Mature Vanilla Planifolia cutting: Brown leaves, drying and translucent stem

[Dave_in_Nightvale]

Hello!!

So I have a mature Vanilla planifolia cutting I bought a year ago but I had to move away for school and had my mom watering it for six month. It looked to be growing okay during the hot season, but when I came back home after the semester (Fall), I noticed that she let a lot of water accumulated at the bottom of my DIY greenhouse and on the media as well as seeing how the weather was getting cold (around 70F in the day and 50F at night) I knew I had to change the media immediately. I also knew I had to do it quickly because the top of the plant (on the new growth) it started to become brown so I decided to cut that part and seal the wound with cinnamon.

A few days later, I noticed that the area I cut started to shrivel and the new leaves started to go brown and die from the tip to the base of the blade. Keep in mind that I left the media mostly dry for a day or two since I didn’t want the roots to drown. I don’t getting a lot of sunlight on my windows and it still gets decently cold in my room. I still spray the media to keep it decently wet because I heard I should never let the media dry completely. I’m getting desperate, what is the issue? I will provide photos of the cut area as well as the dead leaves.

This is what I see: shriveling cut sight at the top, browning of the leaves as well as the aerial roots on the locations affected, and the stem becoming translucent on the effected areas.

Thank you for your help.

[Dave_in_Nightvale]

These are the pictures. I couldn’t put them on my originally post for some reason...

[Leafmite]

Vanilla doesn't fare well with temperatures under sixty, in my experience. I forgot to bring one in once when temperatures went below sixty and the top of it died. I did not do any cutting and the vine began to grow from another leaf point.

[WaterWitchin]

DaveInNightvale... Kind of sounds to me like you're growing a plant that you don't really have the environment for at this point in your life. "I don’t getting a lot of sunlight on my windows and it still gets decently cold in my room."

Maybe you should rehome it for now, while you're in school, then revisit later when you have an environment suitable? Find a fellow grower with a greenhouse and/or suitable environment who would be interested in housing it, then giving you a cutting later down the line?

Asking your mom to care for it, then complaining about her care, doesn't really seem fair. Vanilla planifolia is a long term project, not like asking someone to care for a philodendron. Meanwhile, you can treat yourself to something that will grow under your care and present environment.

[Dave_in_Nightvale]

Leafmite

Thank you for your reply,

Yes I also think it’s damage due to the cold but I’m just worried the cut I did has somehow gotten infected. I made sure to put plenty of cinnamon and from what I understand of it, it has disinfectant properties as well as sealing of wounds in plants? Please correct me if I am wrong.

For now I have put my orchids in a somewhat shady area because I didn’t want the leaves to burn while it was recovering from the overwatering, but I think I need to change that routine And put my vanilla in my brighter spots of my window so that the plant is getting more warmth and more sunlight.

My only worry is that the damage spreads to the older stem and eventually kills the whole plant. I’d really rather avoid making more cuts since it’s already a short plant to begin with. (Just 12 inches in length)

[aliceinwl]

I also have a Vanilla that I don’t have a great growing situation for (I think low humidity was the big problem). It did okay for about a year then developed rot that spread up the stem. I cut off the one unaffected section of very new growth, placed it in a deli cup with damp sphagnum in a clear bag with a few ventilation holes in a warm spot with bright light. I didn’t have much hope. It has since doubled in size and sent out a 6 inch root. It’s pretty portable in this set-up although it will out grow it soon.

Maybe take a cutting from yours and keep it with you? You could get a small grow light and heat mat if need be or outfit a mini terrarium. Once you get settled, you could figure out more spacious accommodations. I think if you can figure out a way to keep it warm, bright, and humid it’ll be able to recover.

[Dave_in_Nightvale]

WaterWitchin

Thank you for your response,

You are right, I do have a less than ideal environment to grow more exotic orchids but in my current circumstances it will be awhile until I stay in one spot and will have to work with what I have.

I...don’t understand why you got the impression that I was complaining about my mom’s help when I never made that statement. It is understandable that people can over water plants and I was simply explaining the situation so people can better understand the condition of my plant and possibly help me. I am plenty grateful for my mom’s help.

Again thank you for your advice and will think on it.

[WaterWitchin]

Originally Posted by Dave_in_Nightvale

WaterWitchin

Thank you for your response,

You are right, I do have a less than ideal environment to grow more exotic orchids but in my current circumstances it will be awhile until I stay in one spot and will have to work with what I have.

I...don’t understand why you got the impression that I was complaining about my mom’s help when I never made that statement. It is understandable that people can over water plants and I was simply explaining the situation so people can better understand the condition of my plant and possibly help me. I am plenty grateful for my mom’s help.

Again thank you for your advice and will think on it.

Okay, DaveIn... I stand down. Just an old woman here who had to kick fledglings outta the nest. Glad to hear you're not in that particular spot. AliceinWL also gives great advice for your particular situation.

[Dave_in_Nightvale]

aliceinwl

Thank you for your response and advice,

I actually think I do have what your orchid went through, it might of been root rot from the wet and cold conditions? Yesterday, I noticed a dark discoloration at the bottom of my vanilla creeping up. I looked at the roots and yup, the roots were shriveled dry and the stem was mushy. I immediately cut that section, treated it with hydrogen peroxide and cinnamon and let it dry until this morning.

But something I’m worried about, there has been these small black spots that developed all along the stem. Do you think they will expand until vanilla is gone or do I still have a chance to save it?

At this point I have accepted the fact that my vanilla is too sick to survive, but I still want to try every method available to save it.

I will send pictures so you can see the condition it’s in.

[Dave_in_Nightvale]

Here is the updated photos on my vanilla