Q&A for How to Grow Vanilla

Vanilla orchids grow up tree trunks and branches in the wild so you should replicate this by securing the growing orchid up a trellis. It will need to be grown in a room tall enough for this.

Yes, BUT you have to be willing to wait for years, you have to be willing to do all of the work and investment, and you have to check out any providers where you live to see the market size (at say, a Farmers Market). Then you have to be extra sure that your pollination was done correctly (and or have more than one plant). You might want to establish yourself at the selling point (local market, online, etc.) before you go there selling a tropical plant at reasonably high prices.

It must be pretty tall. Cut and plant one meter long cuttings to make new plants. Use the manure recommended in the article.

They can by a particular insect, but that is too rare. It is better to do it by hand and be sure.

At 5 feet, loosen whatever has grown higher and bring it down to touch the ground. If you have excess, again, train the vine back up to 5 feet and down again. This way, more yielding area will be reachable. Pinch nodes to stimulate flowering. Don't break the skin, just pinch with pliers.

Cuttings are the best option. Vanilla is a orchid and it is a very bad idea to grow them from seed. If you're a pro, you're welcome to try, but it's very difficult.

Vanilla needs to be grown in a tropical climate.

It only requires several feet from the soil, but will grow as tall as you let it. Height is not as important as humidity, fertilization, air, and light for healthy development.

Flowering and harvesting are not quick. A 2-3 year old cutting can easily take 2-5 more years to establish itself enough to bloom, and even then needs proper conditions or it may never flower. After that, it takes months from pollination to harvest, usually 8-10, as described in the article. Unless you have many plants and experience, I would not expect significant income from vanilla growing.

Forced dehydration works, however, this results in poor quality flavoring and is not recommended. The method described in the article produces a higher grade vanilla.

You probably could do that, but I don't think you'd have a huge benefit. I would rather be going for either biological media (e,g, a mix of "orchid" bark, coco husk, charcoal, sphagnum) or mineral media and have a weekly irrigation. Increasing the surface (and amount of roots) in contact with the medium (hence water+fert) helps strengthen the vine and keep a humid environment, you could do that building a cylindrical trellis with the medium inside as a replacement for the stakes.