To sow the orchid seed without contamination creeping in is not easy because microscopic fungus spores abound. One spore entering the jar will grow rapidly on the surface of the agar. At this stage, even the seed contains microscopic fungus spores and has to be sterilized.

From the moment of conception, when the pollen fertilizes a seed, the characteristics of that potential plant and the colour of its flowers have all been determined by the genes.

There are well-documented accounts of orchids in cultivation that are over 150 years old. These plants are exactly the same as they were when they first flowered. Their colour, shape and size do not alter with age, and all vegetative propagations will remain the same. It is possible to divide or take cuttings many times with the results all being identical to the original stock. However, propagating orchids from seed enables the grower to produce new orchids that have not been seen before.

If you are not ready to sow your seed immediately, you can store it in a refrigerator; but since orchid seed is so fine it does not store easily, and the longer you keep it, the less fertile it becomes.

However, there is a conservation movement now experimenting with long-term deep-freezing, whereby the seed is dried and kept at extremely low temperatures.

Every amateur who tries their hand at hybridizing will be quite successful at crossing two related plants, but the serious breeder will take the time and trouble to study the chromosome counts. These can usually be determined usual examination of the plant, its raents and the size and shape of the litooms. However, the only scientific way is to take root-tip samples.

Provided the seed you used was fertile, within three weeks the agar surface will turn bright green as the minute seeds swell into protocorms. These are chlorophyll-filled vessels from which leaves and roots are produced within a few more weeks.

The removed tissue is placed in a nutritious liquid solution and agitated in suspension to encourage prolification. This results in an ever-enlargening clump of green tissue, which is then cut into smaller pieces until sufficient numbers have been acquired. At this stage, the clumps of green tissue resemble the protocorms that form from the seed, and when these are placed onto an agar base in sterile jars, the meristems grow in the same way as if they were seedling plants. When you are pollinating the orchid flower by hand, use a pointed stick, such as a cocktail stick, in order to lift the pollen from one flower and place it upon the stigmatic surface of the pod parent. The stigmatic surface is found below and beneath where the pollen.

Synonyms are C. esculenta var. globulifera Eng,I. and Krause; C. antiquorum var. esculenta Schott; C. antiquorum Schott. The Eddoe is currently considered to be C. esculenta var. antiquorum and the Dasheen C. esculenta var. esculenta. The taxonomy of the cultivars of Co/ocasia remains subject to further investigation.

Common names are Swamp Taro, Giant Taro (Eng.); Biha, Galiang, Palanau (Philippe); Brak, Lok, Puna, Pura, Puraka, Pwolok, Ula (Polyn.),

Considerable variation exists between cultivars in leaf shape and colour, also in the colour and extent of spine development on the petioles.

Probably a native of India, but possibly originating in other parts of Southeast Asia. The earliest known distribution was from India to Egypt about 2000 years ago, from where it was introduced into Europe. From Spain, the Coco yam was taken to the New World and may have been later introduced into West Africa from tropical America. Sea and land trading routes from Egypt and North Africa probably resulted in the establishment of the Cocoyam in East Africa. The eastward distribution from India to the Pacific was also successful.

The Cocoyam is now widely distributed throughout the tropics and is grown commercially in Egypt. It has become an important food crop in the West Indies and Hawaii where many forms and varieties are widely cultivated. In West Africa, Cocoyams have a wider range of tolerance to the climate than species of Dioscorea and the crop is grown on an appreciable scale in southern and eastern Nigeria, Ghana and other West African countries.

A tall-growing, perennial herb, up to 4 m in height. Corm: cylindrical, large, slow in development, arising as a thickening of the stem base. Leaves: sagittate, large, erect, up to 1.5 m in length; petioles long, up to 10 cm in diameter and often spiny at the base. Flowers: large, tubular, thickened purple spathe; spadix with hermaphrodite flowers. Fruit: berries containing seeds in cultivated forms.

