advice on Vanilla planifolia?

vanda · #1 (**permalink**) 07-01-2007, 06:48 PM

Vanilla planifolia. Before I run out and buy one, which i am about to do I wanted to check if anyone who has one of these plants has any advice on their needs. (I aleady know they get large and I know getting pods involves several things, including pollonation by hand).

pikevi · #2 (**permalink**) 07-02-2007, 08:30 AM

I have two Vanilla planifolia(s). I have had them for only a few months. One is growing well. I used coconut husk,little peat, sphagnum moss and perlite.

It has new growth.

The second one is still alive but I have not seen any new shoots , yet.

I will post photos, later.

Good luck.

**Cynthia, Prescott, AZ** · #3 (**permalink**) 07-02-2007, 12:08 PM

Vanda, please update your profile with your location. It is very hard to give advice when we have no idea of how much of an uphill battle you will have, or downhill, if your location is that good.

I am currently Vanillaless. I have had four Vanillas, 3 fairly recently, and all tested positive for virus, even a seedling. So, I don't count the Vanillas I currently have in my viral holding area for future experiments with virus testing.

BillC · #4 (**permalink**) 07-03-2007, 04:27 PM

Vanda, you say that you are aware Vanilla p. is a big plant. The planifolia vine in its natural habitat can exceed thirty metres,and I suppose that depending on the height of the supporting tree it could grow even longer. I assume that you would grow the plant on some form of trellis so that you would not have to climb a tree to pollinate the flowers. The flowers live for only one day and must be pollinated on that day. If you get pods they should mature eight to nine months after flowering.

Another factor you should consider is that the vine does not produce flowers until it is mature...a considerable length of time depending on growth conditions and the plant is happy.

Your weather in Portugal should not drop below 60deg.F/15deg.C night temperature and daytime up to 85F/30C. Bright, lightly shaded light, good well draining media watered as necessary, balanced fertilizer weekly. and plenty of luck.

Bill

vanda · #5 (**permalink**) 07-03-2007, 06:53 PM

I will be growing it inside

, yes I know it's a bit crazy, but not impossible I believe. My winter temps are too cold for outside and I live in an apartment anyway. I plan to train it around a coiled wire or something like that so that my 30m plant should fit into the 6m I have, that is the plan. Now I just have to decide between north or south. North: Bright but never direct sun. South: Quite a bit of direct sun. South would be better for me but although I know vanilla can take some direct sun I'd be worried that it would be too much. Any thoughts?

**Vivienne** · #6 (**permalink**) 07-03-2007, 07:49 PM

Well if you're set on tackling this BIG plant then I would go with the South window. If it ends up being too much light you could create a shading panel of some sort... sheer drapes on the window... that sort of thing. Better than not enough light.

**Cynthia, Prescott, AZ** · #7 (**permalink**) 07-04-2007, 12:25 AM

In the tropics where the sun is a little less intense because it passes thru a lot of humidity, the plants are grown under the shade of trees or shade cloth. Feel the leaves, only barely luke warm is prefered. Now the big problem is humidity. Do you have a lot of humidity in your apartment, or is it airconditioned in summer, and dry heated in winter? If you normally have very dry air in your apartment, I would not try a vanilla. Remember, they get most of their water from the air roots that are all up and down their long stems. In a dry home, the air roots will all shrivel and die, and soon after, so will the plant, unless it has exceptionally good roots at the base. Mine never did have good basal roots, but then they got a lot of misting else where on the plant.

