Free Downloads Vanilla Orchids: Natural History And Cultivation
With more than 30,000 known species, orchids represent the largest family of plants. But only one genus has agricultural value—the Vanilla orchid. Leading orchid expert Ken Cameron covers the natural history of the world’s most popular flavor and fragrance and provides an introduction to the pollination, biology, structure, evolution, and diversity of Vanilla and related orchids. Vanilla Orchids also features methods for bean harvest, curing, and processing for enthusiasts who want to try it at home.
Hardcover: 212 pages
Publisher: Timber Press (June 21, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0881929891
ISBN-13: 978-0881929898
Product Dimensions: 6.3 x 0.8 x 9.2 inches
Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
Best Sellers Rank: #728,840 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #71 in Books > Crafts, Hobbies & Home > Gardening & Landscape Design > Flowers > Orchids #393 in Books > Science & Math > Biological Sciences > Plants > Flowers #585 in Books > Reference > Encyclopedias & Subject Guides > Gardening
Since vanilla is the world's most popular spice and fragrance, and since it comes from orchids, and since orchid fanciers are notoriously obsessive and thorough, it comes as a surprise to learn that until very recently even the basic biology of the vanilla orchids was little known.Nobody was even sure what fertilized them. It turned out to be a solitary bee.That's in the wild. In cultivation, fertilization is done by young girls, whose small and agile fingers are adapted to lifting a flap of tissue so that the pollen can be brushed over onto the stamen.This delicate method was devised by a 12-year-old boy, a slave, on the island of Reunion in 1842.Since a vanillery can have hundreds of vines, and since the vines open only one flower a day, and since fertilization has to be done within a short time window (a couple of hours), the girls are busy. One farm may have to fertilize a million blossoms in a year.It becomes clear why real vanilla is so expensive.Ken Cameron, who was part of the research network that used DNA analysis to sort out the taxonomic relationships among the three commercial kinds of vanilla and their hundred or so close relatives, presents an admirably clear, and very concise, roundup of the history, biology, culture and trade in vanilla. Half the book consists of color photographs, not only of vanilla, vanilla products and vanilla farmers, but also of some of the more curious vanilla relatives.Some are curious, indeed, including the leafless varieties, just long vines. Vanillas are the only viny orchids, and while many people think that they, like many other orchids, are parasites and/or epiphytes, neither is correct.
Orchids: Growing Orchids Made Easy And Pleasant. The Most Common Errors In The Cultivation Of Orchids. Let Your Orchids Grow For Many Years (Orchids ... Techniques, Gardening in Pots) (Volume 1) Orchids Care Bundle 3 in 1, THE NEW EDITION: Orchids + Orchids Care For Hobbyists + Phalaenopsis Orchids Care (Orchids Care, House Plants Care, Gardening Techniques Book 4) Vanilla Orchids: Natural History and Cultivation The Practical Illustrated Encyclopedia of Orchids: A Complete Guide To Orchids And Their Cultivation CANNABIS: Marijuana Growing Guide - Hydroponics, Automated Cultivation Systems and Modern Greenhouse Technologies (CANNABIS SCIENCE, Cannabis Cultivation, Grow Ops, Marijuana Business Book 1) Orchids: An illustrated guide to varieties, cultivation and care, with step-by-step instructions and over 150 stunning photographs Rosas y orquideas/ Roses and Orchids: Cultivo casero en jardines, balcones y macetas/ Cultivation in Home Gardens, Balconies and Pots (Spanish Edition) Orchids: An Illustrated Identifier and Guide to Cultivation Guia practica completa orquideas / Complete Orchids Guide: Todos los consejos sobre el cultivo y cuidado de las orquideas / A Complete Guide to Cultivation and Care (Spanish Edition) Home Gardener's Orchids: Selecting, Growing, Displaying, Improving and Maintaining Orchids (Specialist Guide) Orchids for Every Home: The Beginner's Guide to Growing Beautiful, Easy-Care Orchids Ghost Orchids / Chinese Cypripediums / The Chelsea Flower Show (Orchids, Volume 75, Number 10, October 2006) How to Grow Orchids: A Guide to Growing Orchids for Beginners (The New to Gardening Series Book 2) The Everything Gluten-Free Slow Cooker Cookbook: Includes Butternut Squash with Walnuts and Vanilla, Peruvian Roast Chicken with Red Potatoes, Lamb with ... Lattes...and hundreds more! (Everything®) Growing Tasty Tropical Plants in Any Home, Anywhere: (like lemons, limes, citrons, grapefruit, kumquats, sunquats, tahitian oranges, barbados ... black pepper, cinnamon, vanilla, and more...) Growing Tasty Tropical Plants in Any Home, Anywhere: (like lemons, limes, citrons, grapefruit, kumquats, sunquats, tahitian oranges, barbados cherries, ... pepper, cinnamon, vanilla, and more...) Natural Remedies for Dogs : 101 Safe & Natural Essential Oils' Remedies for Your DOG: (Natural Remedies For Dogs, Essential Oils Remedies For Dogs, Natural Dog Care, Recipes For Dogs, Home Remedies) Landscaping with Edible Plants in Texas: Design and Cultivation (Louise Lindsey Merrick Natural Environment Series) The Auricula: History, Cultivation and Varieties History: Human History in 50 Events: From Ancient Civilizations to Modern Times (World History, History Books, People History) (History in 50 Events Series Book 1)