Adapted to growing on a wide range of soil type in moist, shady situations, sometimes in swamps, and will tolerate brackish conditions. Areas of high rainfall and humidity are most suitable for the production of high yields.

The crop matures in 220-350 days from planting and the corms are excavated when the leaves become senescent. The corms have a dormancy period of 60-90 days. After 3 years of growth, the corms weigh 7-9 kg each and are considered marketable. Yields of 20 t/ha have been reported from India.

Most forms of Cocoyams mature in about 240-300 days from planting but the Eddoe matures in about 180-210 days. The tubers are lifted by hand; the main tuber is often harvested, leaving the smaller corms to develop later. Yield: Yields are variable, but may be in the region of 4-10 t/ha; in the Philippines, yields of 15 t/ha have been obtained.

Limited information is available but if harvested carefully, with a portion of the growing point intact, storage for up to one month is possible in a cool, dry environment.

The mature corms provide a staple carbohydrate food in many Pacific Islands and are normally roasted, steamed or boiled. They may also be peeled, sliced and scalded before being sun dried. The leaves and inflorescence are also used as a cooked vegetable.

Synonyms are A. ascalonicum L., A. cepa var. ascalonicum, A. cepa var. multiplicans Bailey, A. cepa var. solaninum Alef.

Common names are Shallot (Eng.); Echalotte (Fr.); Ascalonia, Chalote (Sp.); Schalotte (Ger.); Sjalot (Neth.); Alubosa, Multiplier Onion, Yabbas (W.Afr.).

Hybrids derived from the Bermuda-Granex-Grano group of cultivars are most adapted to cultivation in tropical areas.

Central Asia, possibly in the Iran-West Pakistan region. Very early cultivation is known to have occurred in Egypt and India.

Tropical Asia (India, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, the Philippines); West Africa, (Ghana, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Togo, Ivory Coast); Central and East Africa; tropical South America; the Caribbean.

Annual, several bulbs arising from a single parent bulb. Leaves: slightly flattened on upper surface, 7-20 mm in diameter, up to 40 cm in length. Flowers: borne in umbels, scape up to 25 cm in height, perianth segments 6, length 4-6 mm, green-white; stamens 6, short, alternating with perianth segments; ovary superior, 3-locular; style simple. Fruit: a globular capsule, containing many seeds. Seeds: black, wrinkled at maturity, 6 mm X 4 mm; embryo sickle-shaped. Bulbs: (cloves): variable in shape, size and color, covered with thin red scale leaves.

Deeply cultivated soils, capable of moisture retention but well drained, are necessary. They should be well supplied with organic material and reserves of the major elements. Cool conditions favor optimum growth but large plants may be obtained in relatively high temperature conditions if well supplied with water. Day temperatures above 24 degree celcius may reduce the yield of some cultivars. Growth will continue during both dry and wet periods, providing that adequate soil moisture is available. Leeks are generally considered to have a high demand for soil water. Elevations of more than 700 m are preferable, particularly for non-adapted cultivars, but adequate yields may be obtained at sea level from local or specially selected cultivars. Flowers are rarely formed under short day length conditions.

Seeds are rarely used; propagation is mainly by mature bulbs (setts), formed in clusters from the base of parent bulbs which have completed their dormant period by being stored for at least 6 weeks after harvesting. The clusters are separated and individual bulbs planted, two-thirds below the surface, on prepared beds with a well-consolidated surface. Spacing is usually 15 cm X 22 cm, or in rows 25-30 cm apart and 12-15 cm between bulbs. Approximately 1500 kg of bulbs are required for a population of 400 000 plants/ha. An average bulb diameter of 4-6 cm is common, but size is related to planting density. Time of planting is not dependent on climatic conditions, although bulbs are normally planted towards the end of a wet period. Shallots respond particularly to potash and phosphate but soils should also be well supplied with organic material before planting. Excessive nitrogen may lead to delayed bulb formation. Irrigation is essential during dry periods.

