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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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