Spices and Condiments

Harvesting and yield

 
• Almost 9 -11 months are required for the fruit to mature after successful pollination and fertilisation, depending on the temperature and elevation. The pods or sticks are harvested rotationally when they become fully yellow. The immature pods produce an inferior product and, if it is picked too late, it will split during curing. The yield of the crop is variable. A good vanillery may yield about 300 kg/ha of cured beans per year. About 6 kg of green pods produce 1 kg of cured beans. The curing should be done within a week of harvesting the beans.
• After fruiting, the old and weak branches are pruned off. The tree supports or shade should be pruned to provide 30-50% of full sunlight and to induce branches at the correct height for training the vines. The yield may decline after the 12th or 13th year of planting, and so replanting should be done at this stage.