VANILLA ORCHID AND ITS USES

Vanilla is the fruit of an orchid plant, which grows in the form of a bean pod. Although there are over 110 varieties of vanilla orchids, only one, Vanilla planifolia, produces the fruit which gives us 99 percent of commercial vanilla. Another genus, the Vanilla tahitensis grown in Tahiti, does produce fruit with a more pronounced aroma, but debatedly less flavor. Vanilla orchids are grown in tropic climates, primarily Mexico, Tahiti, Madagascar, Reunion, Mauritius, Comoro, Indonesia, Uganda, and Tongo, with three-fourths of the world's supply coming from Madagascar. In order to produce the fruit, the orchid flowers are laboriously hand-pollinated at a very specific time of the day.The fruit is not permitted to fully-ripen, since this will cause the beans to split, thus losing commercial value. Hand-harvesting occurs four to six months after the fruit appears on the vines. when the flowers are open during a short one-month flowering period.Note :vanilla orchids are not found in Nepal.The fruit is not permitted to fully-ripen, since this will cause the beans to split, thus losing commercial value. Hand-harvesting occurs four to six months after the fruit appears on the vines. Once harvested, the green beans go through a treatment process lasting another six months where the beans are soaked in hot water, rolled in blankets to "sweat," dried on flats in the sun to evaporate the water, and then stored in a ventilated room to slowly ferment and produce their unique aroma and flavor.Quality and aroma of the vanillin flavor varies by growth location, since some areas produce beans with higher vanillin content. The resulting dark brown vanilla bean is usually 7-9 inches long, weighs about 5 grams and yields about 1/2 teaspoon of seeds.

USES OF ORCHIDS :

1.Orchid are used as the fertilizer.They have the perfect ratio of nitrogen, phosphorous, potassium .They have differing ratios of macro/micro nutrients and other minerals for carnivorous plants

2The reason orchid fertilizers are recommended is that orchids are epiphytes and used to absorbing nutrients through their leaves and roots. 3 Carnivorous plants absorb nutrients almost entirely through their leaves. Orchid fertilizers are better designed for this with highly soluble
ingredients.

Interesting Facts

Orchids are differentiated not only by their flowers but also from the leaves and roots.
Once the orchid plant is infected with virus, it cannot be cured.
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Grammatophyllum speciosum is the largest orchid plant in the world.
Bulbophyllum globuliforme is the smallest orchid plant in the world.
Orchids are preferably grown on slopes to let the excess amount of water to flow off. This provides the orchids with the favourable conditions to grow in.
Instead of just by hybriding using the advanced technology, orchids can be resulted from the pollination by bees or butterflies too.
Some orchid hybrids are extremely beautiful, while there are also many species with flowers which are unusual, bizarre or downright ugly.
Our vanilla flavouring comes from the pods of a leafy climbing orchid named Vanilla Planifolia
Though orchids sometimes grow on trees/other plants, they are not parasites. They only use the trees for support. They do not take nutrients from them.
Orchids are not "jungle plants". They are found all over the world. from the tropical jungles to the Tundra and to the Arctic Circle. 2 The seeds produced by orchids are the smallest among all the flowering plants.
Saprophytes are the organisms that act as the rainforests decomposers. Some orchids are saprophytes. Eg: The Helmet Orchid
Orchids are found on every continent except Antarctica and found in almost every color except black.
Orchid leaves are thick and fleshy, giving them the impression that they can withstand drought well like cacti.

Interesting Orchid Facts

Did you know...
Orchids are one of the largest groups of flowering plants, consisting of some 25,000 to 30,000 species.
Orchids are found in nearly every climatic condition except deserts.
The name "orchid" comes from the Greek root orkhis, meaning "testicle."
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In their natural environment, each orchid species is dependent upon a specific type of insect to carry out its pollination.
There are two types of orchids: terrestrials, which feature extensive below-ground root systems, and epiphytes, characterized by their aerial or exposed root structure.
Before their true nature was understood, epiphytic orchids were thought of as parasitic plants impossible to grow under controlled conditions.