The beans will start to develop a light brown color. Sweating involves wrapping the vanilla beans in a blanket for 36-48 hours. You'll need to sweat and then sun dry/cure the vanilla bean pods for about a month until they are dark brown and leathery.
This will happen approximately 8-9 months after pollination. You can harvest your vanilla beans as soon as the tips begin to turn yellow. If you have difficulty, do an internet search on “pollinating vanilla bean plants” and you will find more detailed information and illustrations. After 8-9 months you'll be able to harvest your vanilla beans. Should the process work, you'll see vanilla pods start to form within one week. You'll need to gently peel this shield back, place the pollen along the column, and then push the shield back in place. The stigma of a vanilla bean plant is covered by a shield. This process is best completed mid-morning. To pollinate a vanilla bean plant you'll need to remove some pollen (with a toothpick) from the anther of a flower and place it on the stigma. You can hand pollinate vanilla plant flowers, however, it can be extremely difficult and may take several tries. Vanilla bean plants need to be pollinated in order to produce vanilla bean pods. Step 7 – Pollinate Your Vanilla Bean Plant The best type of fertilizer for a vanilla bean plant is orchid fertilizer. You'll want to fertilize your vanilla bean plant every two weeks during the spring and summer months. Step 6 – Fertilize Your Vanilla Bean Plant If you don’t have that type of window, purchase grow lights and set up your plant and lights in a room that is warm year-round. Make sure the window has bright but filtered sunlight. While a greenhouse is the perfect place to grow a vanilla bean plant, you can also create that type of environment at home.įind a room and/or sunny window that stays warm. Vanilla bean plants do best in environments with regular warm temperatures, bright indirect sunlight, and high humidity. If your plant doesn't bloom, it won't develop vanilla bean pods. However, it won't bloom in low light conditions. You can grow a vanilla bean plant at home. Step 5 – Create the Perfect Growing Environment You'll also need to lightly mist the entire plant daily or every other day. You'll want to keep the top layer of the potting mix damp, however, you don't want the entire pot to be soaked. If your vine is large, you can use multiple stakes or a lattice frame made for climbing plants. Be careful not to nick the vine or get too close to the main roots. Gently push your support stake into the pot, near the base of the vine. Vanilla bean plants are climbing plants that need support. This will help to release the roots into the soil of the new pot. If the plant is root-bound, meaning there are lots of roots clumped into a ball, you'll want to gently pull at the bottom of the root ball with your fingers. If the plant comes out easily, you can simply place it in the new pot and fill to the top with soil. Be careful not to pull the plant out by its stem. Gently release your vanilla plant from its original pot by lightly squeezing the bottom of the pot (if it's plastic). Alternatively, you can use a mixture of half bark and half general purpose potting mix. However, try not to use a pot much larger than your vanilla bean plant.įill your pot halfway with a potting mix made for orchids. You can also use a pot that is up to two times the original pot size. Choose a pot that is slightly larger than the pot your plant arrived in. Depending on its size, you'll want to transplant it into a more permanent pot. Hopefully you were able to purchase a healthy vanilla bean plant that is 3-5 years old. Step 2 – Transplant Your Vanilla Bean Plant You can do an online search for “vanilla bean plants” or “vanilla orchids.” Or visit a local orchid grower, if there is one in your area. As a vanilla plant takes 3-5 years to bloom, it doesn't make sense to try to start a plant from seed. You'll need to purchase a vanilla bean plant from a reputable grower. Step 1 – Purchase Your Vanilla Bean Plant If you can provide the right growing conditions, you can grow your own vanilla at home. They also require ample water and extremely warm temperatures. Vanilla plants are climbing plants that prefer high humidity and bright, indirect sunlight.
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