Vanilla

Family. Orchidaceae. 

Where it grows. Central America.

Description. There are about 100 varieties of vanilla orchid. Care is very specific and every requirement must be met exactly to get the vine to bear fruit. Vanilla is an evergreen orchid with yellow-green, fleshy, stiff leaves about 15 cm long on long thin stems that need support to grow. Aerial roots are located at each leaf node so that the plant can cling to the support with them. Flower stalks appear in April and bear about 10 or more tubular flowers of white, yellow or green, up to 12 cm in diameter, opening successively from mid-May. Each bud remains open for less than 8 hours, but the flowering bush gives off a beautiful, subtle aroma. To obtain the beans, the flowers must be pollinated by hand. This should be done in the morning when the bud opens. The fruits are collected about 8 months after pollination, when the tips of the pods turn yellow. Young specimens do not flower until they reach 6-8 meters in length.

Height. In nature up to 90 meters.

How to grow 

Flowering time

April May.

Lighting 

Leaves should not be exposed to direct sunlight between 11:00 AM and 3:00 PM as this can cause sunburn on the leaves, but vanilla will not flower in low light conditions. Rooted cuttings and young seedlings are kept in partial shade.

Containment temperature

The daytime temperature should be 25-30°C, dropping to 18-20°C at night. Representatives of the genus are very thermophilic.

Care

Flowering and fruiting can only occur with careful care. Unfortunately, even the best care often does not result in the appearance of pods, but the glossy green foliage of this liana will add interest to your interior. It is important not to allow the aerial roots to dry out. To stimulate the formation of fruits, the bush is subjected to extreme conditions - pruned in July, tightly tied shoots to disrupt sap flow, etc.

Composition of soil for growing

The substrate should consist of equal parts of pine bark, sphagnum moss, perlite for small seedlings and cuttings. Adult specimens should be provided with large pieces of bark for growth.

Feeding

Fertilize orchids every two weeks all year round with monthly foliar feeding (for aerial roots). In late winter and early spring, use a high-phosphorus fertilizer to promote the formation of flower stalks and pods on mature plants (three years and older). 

Spraying

Vanilla requires high humidity, good air circulation, but no cold drafts. The bathroom is a great place for the plant, if you have a fan.

Irrigation

Keep the soil evenly moist at all times. Vanilla's root system should not dry out, but at the same time it does not like stagnant water at the roots. Allow the top 2 inches of soil to dry out between waterings. To encourage flowering of a mature vine, you can allow the soil to dry out between waterings for several weeks. Water the orchid with soft, warm water.

Transplant

Replanting is carried out annually in spring, adult specimens are replanted every 2-3 years. Choose a pot with large drainage holes for growing and fill it with soil. Trim the lower third of the roots with a disinfected knife and place the bush in the pot.

Propagation

Vegetatively propagated by stem cuttings, each of which must have one or more aerial roots. Rooting is carried out in a moist substrate, using growth hormones.

Pests and diseases

Root rot.

Pests may include  spider mites, mealybugs, and scale insects.

Purpose

One of the most aromatic spices on earth, used to make ice cream, coffee drinks and desserts. Vanilla is grown commercially in Madagascar, the Caribbean, Mexico, Indonesia and Tahiti. Growing an orchid is an extremely labor-intensive process.

Note

Sap from broken or cut stems may be a skin irritant.