Home |
Search |
Today's Posts |
#1
|
|||
|
|||
Growing vanilla
I will likely be moving to the mountains of northern Georgia in the near future. The average high in January is 49.8 deg F (extreme high around 70 between 1949-2003), and the average low 28.5 (extreme low around -10 between 1949-2003). The average high in July is 89.3 (extreme 102), and the low 65.7 (extreme around 45). Avg total ppt: 57.9 inches/ year (min 3.6 in Aug, max 6.3 in Mar). Avg snow: 1.9 inches/year (max 0.8 in Jan). Are there any varieties of vanilla that will grow in that climate? billo |
#2
|
|||
|
|||
Growing vanilla
The publication available at http://www.actahort.org/books/132/132_2.htm
seems very helpful. Dave "Bill Oliver" wrote in message ... I will likely be moving to the mountains of northern Georgia in the near future. The average high in January is 49.8 deg F (extreme high around 70 between 1949-2003), and the average low 28.5 (extreme low around -10 between 1949-2003). The average high in July is 89.3 (extreme 102), and the low 65.7 (extreme around 45). Avg total ppt: 57.9 inches/ year (min 3.6 in Aug, max 6.3 in Mar). Avg snow: 1.9 inches/year (max 0.8 in Jan). Are there any varieties of vanilla that will grow in that climate? billo |
#4
|
|||
|
|||
Growing vanilla
In article ,
wrote: it is a tropical orchid. not likely, unless it is inside a heated greenhouse Yeah, that's what my investigations are pointing to. I read that there were North American vanilla plants, so I thought maybe there was a chance -- but all the ones I have found live only in Florida in the wild. billo |
#5
|
|||
|
|||
Growing vanilla
Bill Oliver wrote:
I will likely be moving to the mountains of northern Georgia in the near future. The average high in January is 49.8 deg F (extreme high around 70 between 1949-2003), and the average low 28.5 (extreme low around -10 between 1949-2003). The average high in July is 89.3 (extreme 102), and the low 65.7 (extreme around 45). Avg total ppt: 57.9 inches/ year (min 3.6 in Aug, max 6.3 in Mar). Avg snow: 1.9 inches/year (max 0.8 in Jan). Are there any varieties of vanilla that will grow in that climate? I have no idea but you might try posting to rec.gardens.orchids I'd be interested in what you find out.. ?? // Jim |
#6
|
|||
|
|||
Growing vanilla
Not likely. The vanilla beans are the fruiting bodies of a tropical orchid from
Madagascar. It can take a dozen years in a special greenhouse with perfect conditions to bring a plant to fruit. Thus, the high price for vanilla. On 20 Aug 2003 15:47:13 GMT, (Bill Oliver) opined: I will likely be moving to the mountains of northern Georgia in the near future. The average high in January is 49.8 deg F (extreme high around 70 between 1949-2003), and the average low 28.5 (extreme low around -10 between 1949-2003). The average high in July is 89.3 (extreme 102), and the low 65.7 (extreme around 45). Avg total ppt: 57.9 inches/ year (min 3.6 in Aug, max 6.3 in Mar). Avg snow: 1.9 inches/year (max 0.8 in Jan). Are there any varieties of vanilla that will grow in that climate? billo |
#7
|
|||
|
|||
Growing vanilla
animaux wrote in
: Not likely. The vanilla beans are the fruiting bodies of a tropical orchid from Madagascar. It can take a dozen years in a special greenhouse with perfect conditions to bring a plant to fruit. Thus, the high price for vanilla. I wonder how true this still is. Apparently until recently (I don't have any idea how recent is recent), orchid growers had no idea that a symbiotic relationship with a certain fungus was required for pollention/flowering or some such. So formerly, orchids were exceedingly rare, but now everybody and their momma can have one. Just wondering if vanilla prices are still artifically inflated because nobody's the wiser. -- Salty |
#8
|
|||
|
|||
Growing vanilla
Salty Thumb wrote in message ...
