The Tropical Fruit Forum

Hi
So yes I am growing vanilla as a business but my model might be kind of unique. I have dabbled in vanilla for more than 30 years. I also grow black pepper commercially as well as several different tropical fruits. Many of those fruits were introduced by us to Costa Rica. As far as I can tell we introduced salak, terap, champedek, and several others. We commercially grow mangosteen and durian. These crops and some others are all successful on a small scale.
Vanilla is a diversification like most of the rest of this stuff. We do t rely on a single crop. When you said you were looking a seed propagation since you envisioned planting 1000 plants I was thinking that’s quite ambitious. I have less than 150 plants.
I also grow cacao and make fine chocolate. I mention the chocolate because a couple of years ago that was a better business than it is now. I try to be versatile, have several irons in the fire. But not too big. If I sold 1kg of vanilla per month I’d be happy along with the other stuff I do.
I dehydrate fruit as well. So, dried fruit, black pepper, and vanilla store well which is a plus over hustling to find buyers for durian that will spoil quickly.
But to get back to vanilla; it is work and we grow it on living fence posts spaced 2m apart. Within 3 years it should flower. The flowers are easy to find and take less than a minute to pollinate. Depending on how much you harvest it shouldn’t take so much time out of your day to attend to the routine of curing the vanilla. It is kind of a big deal but the vanilla is worth a lot of money. I recommend to anyone to start small, take your time, and see how it works out. Twenty to fifty plants is something to start with. Give it a good shot. Don’t cut corners or run cattle with vanilla. 
Peter

So what you see in the last post is a delicious meal made with vanilla bits that are visible in the sauce on the chicken.  The same restaurant grows the vanilla and that is where I became aware of the technique of wrapping the bean with a thread.  I checked with a technician at a vanilla processor and he agreed it produces good quality vanilla.  It’s just not great for selling the beans because they will be split open once you remove the thread.
The photos are from Papantla, Veracruz.
Peter

I generally have good soil but am growing about 100 vanilla plants mostly where there is some problem with the soil. They’re basically grown in a mulch medium on top of the soil.
But why grow pampona?  Most people grow plenifolia.  We are growing mostly a hybrid of plenifolia and pampona that is basically two thirds plenifolia.  Pamplona is very niche market. I’d be nervous about that.
The vanilla price is not like pataya. There is an international market price which is always going to affect the local price in a very big way.
We are getting about $4 per bean right now.  You say you are too busy with other stuff to have the time to properly cure the vanilla properly.  Just what are you doing that it’s not worth it to spend time curing vanilla?
I feel strongly that trying to combine cattle with vanilla is not a very good idea.
Suerte!
Peter

Since there’s somebody processing vanilla in your area you might just sell them the green vanilla. The largest processor in Mexico buys green vanilla from more than 500 small farms.
If, before the vanilla bean begins to ripen on the vine, you wrap a thread around it so it doesn’t split open it can ripen on the plant without any process. This vanilla is of very good quality but lacks the presentation for selling as a whole premium bean although for making an extract and/or kitchen use it is the best.
Saludos, Peter

Leooel you sound pretty enthusiastic about these red jackfruits and I am as well.  But about the taste I’m not too sure about the descriptions.  I’m aware the Wrigley’s juicy fruit flavor was inspired by Jakfruit but it’s not bubble gum.  When I was very young I chewed bubblegum but my recollection is that it had an artificial confection taste.  Of all the possibilities that a flavor wheel might provide is bubblegum the best to describe a premium Jakfruit?
Saludos, Peter

I have a kutejensis that just flowered for the first time.  The tree is only about 6 years old. The trunk has a diameter of about 15cm and the only branch that really flowered is 5cm. There was no set but the flowers were beautiful!
I have a very old and quite large seedling zibethenis but I can’t really recall the trunk size from when it first dropped fruit but I think it was pretty big. That tree is now about 33 years old and some 35m tall. We call it ‘Isla’ after our farm. Isla produces hundreds of fruit that I say tastes like vanilla cookie dough. Very pleasant flavor, while not so interesting for a conosouir, it’s the best for introducing durian to the uninitiated.
The rest of the durians I have that are in production are all grafted trees.
Peter

I’m not really a mango grower but how about the classic bordelaise, it’s a combination of copper sulfate and calcium carbonate.  Copper sulfate is accepted for organic as well.
Peter

So I’ve asked other vanilla growers if you’ve ever seen vanilla start from seed naturally on your farm.  Nobody had seen it until I found a very unconventional farm in Papantla and saw it for myself.
But the only reason to grow vanilla from seed is to try and improve the cultivar.  It’s a big project and you better know what you are doing.
You won’t need so many plants and the cuttings grow like crazy.  50 cuttings well taken care of would be a great start.  You’d be way ahead of the game than by trying to grow seeds.
Peter

The person who gave me 3 seedlings said he knows, for sure, of one other tree!
Peter

That’s an interesting question, and well put, wanting to know about the trunk and branch girth.  More commonly people only ask about the tree age.
I’ve only had one seedling flower of zibethinis and it was a long time ago.  I don’t remember. That tree is now 35m tall and a heavy producer.
 I just had a Kutejensis seedling flower for the first time.  The trunk girth is about 12-13cm and the branch is about 5cm.  No set and I’m wondering if it needs cross pollination.
Peter

Leave the lower branches. Cut the highest branches back, opening so light reaches the lower branches.  You want access to the fruits for careful, selective harvest.
Peter

Something might have eaten there.  It’s hard to be certain but that sort of thing wouldn’t be unusual.
Peter