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Photo Credit: www.OrchidPlants.info
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Vanilla Orchids
Yes - Vanilla, the stuff you use to flavor cakes and deserts with, comes from an
orchid !!
Vanilla is a vining orchid plant with strong aerial roots at every node where
leaves join the stems which are fleshy, flexible and succulent.
This habit of growth which is unique among orchids requires meticulous pruning
and / or strong support such as sturdy posts or live trees.
Vanilla planifolia is grown as a commercial crop in India and other places of
favorable frost free climates including Mexico.
The bloom, which occurs once a year, is a pale yellowish green about 4 inches long
and intensely fragrant. Natural pollinators are hummingbirds and native bees. In
order to produce pods, bloom must be pollinated by hand where natural pollinators
are absent, such as in greenhouses and other confined growing areas.
About 3 years ago I finally gave in to my longtime wish for a vanilla plant.
It arrived in late summer as a 12-inch front division with 4 or 5 leaves and two
small stubby roots. No instructions. When I made a long distance call to the
grower, he did not appear very enthusiastic and told me to "just plant it in
dirt". Well, I took the man's advice and crammed it into an 8-inch clay pot
filled with regular potting soil. Naturally, it received a place of prominence in the
greenhouse and was fed regularly along with the rest of our orchids.
For what seemed like a long time, all through the rest of the year and into March of the following year, the Vanilla did NOTHING, just sat there and
squatted. I was not at all discouraged and continued to lavish care on it.
Suddenly, as the weather improved and the days got longer, my vanilla came to
life as it put out several branches of new growth. It was a lovely lush thing to
behold and quickly outgrew its pot to send long shoots up into the air. By the
end of the summer, my once humble cutting had grown into a large tangle which I
dutifully tied up to where it would get the most light and have room to
flourish.
Then again, during the cooler months, it did not put out much
growth. I was delighted when one day the following spring I noticed a wonderful
scent in the greenhouse and finally discovered two pale yellow waxy blossoms. They were difficult to spot because the color very much blended in
with the light green foliage. The flowers eventually dropped and the vanilla
plant burst into a new spurt of uncontrolled growth.
I was amazed to notice that you could practically see the thing expanding. Front
leads grew by as much as a foot EVERY DAY. Soon I was giving away vanilla
cuttings to everyone I knew and some I didn't. In the mean time the vanilla
plant got so out of hand, it was difficult keeping it to its assigned area.
Roots shot out of nowhere and went to adjacent pots seemingly overnight to
steal moisture and nourishment. I was soon convinced I had harbored a
virtual cannibal which had taken up much needed space and was taking over the rafters
of the greenhouse.
With some misgivings, we finally decided that the vanilla had to GO. It
took two days of carefully extricating the invasive roots from neighboring orchid
plants and finally cutting up and removing the plant from the greenhouse. The
remains are partially buried under a blanket of soil and leaves against the back
fence of our property. Perhaps it will make a new start out of doors ??
(well it passed away when it got cold the following winter)
Bottom line - don't try to grow Vanilla in a hobby orchid greenhouse. |
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