I wonder how true this still is. Apparently until recently (I don't have any idea how recent is recent), orchid growers had no idea that a symbiotic relationship with a certain fungus was required for pollention/flowering or some such. This is a little garbled. Fungal associations are not required for flowering or pollination. Orchid seeds are basically naked embryos without stored nutrients, so they depend on symbiotic fungi until they grow true leaves and roots. Once the seedling has leaves and roots, it is no longer compeletely dependent on fungi (although it may retain mycorrhizal associations throughout its life). Methods for germinating orchid seed on nutrient agar without fungi were developed by Knudson in the early 1920's, and cloning of superior orchids for the mass market was developed by Morel in 1960. Both methods require skill at laboratory techniques and are not cheap. So formerly, orchids were exceedingly rare, but now everybody and their momma can have one. Just wondering if vanilla prices are still artifically inflated because nobody's the wiser. Vanilla flowers only last a day or so, and on commercial vanilla plantations, each flower must be individually pollinated by hand. A single vanilla "bean" is obtained from each flower, and the beans must be carefully processed after harvesting. It is very labor intensive. Vanilla orchids are epiphytic vines which typically must be quite large before they flower. It is usually not worth the effort for a grower with a hobby greenhouse to maintain that much vanilla biomass just for a few seed capsules. regards, Nick -- |
#9
|
|||
|
|||
Growing vanilla
I know someone who has this vanilla orchid and it was 11 years before it
flowered. One plant occupies about 2/3 of the entire greenhouse, which is 40x40 feet. It's truly an amazing looking plant. Very basic. On 21 Aug 2003 08:39:13 -0700, (Myrmecodia) opined: Salty Thumb wrote in message ... I wonder how true this still is. Apparently until recently (I don't have any idea how recent is recent), orchid growers had no idea that a symbiotic relationship with a certain fungus was required for pollention/flowering or some such. This is a little garbled. Fungal associations are not required for flowering or pollination. Orchid seeds are basically naked embryos without stored nutrients, so they depend on symbiotic fungi until they grow true leaves and roots. Once the seedling has leaves and roots, it is no longer compeletely dependent on fungi (although it may retain mycorrhizal associations throughout its life). Methods for germinating orchid seed on nutrient agar without fungi were developed by Knudson in the early 1920's, and cloning of superior orchids for the mass market was developed by Morel in 1960. Both methods require skill at laboratory techniques and are not cheap. So formerly, orchids were exceedingly rare, but now everybody and their momma can have one. Just wondering if vanilla prices are still artifically inflated because nobody's the wiser. Vanilla flowers only last a day or so, and on commercial vanilla plantations, each flower must be individually pollinated by hand. A single vanilla "bean" is obtained from each flower, and the beans must be carefully processed after harvesting. It is very labor intensive. Vanilla orchids are epiphytic vines which typically must be quite large before they flower. It is usually not worth the effort for a grower with a hobby greenhouse to maintain that much vanilla biomass just for a few seed capsules. regards, Nick |
#10
|
|||
|
|||
Growing vanilla
Just wondering if vanilla prices are still artifically
inflated because nobody's the wiser. I'm fairly new to the whole orchid craze but, from what I've gathered, the lowering costs of orchids is more from the enhanced cloning/meristemming/whatever they do than from finding better/easier ways to pollinate. As far as the vanilla orchid itself, I have two and have read a bit about it. IIRC, for vanilla to propagate in the wild, the plant is usually *huge*. Long, at least, with something like 25 feet being what I recall. It's a pretty fast growing plant. I bought one a little over a year ago in a six-inch hanging pot and ended up moving most of it to a large, shallow pot about six months ago. I built a cheap tripod thingy to place in the pot for the plant to be vined around and up and it's getting more and more difficult to find some place to twine it already. A small piece that broke off when I repotted it was placed back in the original six-inch pot and is in need of repotting already because it's outgrowing the space. Another part of the high price for vanilla beans is the process that is needed for it to be usable. My eyes crossed about halfway through the discussion of the process so I can't even begin to recount it, but it seemed so compli- cated that I decided then and there to just enjoy any blooms if/when they came and forget about trying to make use of any beans that show up. Tracey |
#11
|
|||
|
|||
Growing vanilla
|
#12
|
|||
|
|||
Growing vanilla
In article ,
Ned Flanders wrote: Hawai'i is growing them as a cash crop. And it is said to be the finest in the world. Thanks to you and the others for the responses! billo |
#13
|
|||
|
|||
Growing vanilla
|
#14
|
|||
|
|||
Growing vanilla
Not so fast, Buckwheat.
There are Vanilla species native to and grown in Madagascar. Bill Ranseen wrote in message ... In article , wrote: Not likely. The vanilla beans are the fruiting bodies of a tropical orchid from Madagascar. Actually the plant originated in the American tropics. |
#15
|
|||
|
|||
Growing vanilla
In article ,
"Cereoid-UR12-" wrote: Not so fast, Buckwheat. There are Vanilla species native to and grown in Madagascar. Bill Ranseen wrote in message ... In article , wrote: Not likely. The vanilla beans are the fruiting bodies of a tropical orchid from Madagascar. Actually the plant originated in the American tropics. Really? I was under the impression that Vanilla planifolia is the source of most commercial vanilla, Mexican and Madagascan, with V. pompona a secondary one. Both of these, and a few other Vanilla ssp. I've understood to be from the American tropics. So what else is there? |
Reply |
|
Thread Tools | Search this Thread |
Display Modes | |
|
|
Similar Threads | ||||
Thread | Forum | |||
Fluttering in clouds of vanilla | Gardening | |||
algae for vanilla | Ponds | |||
Ping Benign Vanilla - OT - | Ponds | |||
Ping Benign Vanilla | Ponds | |||
Seeking Vanilla aphylla information | Orchids |