a most interesting feature in the greenhouse. It is also advantageous to those orchids requiring plenty oflight to grow them in this manner where they can be hung close to the glass.

Whereas the propagation of many orchids is easy and rewarding, the raising of orchids from seed is far more complicated and cannot be achieved as easily. Nevertheless, it is not beyond the scope of the amateur grower, and two methods of seed raising are described. Whether you are propagating or seed raising your orchids, both are long-term projects which can take from three to six years to achieve flowering plants.

Some sympodial orchids have a number of surplus eyes at the base, and further along the pseudobulb; usually those lower down are the strongest.

Many sympodial orchids can be propagated by removal of the oldest backbulbs – those pseudobulbs which have discarded their foliage and have become surplus to the plant’s requirements. Not all leafless pseudobulbs should be removed for this purpose as this may reduce the strength of the plant.

Their embryo growths seem to deteriorate after a year or two, and old pseudobulbs seldom grow. For this reason these orchids are usually propagated by front pseudobulb division. Paphiopedilums are sympodial orchids without pseudobulbs and they can, on occasion, be propagated.

Although such a plant can be left to its own devices, sooner or later the job of repotting must be attempted, and the longer the plant has been left the harder this becomes. Our Stanhopea wardii has a number of pseudobulbs which are in an upright position within the basket, and two fully mature pseudobulbs which have grown at right angles outside of the pot.

The completed tree can be sprayed, wetting the plants and bark alike. From now on the tree will require spraying two or three times a day during the summer, and less in winter. With little in the way of compost around the base of the plants there is no danger of overwatering, but as shrivelling from underwatering can occur quite rapidly moisture is important.

For rebarking a larger piece of bark will be required, plus a wad of osmunda fibre or possibly live, green sphagnum moss, a pair of pliers, a pair of scissors and a length of green plastic-coated wire. A piece of rigid wire should be inserted at one end to form a-hook from which to hang the plant.

If this is done from the hack of the tree, very little of the wire will show at the front. Monopodial Vanda cristata being positioned, with the wire being placed around the lower leafless part of the rhizome. With sympodial orchids, the wire must pass between the pseudo- bulbs and never cut into them.

Not all orchids are suitable for basket culture; those which do best are the so called ‘high-light’ plants, those epiphytes which like plenty of light and are grown with minimum shade. These can include dendrobiums, laclias, coelogynes, encyclias, in the cooler sections and vandal and their allies in the hot section.

The Coelogyne Burfordense has been removed from its pot and all old compost shaken clear of the root ball. The fine roots needed little trimming, and have now been carefully placed beneath the plant which was placed on a layer of compost in the basket. No crocking is necessary as the basket is perfectly free-draining. The compost is added, a little at a time, taking care not to dislodge the lining, until the basket rim is reached. At this stage the sticky tape can be removed, and the exposed netting around the rim can be tucked in with the points of the scissors to give a neat, finished appearance.

Orchids growing in a suspended position rely more heavily on a moist atmosphere and basket culture is best confined to a greenhouse.

When the plant has been stripped bare to the roots it can be divided. A leading piece consisting of a double new growth and four-leaved pseudobulbs is removed by severing the rhizome with secateurs. One further leading division of a similar size can be removed from the other sick of the plant, leaving a hack division with leafed pseudobulbs which can also be potted. Any good leafless pseudo- bulbs should be divided and potted singly. Alternatively the rhizome can be severed in the pot six months before repotting when the back division will have started a new growth.

On an annual basis a Paphiopedilum can, for a number of years, be repotted back into the same size pot, or, if the compost is still in good condition, be `dropped on’ without disturbance to the root ball, into a slightly larger pot.

One final pressing down will bring the plant to the same level. Finally, replace the label in the back of the plant. The single backbulb can be potted in a similar way using as small a pot as possible.