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Vanila

  • #61
so, can one of you experts tell me...I live in zone 9, will they survive outside? Now that I've read all the heated controversy I want one.
 
  • #62
Buster,

Not being in zone 9 I can not say for sure but since Juan-Carlos indicated they grow "wild" in FL I'd say you have a pretty good shot at it. And you can always just try and see what happens.
 
  • #63
Yeah it will do great in zone 9... make sure to put it under a tree. Indeed they are native to Flordia... and they grow in the shaded humid marsh/swamp in fakahatchee strand.

Have fun!

-Jc
 
  • #64
There's a much better chance for the plant to flower on the growing end if it is hanging down, according to a commercial vanilla grower whom I had the chance to hear not too long ago.  My plant has never bloomed, so I hung the end of my plant down, but still no flower.  Maybe it's not the blooming season.  I wonder if anyone growing vanilla can confirm or refute the hanging down theory.
 
  • #65
my understanding is that vine thickness is the key, to get a thick vine you generally need a long vine 8-12 feet depending. my understanding is the Vanilla vine starts growing downwards a bit when its getting ready to flower. it does this on its own and i dont think there is much you can do to help it along. when its ready to flower its ready to flower
 
  • #66
Yep you guys are right as I stated earlyer in the thread... the vine on its own once it reaches a certain length it flowers on the vine headed downwards!
That is the norm for these guys, but just letting the vine fall over a pot is not really going to induce flowring, it needs to have grown up 6-12'

Have fun growing guys!

-Jc
 
  • #67
Well said Travis! :applause:

A lot of the fun in growing plants is trying different approaches to see what nets the best results.
 
  • #68
Okay guys! not the vanila pics YET!!  HEre are 2 pics from the Fakahatchee strand with the illusive Florida Guzmania :p
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Enjoy,

-Jc
 
  • #69
very cool, thanks for posting those. now on with the ghost orchid pics!!!
smile_m_32.gif
 
  • #70
When I checked the orchid forums and saw seven pages dedicated to Vanilla, I figured you guys must have written the most comprehensive guide to the genus ever done
smile.gif


Tropics, in casual discussions with other orchid growers here in south Florida, Vanilla does have a reputation as not being free flowering. I've heard they seriously do not like being disturbed and that you just leave the vines alone. I don't grow Vanilla so its not me saying this...just repeating what I've heard!
Juan Carlos-nice shot from "the Strand". What is the large epiphytic orchid in the lower left of the first pic? Could it be the elusive Oncidium floridanum?
 
  • #71
Carter and Holmes has a medium sized orchidaruim with a varigated vanilla in it and they got it to bloom last year. Only one bloom and it opened right onto the light and got cooked, but it did bloom. likes alot of light. Of cource the orchidaruim has more than just the vanilla in it. The vanilla is the only permanant plant in it thought I think. I took a picture of the orchidarium last trip I will see if I can find it. It will not be a picture of a flowering vanilla though. I didnt see the flower personaly, but when I asked the folks that took care of the orchidarium he said it did bloom once.
 
  • #72
Cool beans! I think we can all agree that vanila in general but even more so the vareigated is a gorgeous plant on its own, even with out flowers.

I love em:)

-Jc
 
  • #73
I'm going to get another to try it again. I just had to post that there was a grower that I know of that bloomed one indoors, and the area there the orcidarium is does not have any significant light from the outside.
 
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