Repotting vanilla planifolia - Orchid Board

Chris147 · #1 08-14-2010, 08:01 AM

I ordered a vanilla planifolia last week and recieved it yesterday. I noticed that the medium doesn't look that great, and was thinking about repotting it. Can I repot it first of all? I heard that you can get a bad rash from this plant, is this true? Can I repot it in a bigger pot, because I bought a bamboo orchid trellis from lowes and it won't fit in the pot it is in now? Also, how long will it take for it to get established, and will it stop growing upward until it does? Thanks again in advanced.

Chris147 · #2 08-14-2010, 11:39 AM

Also what should I use to repot with? Bark? Soil?

jenmonkey · #3 08-14-2010, 02:01 PM

Vanilla is a semi-terrestrial orchid, so i have mine potted in a bark mix that includes some african vilolet soil, perlite, and bark. they need very high humidity and should be misted in the morning to keep their air roots happy. yours should start to climb when it gets used to the new environment, but wait till it gets bigger before potting it in your big pot. also, keep it out of direct sunlight, it only likes low levels of diffuse light.

Chris147 · #4 08-14-2010, 04:18 PM

Thanks. The vanilla plant is about 12 inches tall and has split off in 2 directions. I think it is in a 3 inch pot(i haven't measured), but it looks good and has lots of leaves. I was concerned about repotting because the soil and moss is pretty wet and I was concerned about root rot. I will try to post pictures later when I get the chance.

jenmonkey · #5 08-14-2010, 08:37 PM

Yeah, I made a mistake and didn't completely repot mine when I got it, because it was rotting away with some old moss and a core of foam that were just disgusting. I ended up losing the ground root and bottom 3" of my plant to rot, so absolutely repot it as soon as you can. Just make sure you get good drainage and some air flow to keep the ultra-high humidity from rotting your plant, and you'll be fine. It's a sturdy little vine. Can't wait to see pics!

Chris147 · #6 08-14-2010, 10:33 PM

Here are some pics of the vanilla. It is so cute. I absolutely love it, but I don't know hwat to repot it in. I don't have african violet mix, can I repot in sphagnum? I have asked that question so many times on this forum, but everybody seems to talk around the question. Please give me a straitforward answer. Thanks.Please check out my other new orchids in my other post called "4 new orchids".

Repotting vanilla planifolia-100_2875-jpg

Repotting vanilla planifolia-100_2877-jpg

jenmonkey · #7 08-15-2010, 12:06 AM

Oh, it's pretty! It looks more like a variegata, but that could just be from the camera.

As far as medium, use whatever you're more comfortable with that holds more moisture than the average epiphytic orchid. I use a bark/soil mix (because, in nature, vanilla grows at the base of very tall trees and then climbs up the trunk) but i think that sphagnum would work as well. Just be sure you're using fresh sphagnum soaked in rooting solution for the transplanting to ensure it's not rotting from the bottom up. You might also consider watering more often with a loose bark mix or maybe even semi-hydroponic/LECA. What I do know is that Vanilla loves water, but you need to care for the ground and air roots simultaneously. Whatever you pot it in, don't forget to mist in the mornings. I've heard of Vanilla being completely severed from the ground roots and still thriving when they're mature enough to have a decent air root structure going. But that's just what I've heard; no personal experience there.

I think humidity is a bigger factor in whether your Vanilla is happy than potting medium, personally. I keep mine in a bathroom and keep it around 75-80% average. And just keep looking at the leaves. They'll tell you how your plant is doing. So far, looks like you've got a beautiful Vanilla, and, btw, the plant height as it's mounted may be 12", but it looks like it's around 2 feet long.

Congrats!!

cb977 · #8 08-15-2010, 07:48 AM

I grow my monster Vanilla in African Violet mix and train it to go up a tree fern totem. Nothing works better

Chris147 · #9 08-15-2010, 08:23 AM

Thanks Jenmonkey dor all the info you have given me. I have looked all over the Internet, but couldn't find anything about it. When I repot should I just sit the bottom root on top just touching the moss or should I put it about an inch down? Will rootone work for the rooting hormone? Thanks again.

jenmonkey · #10 08-15-2010, 11:14 AM

No, you can actually bury it a little in your medium, it's more of a traditional root than most orchids, but make sure it's never soggy or sitting in actual water. If you have good success with sphagnum, use that! Just keep it fertilized, and don't mess with it too much after the initial repotting. It needs to get rooted. So, high heat, high humidity for the first two weeks or so to encourage rooting and yes, Rootone should work fine. (I've been using the "Essentials" that Jerry from Orchidsamore.com sells, and it's been great, but I do have some KLN coming for my experiments with S/H.)

I will say that the Vanilla seems to love the african violet mix (since I'm not the only one using it) so maybe consider getting some just for your Vanilla. But again, humidity and fertilizer are more important, IMHO.