Mature plants may be harvested 120-150 days from transplanting by which time they will have grown to 25-30 cm in length and have a diameter of 4-5 cm. Yield: Often variable, but average yields are estimated to be in the region of 20 t/ha. Seed production: Seeds are rarely produced in tropical regions, except at very high elevations, since long days and relatively low temperatures are required for flower initiation and flower stalk elongation.

These are, in general, similar to the requirements of onion although storage in a controlled environment is rarely required if the bulbs are adequately cured.

Bulbs are usually boiled, used in soups and stews, fried or eaten raw. The leaves are also used in salads, particularly of the Spring or Bunching Onion. In some tropical areas, onions have been selected for their dry matter yield and suitability for dehydration.

Damping down is a daily routine carried out throughout the year. It is best done by using a garden hose connected to the mains water supply. With a spray nozzle attached, soak the floor area beneath the staging, wetting the plants that grow there, and wet the staging between the orchids.

Terrestrial orchids vary in their soil requirements. Some prefer grassy meadows with a well-drained subsoil, others like peaty bogs that are permanently wet, while in the tropics many live on the open savanna plains where, during the dry season, they become completely dehydrated because of the shortage of moisture in the soil. Their rhizomes may be either just below the surface or very deep, depending on the species. Their root system may only penetrate the mossy soil covering or push deep into the subsoil in the search for permanent moisture.

After some disastrous experiments and false starts in the very early days of orchid culture, one of the first composts (growing mediums) used was composed of hard, firm chunks of sedge peat mixed with a heavy loam or leaf mould. The mix was too dense and, since the roots could not penetrate very far through it, good root systems were not always developed. It was not until the early part of the 20th century that a better compost (growing medium) was found, and this consisted of Ostnunda fibre and sphagnum moss.

The roots of the royal fern (Osmunda regalis), were used at that time as ballast in ships returning to Europe and Britain from the United States. It had no other use until orchid growers discovered it. Once it became popular, it was imported in huge quantities to satisfy the demand, along with other species of Osmunda from around Europe and Japan. It arrived in large chunks, which had to be cleaned, stripped out into single fibres and chopped. The prepared fibre was then mixed with fresh, living sphagnum moss, locally gathered from bog areas. It took great skill to work with the compost to ensure that the springy material and the orchid were sufficiently firm in the pot, but not so firm that water could not penetrate easily. In those days, the manner in which a plant was potted had a great bearing on how well it grew.

Overhead spraying of the leaves should be discontinued at this time of year, because the leaves will take too long to dry up, and this may result in rots and blemishes. Also, as many of the orchids will be resting at this time, their foliage should be left dry.

This has the advantage in that you can remove the netting at vise end of the summer, leaving the reduced paint shading in position for a bit longer, which gives the orchids time on adjust to the extra light in two stages. The ultimate luxury in shading is blinds that automatically roll up and down in response to a light-sensitive cell. They will not be in use on dull, cloudy summer days, but as soon as the sun appears, they will roll down over the greenhouse.

Alternatively, you can have louvre-blinds that adjust according to the amount of light. This equipment is expensive to install and it must be maintained in perfect working order. It is possible to have a fully automated greenhouse, where heating, spraying and ventilation are carried out automatically.

Modem labour-saving devices make the pleasures of orchid growing much easier than they used to be, when hand-stoked boilers had to be made up late at night and roller blinds were constantly needing manual adjustment, according to the immediate weather conditions. These automated greenhouses take all the strain out of orchid growing, but they are still only as good as the person in charge. Labour-saving devices should be an asset, not a liability, so use them to the best advantage, always making sure that spare parts are readily available, especially with fan heaters. Do not wait until anything breaks down before finding a replacement. Two fans used alternately can be a good idea.

The seedlings will be ready to leave the jars when they are about 5cm (2in) tall and have their own roots. This should be done in the spring when the young plants have the summer growing season ahead of them, and there is less danger from damping off.