Ellen · #8 (**permalink**) 07-04-2007, 03:49 PM

I think it will be an uphill battle trying to grow vanilla inside an apartment. I have a Vanilla planifolia plant that I got fairly recently as an experiment, but it's growing in my greenhouse under shade cloth and with a reasonable amount of humidity. After about 6 months of semi-sulking (growing lots of aerial roots but nothing else) it's finally putting out new growth. I think most of what it uses to grow is the humidity that it takes in through its aerial roots, so if you can't get those going, I doubt that the plant will survive. However, I would say go for it anyway - it's an experiment and who knows? Maybe you can do it. It's interesting to note that your climate in Portugal is very similar to ours here in the US Pacific Northwest. We're both on the far west side of a continental land mass. You may be just a little farther south, depending on what part of Portugal you're in, but not much. Good luck with the vanilla!

vanda · #9 (**permalink**) 07-24-2007, 01:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cynthia, Prescott, AZ

Now the big problem is humidity. Do you have a lot of humidity in your apartment, or is it airconditioned in summer, and dry heated in winter? If you normally have very dry air in your apartment, I would not try a vanilla. Remember, they get most of their water from the air roots that are all up and down their long stems. In a dry home, the air roots will all shrivel and die, and soon after, so will the plant, unless it has exceptionally good roots at the base. Mine never did have good basal roots, but then they got a lot of misting else where on the plant.

I don't air condition or heat my apartment most of the time, never in the room where I'd grow the vanila. Most of the time humidity if fairly high, for an apartment that is! What gives me hope is that my bare root vandas seem to get on okay, as well as other orchids that I have. People seem to say that, other than the size, it's not a particularly hard orchid to grow. I might need to do quite a bit of misting in the summer. It's just a big experiment but I think it's maybe worth a try

gore42 · #10 (**permalink**) 07-24-2007, 03:17 PM

Keep in mind that vanilla usually don't bloom until they are large, well established plants (over 2.5 meters long). When they do bloom, they bloom in the morning, and the blooms fade by noon, as a general rule. Just one more thing to keep in mind.

- Matt

**Cynthia, Prescott, AZ** · #11 (**permalink**) 07-24-2007, 11:35 PM

Sounds like it just might work. Watch the air roots. If they don't dry up, you will be OK.

JMurphy77 · #12 (**permalink**) 08-17-2007, 01:45 PM

Hi, I'm new to the forum but it looks like there is alot of information here. I live in South Florida, about an hour or so north of Miami, and recently acquired a vanilla cutting. It's about 8 inches long with one leaf, 3 air roots, and a growth nub at the base of each root. At the grower's suggestion, I wrapped the cut ends of the plant in sphagnum moss. At the moment I've placed the cutting inside a partially closed freezer bag with a little extra moss around the roots and nubs to promote humidity. Does anyone have any further suggestions for me to help the plant thrive?

pikevi · #13 (**permalink**) 08-17-2007, 11:10 PM

Welcome to the forum, JMurphy77.

I have two Vanilla planifolias and one is doing well in a mix of sphagnum moss, bark, coconut husk chips, sand, perlite and charcoal. I added a little bit of black earth too. I noticed this week that even the second one is showing some vigor. It is giving out aerial roots.

I am sure someone else will give you more advice.

Good luck.

JMurphy77 · #14 (**permalink**) 08-18-2007, 11:45 AM

Thanks for your welcome and the info! I noticed in your pic that you've planted yours. Did you plant them right away or let them grow a bit first? And when you planted it, did you put one of the aerial roots into the mix, or a cut end?

pikevi · #15 (**permalink**) 08-18-2007, 01:33 PM

I have a 'not-so-smart' system of re-potting any plant I buy right away or within a few days.

I did the same with the Vanillas and there were no aerial roots when I bought them. Each one had no more than 4 nodes. I left the lower most node under the mix. And I did the same thing you did, that is to wrap the node and the part below in sphagnum moss.

They don't have many aerial roots but are beginning to grow new shoots.

I attach a few pics of the two.

BIGALORCHIDMAN · #16 (**permalink**) 08-18-2007, 11:40 PM

VANDA, I have two vanilla planifolias. I grow them with my cattleyas under flourescent lights. They get a lot of light but it is not strong light. I water them once a week in summer. A little less in winter. I wait until the medium is dry again. They grow in intermediate to hot temperatures, year-round watering fertilizing, and bright light are recommended. They grow fast too.

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