Vanilla orchids don't just smell like vanilla, they are vanilla! Vanilla beans aren't beans at all, but the seed pods of a vine, crawling up trees in their tropical habitat. Orchids can be intimidating to many. They may seem complicated, but many orchid species are not as difficult as they seem. Orchids are in the second largest plant family, Orchidaceae, with 700 genera and over 28,000 accepted species. With that many options, there are bound to be some easy ones in there! The easiest way to determine care for any plant is to look at where they grow naturally. 

Habitat

     Vanilla orchids, Vanilla planifolia, are native to Mexico through Central America, Columbia, and northern Brazil where they grow in the neotropics. They are adapted to a hot, humid environment where they climb trees, ultimately heading towards the sunlight. They can grow as an epiphyte, with the entirety of their roots on the trees they cling to, or as a partially terrestrial orchid, with some roots in the soil and the rest on the trees. Thinking of the need for this vine to climb, it is best to give your plants either a trellis or a moss pole to go just that. They will not attach themselves naturally to a trellis, but young vines are flexible and easily trained around trellises with large holes. Looping the vines can encourage stronger root growth and encourage blooming. Vanilla planifolia thrives with daytime temperatures around 70 to 85F with a nighttime lows to 60 or 70F. Don't allow your orchid to experience temperatures below 55F. These plants are not frost tolerant. 

Lighting

     Light can be a complicated thing in the jungle. The tree canopy shades most of the light from reaching the forest floor. But remember- these orchids are climbers. They do best in bright light, think about the dappled shade under a maple or how bright it can be in the forest. If grown outside during summer, keep your orchid in dappled shade, such as under a tree or even under a covered porch. Inside, consider investing in a grow light or keeping your orchid in a bright, East- or west-facing window. North-facing windows often can provide too little light. 

Watering 

     Whatever you do, do not use ice. Ice should never be used to water orchids, especially tropical ones. The melting ice temperatures causes cold damage to the roots and can cause stress blooms, rather than healthy root growth and more impressive, healthy blooms. Instead, use room temperature water, if possible. Keep the soil evenly moist, only allowing the top two to three inches of media to dry. Remember, not all of the roots are in the soil, so misting your plants can also help to keep healthy roots.

Humidity

     Where these plants grow naturally, they are experiencing a constant 70-85% year round, up to 100% when it rains. Most homes hover between 35-45% humidity, which is inadequate for healthy aerial root growth. Adding a humidifier to the area, or growing them in bright, well-lit kitchens and bathrooms are easy ways to give a boost of humidity. This is not always enough. Regular misting, up to daily misting will help to keep your roots happy and healthy. Moss poles and similar growing supports that can hold water will also improve aerial root health.

Soil and Substrate

     There are a few options for soil or soil alternatives, also called substrate. Many growers will opt for a chunky mix, like that of orchid bark, peat, perlite, and leca. Others choose a more moisture-retentive soil mix such as one heavier in peat, coco coir, or sphagnum moss. If you are one who forgets to water, or your home is dry, a moisture-retentive mix may be the way to go. If your orchids will be grown in high humidity, a chunky mix may work better. At Cedar Bridge Botanicals, they are grown in a perlite and sphagnum moss mix. 

Pollination

     Vanilla blooms are short lived, only blooming for one day. If you want to get vanilla from your orchid, you must hand-pollinate your flowers, which is best done in the morning. This often destroys the flower, and the pod itself can take up to 9 months to mature. Because of this, many hobby growers prefer to allow the flowers to put on their display and enjoy the vanilla scent it releases as it blooms. 

Fertilization

     Many orchid growers stress a "weakly, weekly" approach for fertilizing. Every week, use a diluted, balanced orchid fertilizer such as a 20-20-20 formula. Some fertilizers are already diluted for you, with strengths of 7-7-7 and 5-5-5. Vanilla is a heavy feeder, so 10-10-10 is also acceptable. As blooming approaches, switch to a bloom booster fertilizer. Keep an eye out for higher phosphorus content, such as a 10-20-10. If your orchid is still young, slightly higher nitrogen will help with foliar production, look for 30-10-10 or 30-20-20 to be diluted. 

     Don't let vanilla orchids intimidate you. Once you find an area with bright light, keep the soil or substrate evenly moist, and feed your orchid weakly, weekly, they will thank you for the great care with beautiful blooms. If you have any questions, please reach out to cedarbridgebotanicals@gmail.com and I will be able to help! Providing photos and a brief description of how you have been caring for your plant helps to diagnose any issues the plant may be facing.

Happy Growing!