Repot these plants again the following spring and annually until they reach flowering size in another two to four years. When the first of your seedlings flower, provided that it is a new cross not previously named, you can register the hybrid with a name of your choice assuming that it has not been previously used by someone else.

During the first half of the 20th century, orchid culture progressed little. Thousands of new hybrids were raised, with seedlings taking up to seven or eight years to flower. The same orchids today can be flowered within three to four years. There can be no doubt that feeding orchids can greatly benefit their performance, but this has to be done with care.

Orchids are perennial plants, with a life span of many years. Their rate of growth is slow, and any artificial feeding has to reflect this. The extra nutrients are given not to increase the rate at which orchids grow or to influence their growing cycle, but to maintain a steady momentum and to ensure health and vigor. The first growers to experiment with feeding orchids were those employed by the private estates, whose owners had the best collections at that time.

You may be tempted to combine different fertilizers to make your own concoction, but this can be dangerous and should only be undertaken by someone who fully understands the chemical formular of the trace elements. In the same way, do not exceed the recommended dose, or give a double dose because a feeding application has been forgotten.

However, the roots were easily burnt by the strong manure and the appearance of virus-like markings on the foliage of cymbidiums and other orchids fueled the fear that became the basis for the non-feeding rule. More recently, as the nutritional needs of orchids have become better understood and modern inorganic compost (growing medium) materials haw increased, feeding orchids has become scientifically based.

Place the community pots in propagator. Avoid any dehydration because, at this stage, the soft foliage can shrivel and die if there is insufficient moisture. The first few weeks are a critical time for the seedlings, as they recovering from the shock of their removal from the sterile conditions and adjust to the harsher outside environment.

Another product known as cow-tea needs no explanation. In addition to being used on the plants, these mixtures were sometimes poured on to the hot water pipes that ran round the greenhouses, giving off a strong vapor, highly charged with ammonia. Fortunately, today we have progressed to more “scientific” methods of feeding.

Having set up your greenhouse with the correct equipment and prepared it for orchids, use the central staging for the largest plants that need the most headroom. Above these, along the ridge board and elsewhere, suspend orchids, such as vandas and stanhopeas, that like to grow in hanging baskets. These can be attached by the clips that are supplied with aluminium greenhouses, or you can hang them from hooks in timber rafters.

Bear in mind that these plants will have to be taken down for watering to prevent too much surplus water from splashing on to the plants below.

The side benches can accommodate orchids in pots; place those that need the most light on the brightest side, with shade-loving plants being shielded by the others.

Behind these, on either side of the greenhouse, attach wires or wooden trellis to the inside of the glass on which to hang orchids that grow on slabs of bark. The end of the greenhouse can be used to grow further orchids permanently on a small tree or branch.

Creating the right conditions for the orchids is a combination of providing humidity, warmth and fresh air. These three important factors must always balance each other, so that the atmosphere always feels right when you enter the greenhouse.

Orchids like to be warm and comfortable, and only when there is an imbalance of these conditions, resulting in either a cold and damp atmosphere, or a hot and dry one, at the other extreme, will problems arise.

To heat a conservatory or sun lounge, itstall an extra loop off the domestic melting system. A strategically placed radiator or two, with their own thermostat controlling a small pump, will provide heat whenever required. As the domestic system will already be producing heat from a central boiler, be it mains gas, electricity or oil, the added cost of heating the conservatory is not as great as having a separate heating system. Use two thermostats, one to control the night temperature – set just above the minimum required – and the other to control the day temperature, along with a time clock to differentiate between the two. It is essential to install a maximum/ minimum thermometer next to the thermostat as they are notoriously inaccurate.

