Grow Orchids and Seedpods

• 1
  Grow vanilla orchids in your greenhouse.large, old greenhouse image by koi88 from Fotolia.com
  
  Create optimum growing conditions. To successfully grow the vanilla orchid, provide daytime temperatures of 80 to 90 degrees and keep them between 40 and 70 degrees at night. High humidity is required and running a humidifier is beneficial as is frequent misting. The orchids grow as vines up to more than 75 feet long. They need stakes, trellises or other supports to climb. A location affording overhead space is a necessity. Partial to full-sun exposure is required for these tropical plants. Bright sun in the morning and bright shade in the afternoon is ideal.
  
  
• 2). Buy quality plants. If you live on the west coast, especially California, you may be able to obtain your vanilla orchid at a garden center. Elsewhere you may find an orchid resource who can supply V.planifolia or your can order from a tropical plant company via the Internet. Plants are available as cuttings, in small community pots of several plants or as single plants. Larger, single plants are more expensive but provide the fastest route to growing seedpods since the plant needs to be several years old to produce them.
  
  
• 3
  This is the natural orchid habitat, wet but not soggy.rainforest tree laden with epiphytes, vines and lianas image by Lars Lachmann from Fotolia.com
  
  Pot the plants immediately. Potting media should be loose and airy like sphagnum moss, or orchid bark or a mixture of both. Orchid containers with holes on both the bottom and the sides are preferred to provide excellent drainage. As with most orchids, water early on a sunny day to avoid rot. Water and mist often up to two to three times a week but do not let the roots get soggy. Root rot and poor light can kill the plants. Feed a balanced fertilizer, such as 10-10-10, once every month in spring through early autumn and every other month autumn through winter. The trick to watering is to wait until plants are nearly dry and then to water thoroughly. As vines climb from the pots up the supports, be sure to mist and fertilize all the aerial roots.
  
  
• 4
  Pruning stimulates branching and flowers.garden shears closed image by Kathy Burns from Fotolia.com
  
  Prune the plants to produce flowers. After the plants have grown at least 25 feet long, the vines should be tip pruned. Clipping the growing stem causes buds to create side branches which produce flowers. Flowers are produced 12 to 20 to the cluster, about 6 inches long and yellow-green. They bloom over a period of a month, each flower lasting only one day.
  
  
• 5
  A hand lens helps with pollinating.magnifying glass image by Yuriy Mazur from Fotolia.com
  
  Hand pollinate the flowers to set fruit. The flowers open in the morning and close at night. In Mexico a tiny bee, specially shaped to fit inside the orchid, pollinates the flowers. Elsewhere, hand pollination is necessary and must be done on the single flowering day to get seed pods. Hand pollination involves removing the lip of the flower. Then pollen is removed from the pollen sac on the anther and transferred to the nectar located in the stigma. A hand lens and toothpicks are helpful in this process. The flower should remain attached to the plant and show signs of pod development within a week if successfully pollinated. Green pods will grow 7-9" long.
  
  
• 6
  Make your own vanilla extract.glass bottle image by CraterValley Photo from Fotolia.com
  
  Make vanilla extract from seedpods. Pods can be ripened on the plant or removed at maturity to dry out once the pods feel firm and full. It can take two to four weeks to fully dry the pods. A simple home-made vanilla extract can be made using chopped-up seedpods and the beans inside. Place the vanilla seeds and pods into a glass bottle or jar then cover with 2 cups of plain vodka. Store away from light and heat. An extract will start to form after eight weeks but waiting as much as six months will produce superior flavor.