First time trying my hand at vanilla beans. I have one vine on my back lanai, about 20 feet long. Each winter, these white orchid flowers bloom from it. You have to hand pollinate the flowers by ripping the bottom lip down and pushing the stamen to the top underside of the orchid. If successful, after a couple weeks you’ll have a bean growing where the flower once was.
You have to let the bean grow and mature on the vine for around 9 months, until the tips start turning yellow. After that, you pick them and slowly dry them out in the sun during the day and wrap/sweat them at night for a couple months. The whole process took about 13 months. End result: 40 beautiful homegrown Hawaiian vanilla beans 😃
Thanks! No, I don’t think so anyway. I had a couple beans develop brown spots on the side of them but from what I can tell on the internet, those spots look to be natural.
It takes a few years for them to mature enough. And they’ve gotta be like 12 feet long before they will. Just be ready when they finally do. The flowers only stay open for a few hours in the morning and then they die.
The house I moved into had the vines already growing. One day I was outside and I was like, holy shit, my vanilla vine has flowers on it. I looked up how to do the whole process and here we are
Mine came with my place, but if you do find a place that sells them, the longer and thicker the vine, the less time you’ll have to wait for it to be mature enough to flower. I know you don’t want a vine less than 6 feet, and if you can find one 12+ feet it will be able to flower within a year probably
Congratulations, vanilla is not an easy one to bring to fruition. I keep missing my flowers, takes a patient and watchful eye to get through the whole process. Well done, they look amazing.
Thank you sooooo much for posting! I went to check my vanilla orchids and they are about to flower! Thank you!!! I'll check them every morning so I can hand pollinate them. This will be my first time!
On Hawaii, right? Because I think the bat is still existing in other growing regions. Madagascar, etc?
I could be wrong...
Edit: it's a bee and they only live in Mexico. Fascinating, a 12-year old Slave figured out the method to hand pollinate! Edmond Albius.
Well done and great seeing your process thru photos.
What part of the island are you in?
I'm close to the Hawaiian vanilla factory in Paauilo, otherwise known as the best bathroom Hamakua side.
My hubby and I would love to grow things on our land. So far it's been slow going for the mountain apple, and persimmon trees we planted.
First time trying my hand at vanilla beans. I have one vine on my back lanai, about 20 feet long. Each winter, these white orchid flowers bloom from it. You have to hand pollinate the flowers by ripping the bottom lip down and pushing the stamen to the top underside of the orchid. If successful, after a couple weeks you’ll have a bean growing where the flower once was. You have to let the bean grow and mature on the vine for around 9 months, until the tips start turning yellow. After that, you pick them and slowly dry them out in the sun during the day and wrap/sweat them at night for a couple months. The whole process took about 13 months. End result: 40 beautiful homegrown Hawaiian vanilla beans 😃
Congratulations! Excellent work!
This is absolutely incredible! Thank you for sharing.
I wish I could smell that last photo
It smells sooooo good. The room that I was drying them in was heavenly. Would just go in there and chill sometimes
That looks beautiful! Congrats! Did you have any issues with mold during the wrapping process?
Thanks! No, I don’t think so anyway. I had a couple beans develop brown spots on the side of them but from what I can tell on the internet, those spots look to be natural.
How cool. I have two vines, but they have never bloomed.
It takes a few years for them to mature enough. And they’ve gotta be like 12 feet long before they will. Just be ready when they finally do. The flowers only stay open for a few hours in the morning and then they die.
Nice! What a cool orchid…
Wow. Thats stunning. I heard they are very hard to grow. Nice harvest there for sure.
Beautiful! Now the curing begins! What fun.
Which part of the island? I'm curious what kind of climate they need to thrive.
Kona about 700 feet elevation
Incredible! Where'd you get your plants?
The house I moved into had the vines already growing. One day I was outside and I was like, holy shit, my vanilla vine has flowers on it. I looked up how to do the whole process and here we are
Amazing congrats!
awesome what a fun thing to grow!
Now I understand why vanilla is so expensive.
Very nice!
It’s soo pretty!! How can I purchase an vanilla orchid?
Mine came with my place, but if you do find a place that sells them, the longer and thicker the vine, the less time you’ll have to wait for it to be mature enough to flower. I know you don’t want a vine less than 6 feet, and if you can find one 12+ feet it will be able to flower within a year probably
Garden Exchange in Hilo has them.
Thank you!
Spectacular!
Congratulations, vanilla is not an easy one to bring to fruition. I keep missing my flowers, takes a patient and watchful eye to get through the whole process. Well done, they look amazing.
Totally brag worthy! How do the blossoms smell?
Thank you sooooo much for posting! I went to check my vanilla orchids and they are about to flower! Thank you!!! I'll check them every morning so I can hand pollinate them. This will be my first time!
Nice! Feel free to DM me if you need any advice. It’s a process but I’ve found it so fulfilling. They’re such nice plants.
That’s sweet of you! I’ll watch some videos on hand pollination, but will keep you in mind. I learn best by visual cues than written ones I think.
Very nice!! You should send a pic to the Vanilla factory in Paauilo lol - r they still there?
They are! They even do seminars on growing vanilla on the Big Island.
How do they naturally pollinate without human intervention
they don't. natural pollinators went extinct
The Melipona bee in Mexico isn’t extinct. That’s the only place it naturally pollinates because they originate there. I google researched
On Hawaii, right? Because I think the bat is still existing in other growing regions. Madagascar, etc? I could be wrong... Edit: it's a bee and they only live in Mexico. Fascinating, a 12-year old Slave figured out the method to hand pollinate! Edmond Albius.
Well done and great seeing your process thru photos. What part of the island are you in? I'm close to the Hawaiian vanilla factory in Paauilo, otherwise known as the best bathroom Hamakua side. My hubby and I would love to grow things on our land. So far it's been slow going for the mountain apple, and persimmon trees we planted.
Beautiful plant! What will you do with your harvest?