This is not only a delicious fruit, but also a wonderful plant for home growing. It can not only please the harvest, but also has a decorative value. How to grow pineapple at home will be described in this article.
How to grow pineapple at home
This plant belongs to the Bromeliad family. On sale there are fruits from 1 to 2 kg. However, when growing on plantations, the weight of one of them can reach 5 kg.
Flowers and fruits
The appearance of the plant depends on the conditions of its cultivation. In Brazil, the height of some varieties of pineapple can reach one and a half meters. However, some of its varieties are much more compact in size.
For your information! The plantations on which this plant is bred are located almost all over the world. The largest of them are in Hawaii, the Philippines, Mexico and China.
With home cultivation, the height of the palm reaches no more than half a meter. Pineapple has a rosette of long leaves, from which the fruit grows. In the Bromeliad family, this is the only edible plant.
If you carry out home growing in accordance with all the rules, then you can not only see the flowering of pineapple, but also get the fruits.
For this purpose, it is customary to use the following types of pineapple:
- A. Comosus is known for its narrow elongated leaves and good fruiting;
- A. Comosus Variegatus is distinguished by a striped leaf color. They are wider and shorter compared to other varieties. This plant looks beautiful and is widely used to solve design problems, but it bears little fruit;
- A. Bracteatus Striatus is larger. Its characteristic feature is the presence of green-yellow leaves.
Note! Growing pineapples is no more difficult than planting berries.
How to grow pineapple at home from the top step by step
To engage in growing pineapple at home, it is enough to acquire a suitable fruit. It is necessary that he has a rosette of leaves on top. In the future, this apex will need to be disconnected and rooted.
How to root pineapple at home
The first step in growing is to get the right fruit. When examining, you need to make sure that he has a full rosette of leaves in the upper part along with its center.
It is important that this fruit is healthy, otherwise, if grown, problems may arise. It is necessary that the top does not start to turn brown. From the outlet, the top of the flower sprout should appear. Only with its presence in the future will the plant bloom.
After acquiring, the next step will be rooting.
To do this, take the following steps:
- It is necessary to properly separate the outlet. The upper part is cut so as to leave 2 cm of pulp. This piece of fruit must be peeled. The result should be a slightly rounded heel.
- Then it is necessary to carefully cut off the remains of the pulp, leaving the fibrous part untouched. If the removal is not complete with a poor-quality cut, then the residues will begin to rot. On the cut you can see the white dots. They must be handled with care, these are root nodules that must remain intact.
- At a cut off outlet, you need to tear off part of the leaves. This is recommended in such a way as to clear the lower 2 cm of the trunk. The separation of the leaves is carried out by means of a movement that is performed in the direction perpendicular to the trunk. After removing the leaves in some cases, you can see the sprouted roots.
Next, you need to do root germination. To do this, the lower part of the trunk cleared of leaves is placed in half up to water. After a week or two, the root processes will begin to grow actively in the pineapple.
Note! After the length of the roots is 2 cm, they are removed from the water and put on paper to dry. It is necessary to wait 2-3 hours until the root system is completely dry. After that, the plant is ready for planting in the ground.
Ornamental plant
Pineapple Primer
To grow pineapple, you can buy land in a specialized store that is used for palm trees or citruses. It is important that after planting, the soil maintains light moisture. It should not be too wet or completely dry.
When the pineapple is planted in the ground, it is necessary that not only the roots, but also the part of the trunk that has been previously cleared from the leaves, is covered.
How much is pineapple growing
Flowers are formed one and a half or two years after planting in the ground. With proper care after flowering, fruits are formed in their place. After their maturation, the plant dies, but it can again be grown using a rosette of leaves.
How does pineapple grow in nature
The birthplace of this plant is South America. It is found here in the wild. Locals actively grow pineapples and use them for food.
What pineapples grow on and what a pineapple tree looks like
Pineapple is a thorny bush. A flower and then a fruit are located in its upper part, above a rosette of large green leaves. The roots are slightly developed. The stalk is short.
