Substrate for Vanilla planifolia

[aliceinwl]

I decided I wanted to get a “real” Vanilla in addition to my Vanilla chamissonis, so I got a variegated Vanilla planifolia. The cutting I received is somewhat underwhelming: one node/leaf and one well established root growing adhered to a piece of that florist’s foam that the cutting is pushed through.

My plan is to transition it to a pot with a tree fern stake for it to climb. I’ll be growing it indoors so humidity will be low but temperatures will probably range from low 70s to 90s. I read African violet mix is a good option, as is a bark peat moss mix, or sphagnum. My V. chamissonis is in small grade bark and is doing fine so far (this is what the grower had it potted in). Any recommendations for V. planifolia? I’d lean towards African violet or a straight bark mix if those are viable options.

I’ve also read conflicting recommendations on light: direct full sun, partial sun, bright indirect light... What does it really want? I’m doing bright indirect for now since that seems safest. Given its size, I don’t have a lot of room for error.

Even watering information is inconsistent: constantly moist, to allowing the upper 2-3 inches to dry, to allowing to fully dry. With my Vanilla chamissonis, I’m watering like my Oncidium types and Paphiopedilum: trying not to let it go completely dry and spraying the air roots regularly. Will the same work for V. planifolia?

I’m not invested in getting my Vanillas to flower. I got them more for the novelty factor and if I can keep them as healthy vines, I’ll be happy. I’m thinking along the lines of high maintenance pothos.

[SouthPark]

I purchased that kind of vanilla orchid from an ebay store, and they're currently growing in the same soft plastic tubs that they had came in, with loosely packed spaghnum.

Each morning, I just spray a little bit of water into the tubs - just for the spaghnum to wick the water around and keep the spaghnum moist. It's quite airy in the pot. These plants begin to spread relatively quickly ------ they have vine behaviour. And they will send out tendril roots to grab onto things - even sticking to bricks etc and leaving their organic imprints on bricks and surfaces.

I just hadn't got around to it yet. But I'm going to be growing them in scoria instead. I go inorganic whenever I can.

I grow all my paphs, phrag, dend, vanda, oncid, physcopsis, and catts in scoria too, as well as my one and currently only phal.

I also did see people online mentioning not to allow the media to completely dry out for paphs, oncid etc. Maybe this is true for particular or certain plants. But I haven't found this to be a problem (ie. full dry out) for any of my plants. Maybe a dry out for 'too long' could be a problem. But I haven't seen any issues with temporary full dry out.

It hasn't been about purposely drying out the pots for my orchids. It's just what I noticed - no issues.

[aliceinwl]

Thanks! Right now, I favor organic media for my plants although I do have a few in rock. Note I said “trying” not to let them dry out. Good to hear I’m not the only one ;-) My plants have also done fine despite the occasional dry spell. I’d be curious to know how your Vanilla adjusts to scoria. I’m hoping mine grows quickly, I was expecting to have at least two nodes, with only one and no new growth, I’m a bit nervous.

[SouthPark]

Originally Posted by aliceinwl

I’d be curious to know how your Vanilla adjusts to scoria.

Absolutely! I will be happy to provide some updates. I'll repot the plants today into scoria, and will also provide some photos later.

[SouthPark]

Hi Alice. All potted in scoria rock now, in small pots. I chose to use 5 mm average diameter scoria. To stop small pieces of the rock coming out of the holes or plugging them up, I just follow my old habit of putting a layer of larger size scoria for the bottom layer, which has always worked well.

The black-coloured pot has smaller 5 mm diameter scoria in the bulk of the pot --- mid-layer. The surface layer has larger pieces for no particular reason. I just put them on there. Those bigger size ones are what I generally use for mature size orchids (full size catts, etc).

The plastic drainage grate just ensures that none of the pots drainage holes are obstructed - which could happen for some pots where some holes are along the flat bottom of the pot. The grate also ensures that the bottom of the pot doesn't sit in any drainage water in the dish. The dish is simply for collecting any drained water (from the pots) - so that the drained water doesn't run out all over the place onto the floor. The drainage water usually is all evaporated and gone the following morning.

My watering method is water-spray wand with a suitably adjusted nozzle spray setting.

The lower leaves of the vanilla orchid in the black coloured pot are a little dry - only because I was only giving very light sprays of water each morning into the original spaghnum media, and the amount of water I was using wasn't enough to wick all the way down to the mid-layer and bottom layer, where lots of roots were. This orchid is just fine. It will grow excellently now in the scoria - where I can just spray as much water as I want into the media.

[Leafmite]

I find Vanilla p. quite easy to grow and completely tolerant of everything except temperatures below 50'F. It has sent growth above my shelves where it is quite dark, it tries to root in any pot nearby if not watched closely, and I haven't had issues with it being too wet or too dry. It is one of my easier 'houseplants'.

I potted it in potting soil with bark, sand and extra perlite as I do with most of my plants (I have cooler winter temperatures and Ohio is not a sunnier place to live). I grow it under lights in the winter and outside during the summer. I try to keep it wrapped around a foam ring that has been covered in burlap so it won't root in my other pots (as the roots quickly take over).

Good luck with it! If you are growing another Vanilla, this should be very easy.

[aliceinwl]

That’s good to hear that they’re so vigorous! My Vanilla chamissonis is also a new acquisition so I don’t consider myself experienced with Vanilla, but they seem like they have potential to be fun. I have fairly mild temperatures but lows in the low 50s to high 40s are regular even during summer, so I’m thinking the V. planifolia will have to stay indoors.