cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/23224596
More pix first. Then explanation.
So this is going on the fifth year I'll be farming Vanilla. My operation is microscopic but it's a work in progress. I've got maybe 300 vines all in. I got some Vanilla off this planting 2 years ago, and this was the first vines I planted. Which is some what typical for Vanilla. Usually 3-5 years before they really become productive.
I fertilized these back in May/ April. It's a tiny yield but next year I expect to have maybe 5-20x this amount, which means if I can sell some of it, I'll finally be able to cover some of my costs.
Right now I have about five varieties. All from either trade or from hiking to old plantations and looking for feral populations. This one is a variety of Tahitiensis and I made a vanilla bean whip cream a few months ago with it. It's a very distinctly 'bourbon' flavor. Like i ground it up in a mortar and pessle and it straight up smelled like whiskey.
So not close to enough to sell (again) this year. But next year and the following years, maybe this hobby will finally start paying itself off.
TIL what vanilla looks like when it's growing.
Yup, it grows on an orchid.
Yeah its an interesting plant. It can survive high heat and no rain for quite a while, but it only really thrives if its got 60% + humidity. You don't grow from seed, but from cutting. And even among orchids its a weirdo, because its both a) terrestrial and b) a vine. So an all around freak.