Vanilla-the Orchid, I struggled to make some saplings

Vanilla-the Orchid, I struggled to make some saplings

It took almost six months for me to understand this wonderful plant.

It has a beautiful flower but it is famous for its smell of its pod.

If one keeps a pod inside your tea, it gives a wonderful flavour and aroma.

Vanillin is a simple phenolic compound and artificial flavour is nowhere near its natural compound.

It reminds me of the organic chemistry practicals as a school kid when we could smell and identify various compounds which I have forgotten now.

Last November, I accidentally found a few branches of Vanilla and and I thought it was piece of cake to get a few saplings from the branches I selected in a heap of branches.

I can pick a branch that would be young enough to plant I never thought, I had to wait nearly four months to see any sign of success.

First time, I cut the branches to various sizes to see from which node the young shoot will sprout.

Second time, I bought few more branches and the results were equally bad.

Then I went to the web and did a search and found unless one has young leaves at the end they won’t grow.

All the shoots I had were, without the young leaves.

I knew I was taken fora  sucker by the vendors in the city.

I demanded, I need few shoots with the top leaves remaining but not chopped off.

For my luck I met the old gentleman who comes to the city with Vanilla pods and sell them seated on the pavement.

I told him my plight, sure enough the next load of cutting he sent me two with leaves on the the top.

To my surprise when I came home to plant them, I noticed two of my original shoots showing signs of young buds.

1. If one wants to succeed one needs at least one foot long branch with young leaves on top.

2. One must not chop the top off like when one plants shoots as vegetative growths.

3. They should be grown in shade with lot of humidity.

4. They should be planted with other plants which need lot of water and and transpirate water around them giving lot of humidity.

In my case tomato plants and a particular water plant (name I do not know) did give the company for the young shoots. 
I have found even the amazon plant is a good company by accident.

5. No need for rooting chemical.

6. One need lot of patience.

The fourth batch of shoots even with top chopped off I managed to get saplings.

The secret is that the bottom part of the shoot have to be (at least one foot) flat on the ground covered with little soil. 

The top part has to be anchored erect on a pole or stick and that curvature gives the signal for shooting.
That is my observation.
 

The hormones are produced somewhere round the bend in the inter-node stem.

That is my observation and all my fourth round shoots are now showing (after about six weeks delay) signs of budding shoots, HAVING APPLIED THE SCIENTIFIC OBSERVATION ABOVE.
.

7. when the shoots come out it needs a stick to anchor.

8. It is better to grow the anchor plant in anticipation of the young shoot. It is vital for its needs. 
The anchoring roots get hod of the closet anchor.

This orchid is a plant in between orchid and a runner.

It has a 90 degree orientation.

The flat portion is like any other vegetative plant.

The erect portion is the true orchid.

It is really a hybrid plant A cross between a runner and an orchid.

It needs lot of water and humidity when young.

I will report to you when it starts flowering probably in another six months.

I have changed to orchids since the Kandy weather is now  coundusive for them and its climate has drastically changed in the last five years.