Vanilla as a houseplant - even without flowers a feast for the eyes

Content

• Vanilla as a houseplant - even without flowers a feast for the eyes
• Moisture and heat are the nuts and bolts
• Ideal location simplifies the care
• Tips

The vanilla is a very demanding houseplant

Vanilla as a houseplant - even without flowers a feast for the eyes

To enrich the private orchid collection with a magical beauty, the vanilla comes just right. The sophisticated, terrestrial and climbing orchid wears a rich green dress made of large, glossy leaves on meter-long tendrils. With so much floral expressiveness, the creamy yellow flowers act after a few years as a decorative icing on the cake. Read here how to cultivate the Vanilla planifolia as a houseplant.

Moisture and heat are the nuts and bolts

In order for a vanilla orchid to thrive as a houseplant, the indoor climate should be as close as possible to the general conditions at the habitat. As the profile of the real vanilla reveals, the orchid comes from the tropical regions of this earth, such as Madagascar and Mexico. So, the ideal location should be:

Generating this sweaty climate on the windowsill of living rooms is not for everyone. You solve the problem by placing a small humidifier in the immediate vicinity of the plant and filling the coaster with expanded clay balls and water. Alternatively, place the plant in the bathroom, in the indoor pool or in another light-flooded spa room.

Ideal location simplifies the care

In the warm, bright, humid place the professional care of a vanilla as a houseplant is significantly simplified. If the conditions are right, do not water the orchid until the substrate has dried on the surface. Please use lukewarm, lime-free water. Spoil your exotic guest every few days with a gentle mist. From March to September, add a little bit of orchid fertilizer to the water every 2 weeks.

So lovingly cared for, chances are good that the vanilla orchid will produce its creamy yellow flowers after a few years. Until then, the magnificent tendrils on the decorative trellis attract all attention.

Tips

Hand-made vanilla sugar from self-grown pods trumps the artificial vanilla from the supermarket by far. Put 5 fresh pods in the oven for 15 minutes at 120-150 degrees, let them cool and grind them to a fine powder. A teaspoon of this real vanilla is enough to turn 1,000 grams of sugar into authentic, aromatic vanilla sugar.