Growing the Vanilla Bean Orchid

The only commercially cultivated orchid grown for its delicious beans.

While you ’re bakingcookiesand cake thisholiday season , you ’ll in all likelihood havevanilla extractin your hand more than once . If you ’re using unadulteratedpurevanilla extract ( as match to its copycat , imitationvanilla extract ) , you just might notice the steep damage as well . If you ’re holding a bottle of saturated vanilla excerpt at a garish monetary value , it ’s probably load ( not as virginal as it should be ) .

Learn more : Success with Orchids Indoors

So whyarevanilla edible bean so expensive ?

It may surprise you to learn thatvanillabean pods come from an orchid ( which already fathom expensive ) . In fact , the vanilla orchid ( Vanilla planifolia)is the only orchid that get an comestible fruit . It was originally discovered climb among the tree in Mexico and was later introduced to other warm tropical and semitropic regions of the worldly concern .

It ’s only one of about 100 mounting and sublunar ( land ) orchids and can climb anywhere from 10 to 80 feet into trees or shrubs . Vanilla orchid ’s rude pollinator is a Meliponabeespecies that is only find in Mexico , so for many years this was the unmarried resource for vanilla bean .

Today , vanilla extract is produce commercially in Madagascar , the Caribbean , Mexico , the Comoro Islands , Indonesia , Hawaii , and Tahiti . The cultivation of vanilla is extremely labor - intensive . The plants themselves do n’t even start producing vanilla extract bonce until after three year . When they finally do bloom , the flowers only stay open for one daytime and have to be cautiously pollinated within 12 hours of bloom .

To ensure pollination and the beneficial vanilla bean flavor , each blossom on every orchid ishand - pollinated . This is especially true for plants grow in areas other than Mexico , where there would at least be Melipona bees to help out .

Growing Your Own Vanilla Bean Plant

Vanilla bean plant are n’t specially hard to spring up . But if your outdoor clime is n’t idealistic , they ’re well - accommodate to the greenhouse , as well as indoors among other houseplant .

verbal description : Vanilla orchid are evergreen plants with 6 - in , yellow-bellied - green , fleshy foliage . The tubular blossom are lily-white , yellow , or green and about 5 inches across .

Conditions : vanilla extract orchidaceous plant prefer eminent humidity and should be grown in an area where nighttime temperatures do n’t drop below 55 ° , which makes gardens in USDA Zones 10–11 their best stake . shining light and filtrate shade is favor .

Bloom meter : Although you may not see a flower on a cutting for a duad of year , their blossoms show up in mid - spring to late summer — and only forone day . If the flowers are successfully pollinated ( which would have to be done by the nurseryman ) , 6- 10 - inch long seedpods will follow about nine calendar month subsequently .

Soil : Vanilla likes a neutral territory pH ( 6.6–7.5 ) . The potting spiritualist should be well - debilitate and hoummos - robust . Yes , you could come up with your own blend , but it ’s easier to purchase a right soil mix specific to orchids .

Water needs : Keep the soil evenly moist at all times , use up care not to overwater at the same meter . This orchidaceous plant may not like its feet to dry out between waterings , but it does n’t want rotten roots , either .

Care and eating : During the springiness and summer , lightly feed your vanilla bean plant every two weeks with an orchid fertilizer . tender the vine some case of support for mount and clinging , such as a wooden trellis .

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bottle of pure vanilla extract

Unadulterated, pure vanilla extract can be pricey. Photo byBill HRunder the Creative Commons Attribution License 2.0.

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