How to Grow Vanilla

Rate: (9 Ratings)

Vanilla is an orchid. Orchids are the largest plant family in the world, and vanilla is the world's most labor intensive agricultural product. The only places in the U.S. where you can grow vanilla are in green houses, in South Florida and in Hawaii. If you are attempting to grow vanilla outside the tropic zone in a green house, it will be tricky to get the vines to flower. Also, the fruit is produced by pollinated flowers, which must be done by hand. From planting to harvest can take up to 3 years with vanilla, so patience and determination are essential. But the reward is fantastic.

Flag Article

Instructions

Difficulty: Challenging

Step1

Grow vanilla from cuttings or from the beans themselves. Finding a source for the cutting for beans can be expensive and difficult. Ask your local nursery to order them for you.

Step2

Decide on a location for your vanilla. The best location would be sheltered from temperatures below 50 degrees and have a trellis for the vanilla to grow on.

Step3

Keep the uppermost part of the vanilla plant within reach as it grows. Do this by bending the tops downwards.

Step4

Watch for flowers. Vanilla blossoms only last about a day and each vine only produces a few flowers per year, so it's essential that you are prepared. When you see a flower, it is time to pollinate.

Step5

Pollinate your vanilla flower. Using a small sliver of bamboo, find the flower's anther and the stigma. (You probably could use another tool, but farmers the world over have been doing it with bamboo for over 150 years.) With the bamboo, take the anther and rub it on the stigma.

Step6

Watch for the vanilla fruit. The fruit will grow and ripen on the vine. It is ready for harvesting when it opens at one end. Leaving the fruit on the vine too long will cause the vanilla bean to lose its flavor.