No serious discussion of orchids would be complete without a recipe on how to make vanilla extract.
The popular flavoring comes from the dried seed pods (commonly called beans) of a rather unusual genus of orchid called vanilla, that grows like a vine and whose flowers are both infrequent and short-lived.
Question:
All the buds fell off my new orchid. Could leaving the plant in a hot car for two hours be the cause? The leaves still look good so I’m not giving up on it. I fertilize it lightly and water every 10 days. Pat H.
Answer:
Heat stroke can happen to plants as well as animals! Hot cars are notorious for capturing the sun and can reach nearly 200 degrees under the right conditions. The first casualties involving orchids are the delicate flowers and buds which, technically, the plant can afford to lose since they are replenished each year.
