- This is why sowing vanilla seeds is so problematic
- Symbiotic sowing next to a mother plant promises success
Help the development of the site, sharing the article with friends!
If you have managed the masterpiece of making a vanilla orchid bloom and elicit fruit from it, then the question of propagation by seed is justified. A ripe vanilla pod contains countless black seeds that provide for offspring in the wild. Outside the tropics, however, success is questionable.
Each vanilla bean contains up to a million seeds
This is why sowing vanilla seeds is so problematic
Unlike other plant seeds, orchid seeds have no nutritive tissue. This nutritive tissue is responsible for taking care of the sensitive embryo in the first phase of development. Therefore, a vanilla orchid produces up to 1,000,000 seeds per capsule to compensate for this shortcoming.
In order for an orchid embryo to get nutrients, it needs to be connected to a special symbiosis fungus. Germination can only occur if this mycorizza fungus is present in the cultivation substrate. As a further prerequisite, a completely germ-free environment is essential for successful sowing. In view of these imponderables, hobby gardeners refrain from the generative propagation of a vanilla orchid. There is, of course, a clever alternative.
Symbiotic sowing next to a mother plant promises success
The fact that only a few hobby gardeners have a germ-free workbench and suitable mycorizza mushrooms for sowing orchids does not automatically imply that sowing vanilla seeds is impossible. The solution lies in a symbiotic sowing in close proximity to the mother plant. That is how it goes:
- Scatter the fresh vanilla seeds in the pot of the mother plant on the substrate
- Sieve a thin layer of vermiculite or peat sand and moisten with a fine spray of soft water
Since there is a high failure rate in this non-sterile environment, please scatter the seeds close together. In a bright location that is not in full sun - ideally in a greenhouse with a temperature of 28 degrees - water moderately and do not administer any fertilizer during this phase. If the symbiosis fungus is present in the pot substrate, you can look forward to the first seedlings within 6 to 30 days.
tips
If you do not want to deal with the problems of sowing orchid seeds, you can choose vegetative propagation of a vanilla with cuttings. To do this, cut non-flowering head cuttings in early summer to root them in peat sand. A plastic bag pulled over it creates the necessary warm, humid microclimate.