The fan will pull the hot air out of the greenhouse but it will also reduce the humidity and moisture, so it becomes necessary to install a misting system fitted below bench level to keep the floor permanently moist. Fresh air entering the bottom ventilators will collect moisture, which is carried through the orchids before being expelled at ridge level by the extractor fan. An alternative is to install a small electric circulating fan. This is different from the extractor fan, and only moves air around the greenhouse, freshening it up and keeping it buoyant, to prevent spotting on flowers, which can occur when the air is still and the humidity builds up. These fans can be a nuisance when you enter the greenhouse because you feel as if you are standing in a draught. A pull switch by the door solves this problem, allowing you to turn the fan on and off when entering and leaving the greenhouse.

Synonym is A ilium sativum L.

Common names are Welsh Onion, Green Bunching Onion, Japanese bunching onion, spring onion, two-bladed onion, Chinese small onion (Eng.); ciboule (Fr.); cebolla, ceboletta (Sp.); riihtenlauch (Ger.); pijplook, bieslook (Neth.); taai ts’ung (China); kikiyu onion (E.Afr.)

Many selections and clones are in cultivation, mainly distinguished by the number of cloves produced per bulb – this may vary from 16-50 – and by the size of individual cloves.

Possibly central Asia, not now found as a wild plant, distributed at an early date to the Mediterranean. Has probably been in cultivation for more than 3000 years.

Plants are tolerant to a fairly wide range of soil conditions but fertile medium loams are generally considered most suitable. Sandy soils are also used if well supplied with organic material and adequate nutrient reserves. Yields are generally good at higher elevations.

Propagation is by division of existing clumps, or seeds may be sown in containers or on a seedbed. Seedlings or plants from divided clumps are transplanted when 12-15 cm high at a square planting of 20-30 cm X 20-30 cm on prepared beds. Liquid manure is often beneficial during the early growing period.

Fertile, well-drained sand or silt loam soils, with good moisture retaining properties give good results; heavy clay soils are likely to produce malformed bulbs. The major elements should be available to the crop during growth but a surface dressing of nitrogen as bulbing begins is often beneficial. Potash may be required in some areas. Relatively high temperatures up to 30C are required for optimum bulb development but cooler conditions in the early stages favor vegetative growth. Flower initiation does not appear to be directly linked with low temperatures; some clones do not flower. Excessive humidity and rainfall are detrimental to both vegetative growth and bulb formation. The crop is therefore normally grown in low rainfall areas with irrigation, if required, during the early vegetative growing stage when the rate of water intake by the plant is relatively high and is approximately the same as that of onion. In most areas, elevations from 500-2000 m provide suitable growing conditions, particularly during dry periods. Long days favor bulb development. In areas where there is a seasonal variation in length of day, it is preferable to plant during short photo periods so that maximum use will be made of this for vegetative growth. The total yield depends on the amount of vegetative growth made before bulbing begins.

This plant possibly originated in eastern Asia where it has been in cultivation for several centuries in India and China. It is similar in many respects to A. fistulosum, the Welsh Onion, but is smaller and has flattened leaves. Widely grown in tropical Asia, including northern India, Malaysia and China.

The bulbs should be mature 90-120 days from planting, when the leaves turn brown and dry out. Leaves required for flavoring can be cut before they become mature. Yield: Within the range of 5-10 t/ha, depending on the cultivar characteristics. Seed production: Plants do not normally produce fertile flowers.

Plants are normally mature enough for harvesting 60-120 days from planting, depending on the characteristics of the cultivar. An average yield of 20 t/ha may be obtained. Seeds are rarely produced in short days and high temperatures.

The fresh green leaves are used in salads and for flavoring in soups and stews.

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Sow seeds 1 to 11/2 inches deep where the plants are to grow, since beans are particularly difficult to transplant. For bush beans, set seeds singly about 3 inches apart in rows about 2 feet apart. Good poles for pole beans to climb on are freshly cut saplings with the bark still on; they can be set to stand singly and upright, or angled in groups tepee fashion for stability.

