Grow your own Vanilla
Grow your own Vanilla
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Grow your own Vanilla
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Post #1 - July 13th, 2020, 9:46 amHI,
I attended a virtual lecture by Harold McGee over the weekend.
In indirect sunlight in a hallway, he is growing his own vanilla vine. He showed the stages of ripening of the pod.
There is a nursery in Connecticut offering a vanilla vine. While currently back ordered, they run $25 to $35.
If I were to do houseplants, this is one I'd be interested in.
Regards,
Cathy2Cathy2
"You'll be remembered long after you're dead if you make good gravy, mashed potatoes and biscuits." -- Nathalie Dupree
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Post #2 - July 13th, 2020, 10:06 amSounds like fun. But keep in mind, you have to pollinate it by hand -- and it takes months to make the vanilla beans usable. Lot of work. But if anyone could do it, Harold McGee and Cathy2 are the ones I'd be betting on."All great change in America begins at the dinner table." Ronald Reagan
http://midwestmaize.wordpress.com
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Post #3 - July 13th, 2020, 10:24 amHI,
He mentioned Edmond Albius, a then-slave who developed the hand techinique for pollinating vanilla.
There was an illustration of the vanilla flower reproductive system. It is complicated by some barriars.
McGee indicated to this day, they do not know which insects naturally pollinate vanilla plants.
McGee's plant was hand pollinated, so he did a good job.
Until this lecture, I was unaware (frankly, never thought about it) anyone grew these at home.
Regards,
Cathy2Cathy2
"You'll be remembered long after you're dead if you make good gravy, mashed potatoes and biscuits." -- Nathalie Dupree
Facebook, Twitter, Greater Midwest Foodways,