How to Grow Vanilla Orchids

Young Vanilla Orchid (Vanilla planifolia)

Although much of the vanilla flavoring in use today is artificial, true natural vanilla comes from the bean of the vanilla orchid. Like most orchids, the vanilla orchid demands extremely high humidity levels and high temperatures. Because of this, it is rare that one blooms indoors, even when carefully raised as a houseplant.

Things You'll Need

• Vanilla orchid
• Peat moss
• Orchid bark
• Orchid container

Instructions

1. Place vanilla orchids in containers in the house or in a heated greenhouse in all U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones of the United States, except zones 10 and warmer. The orchids can be moved outside in the summer as long as the environment meets their strict requirements. The humidity must be above 50 percent and the temperature cannot be lower than 60 degrees Fahrenheit.

2. Increase the humidity inside the house by misting the vanilla orchid plant daily and by placing a tray filled with pebbles and water under the orchid. The vanilla orchid prefers a temperature of 75 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit and humidity in the 70 to 80 percent range.

3. Position the vanilla orchid plant where it receives partial or full sunlight. Supplement with artificial lighting if possible. Wait until the plant is nearly dry to water. Root rot and low light are the two biggest reasons vanilla orchids fail.

4. Use an airy potting medium. Sphagnum moss, orchid bark or a mix of the two is best. Commercial orchid containers with holes on the sides are excellent containers for vanilla orchids. Go easy on the fertilizer. Feed the plant with only 1/2 teaspoon of balanced fertilizer once every two to four weeks.

5. Vanilla orchid plants are climbers; they can grow to over 75 feet in length in the wild. Some container-grown vanilla orchids also get long. They can flower and produce beans in containers when they are about 10 feet long, but they require a stake or support on which to climb.

6. Vanilla orchids are easily propagated by cuttings; each node grows roots. Once the plant is growing, it doesn't even need terrestrial roots. Cut a piece with a couple of nodes and place is in the potting medium used with the adult plant.

Tips & Warnings

• Wash after handling vanilla plants since they can cause irritation

References

• Orchid Flower HQ: Vanilla Orchid
• Purdue University: The Vanilla Orchid