How to Grow Vanilla Bean Orchids

Obtain a vanilla cutting. You can buy cuttings from a tropical plant supplier or you may be able to get them from someone who already has a mature plant. If you get the cutting directly from a plant, you'll need to keep it in a dark location for two weeks.

Find a pot with holes in the bottom and fill it with a mixture of sand and potting soil. Cut the bottom leaf off with scissors and place the rest of the cutting into the soil. Put a post in the pot so the cutting can grow around it.

Place the pot inside, away from cold drafts, with indirect lighting such as a fluorescent plant lamp. A bathroom is a good choice since it's normally warm and humid. Keep your growing room warm and water the orchid frequently to keep the soil moist. The vine will need to grow to about 25 feet before it will bloom. Vanilla flowers are yellow or yellow-green and have long tubular shapes.

Pollinate vanilla orchids by hand. Remove the lip of the flower and use a cotton swab to insert the pollen from a second flower into the nectar of the first flower. The nectar is located on the flap on top of the column behind the flower.

Wait for the pods to grow after you pollinate the vanilla flower. They are initially green and will turn dark brown when they ripen. Open the ripe pods and scrape out the beans to use in cooking.