About three years ago I purchased a specimen size Vanilla planifolia which had been grown draped around a 4 ft heavy t-shaped branch. Incredibly it is a bout 75 (?)ft long looped around and around. It is set in a 39 gallon pot of a fine bark mix which probably needs to be replaced. That mix mostly seems to be anchoring the branch. Every month or two I pry the reaching 'ropes' off what they are clinging to and just loop them around again. This actually prompts blooming. If the plant is allowed to reach further upward it tends to spend little energy blooming. I keep it in a bright area with the cattleyas.
Here on the coast at the border of GA/SC it has bloomed three years during mid-March. Inflorecences about the size of a small pine cone develop close to the vine and bloom one at a time. Last year I made it a point to check for opening blooms about 10:00am and self pollinated each one. By mid afterrnoon it can be too late. After a few times you develop a method. The bloom's long throat can be a bit hard to negotiate. It is not necessary to keep the bloom intake. You can remove what is convenient to expose the pollinia and stigma. Of course you need to be careful not to damage the column. The sepals, petals and the lip are really no longer needed. However I preferred to place the pollinia into the stigma with as little disturbance of the bloom as possible. Done delicately or tearing back the bloom produced the same result. About half of my efforts became seed capsules. The 'beans' reach full length in about a month or so. I don't remember how long I waited to pick them. There is an excellent site at
VANILLA
Happy growing!
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