Beans are among the most important food crops, economically and nutritionally, in the world. The pods of all the species contain beans that can be cooked or dried for later use; in the case of snap beans, the pods themselves are cooked. The plants bear tiny white, yellow, pink, red or lavender flowers that resemble sweet-pea blossoms.

When both bush and pole plants are about 6 inches tall, sprinkle a 6-inch band of 5-10-5 fertilizer along each side of the row at a rate of 5 to 8 ounces to every 10 feet of row. Keep the fertilizer off the leaves and 3 inches away from the stems of the plants. Avoid overhead watering, and never touch the plants when the leaves are wet.

Sow seeds of pole varieties of snap beans and shell beans only once, when the last spring frost is due-the plants will continue to bear until frost if all pods are picked.

In addition to snap beans, the species Phaseolus vulgaris includes a special group of beans known as shell, or horticultural, beans, which have a mealy texture and delicious nutlike flavor. Three excellent bush varieties of shell beans are Seneca Horticultural, French Horticultural and Dwarf Horticultural, also called Wren’s Egg, all of which grow about 18 inches tall. A 15-foot row of bush shell beans yields about 9 pounds of beans over a period of three weeks. Speckled Cranberry, also called Horticultural, is a fine pole-type shell bean that grows 6 to 8 feet tall. A 15-foot row of pole shell beans yields about 18 pounds of beans over a period of four weeks.

Lima beans and baby Lima beans, grown for their 1 to 3/4-inch immature beans, have a dry, mealy texture and nutlike flavor, and are exceptionally nutritious. Bush Lima beans grow about 2 feet tall; excellent varieties are Ford- hook 242 and Burpee’s Improved Bush Lima. Pole Lima beans grow 8 feet or more tall; fine varieties are King of the Garden, Burpee’s Best and Prizetaker. Bush varieties of baby Lima beans grow 2 feet tall; good varieties are Baby Fordhook Bush Lima and Thorogreen. Pole baby Lima beans grow 8 feet or more tall; recommended varieties are Carolina, also called Sieva, and Florida Butter. A 15-foot row of bush Lima beans or baby Lima beans yields about 4 pounds of beans over a period of three to four weeks. Pole varieties yield about 7 pounds over the same period of time. Edible soybeans grow 2 to 21/2 feet tall. The beans are usually cooked when they are green, but if the pods are allowed to mature and turn yellow, the beans can be cooked like Lima beans. Two good varieties are Bansei and Kan- rich. A 15-foot row of soybeans yields 8 to 12 pounds of beans over a period of two weeks.

These are among the strangest of orchids, with their unusual habit of producing downward flower spikes that carry large, unwieldy flowers with fantastic fragrances and amazing shapes. To some, their appeal is irresistible, and they are worthy of interest.

The flowers are large for the size of the plant, and vary little in their appearance. Typically, the flowers have narrow sepals and petals of equal length, with a large, frilled, trumpet-shaped lip. The colours extend from pristine white to glistening pink and delicate mauve shades. Yellow is a rarer colour, but comes through in a number of the hybrids derived from the yellow-flowered species Pleione forrestii.

Under good culture they make extensive aerial roots, which form a dense and protective mass around the base of the plant. A good number of the species are in cultivation, in addition to a few hybrids, which are generally little improvement upon the fantastic species.

The flowers will last for about ten days, after which new roots appear and the growth continues to complete the pseudobulb throughout the summer.

Look out for the brilliantly coloured, often smaller-flowered ascocendas (Vanda x Ascocentrum). These are often more popular than the pure vandas because of their neat habit and upright flower spikes, which are crowded with beautiful, symmetrical flowers in fiery reds, gorgeous oranges and deep yellows. While some are self-coloured, others display extreme tessellating or mottling on the petals and sepals. Temperature is warm-growing.

Grow in open hanging baskets in hark-based compost (growing medium) in good light throughout the year. Water while in active growth and feed during the same period. Mist during summer, except when in flower. Height: 30cm (12in).