The surface of the fruit looks covered with scales. A small sprout grows on its crown.
Important! Moisture can accumulate on the leaves, which the plant can use to maintain its strength in dry times. The height of the bush depends on the growing conditions. Usually it is in the range from 60 cm to one and a half meters.
The rosette in an adult plant is formed from 30 hard elongated leaves. Their length is 20-100 cm. On the edges of the leaves, some varieties of pineapples have thorns, they are sharp and curved.
Fetal education
Where pineapples grow, in which countries
This plant was the first among Europeans discovered by H. Columbus. He learned about the existence of pineapple during a stop on about. Guadeloupe. At this time, it was grown in the countries of Central and most of South America.
For your information! The name comes from "Nanas", which in the language of the Aborigines sounds like "a magnificent fruit."
The birthplace of this plant are Brazil and Paraguay. Subsequently growing pineapple spread almost all over the world
How Pineapple Blossoms
Flowers are formed after 1.5-2.5 years after the start of growth. The inflorescence in shape resembles an ear in which there are many flowers, they are bisexual.
Peduncle is formed from the point of growth of leaves. The plant is self-pollinating. Flowering ends in 14-20 days. Flowers often have a red color.
Pineapple plantations
This plant is grown on plantations in Africa, Southeast Asia, India and China. Pineapple is well adapted to the hot climate. He is able to store water in order to survive dry periods.
This plant grows well in a climate that is suitable for citrus fruits.
The largest plantations for its cultivation are found in Thailand, the Philippines, Hawaii, Mexico, Australia and Guinea. Pineapple is also actively grown in Ghana, India, Australia, China.
Note! In Russia, this plant can only mature in greenhouses.
Potted pineapple or pineapple
Cultivation at home is not particularly difficult. But compliance with the rules of how to care is mandatory.
Decorative pineapple
This plant does not always bear fruit when grown at home. To obtain such a result, you need to carefully care for it. But it can be grown for decorative purposes. The way a pineapple looks can decorate a house. The rules for growing for decorative purposes are the same as in those cases when they want to get fruits from the plant.
Germination
How to care for a pineapple in a pot at home
Next, we will tell you step by step how to grow a pineapple at home from the top.
For growing, you need to choose the right pot. It is believed that its volume should be such that at least 2 cm remains from the plant to the edge. In most cases, these are chosen for cultivation. So that their diameter is 12-14 cm.
A good sign is the appearance of new leaves in the pineapple tree outlet. In this case, you can be sure that the rooting was successful.
For your information! This plant is mostly grass, not fruit.
Growing
It is recommended to choose the sunniest place for pineapple in the apartment.
In order for the plant to grow well, it is necessary to transplant it every year. It is preferable to perform this procedure at the beginning of the summer period.
What grow pineapples well on? They develop well in various types of soil. However, it is better for him to purchase in a specialized store soil in which palm trees are usually grown. Allowed the use of universal soil.
When planting on the bottom of the pot, it is necessary to pour a drainage layer, reducing the likelihood of excessive moisture and protecting the pineapple from root rot disease. Exot does not feel the need for fertilizing.
The plant will not bloom right away. This usually occurs 1.5-2 years after planting in the ground. If the pineapple is provided with plentiful lighting, then the fruits may develop from the flowers.
When growing, it is desirable to provide a temperature of 25 ° C for this thermophilic plant. It is the most comfortable for pineapple during spring, summer and autumn. In winter, a temperature of 20 ° C is better.
Pineapple does not require abundant moisture. In the summer, it is enough to water 2-3 times a week. At the same time, care must be taken to prevent waterlogging. In winter, it is enough to supply the plant with moisture weekly.
Note! When watering, pour a little moisture into the outlet. It is possible to spray. When using tap water for this purpose, it must first be allowed to settle.
Developmental disorders
If the pineapple leaves are pale in color, this indicates a lack of lighting. If this problem is eliminated, the plant will grow further.
When the pineapple grows, but the flowers do not form, do the following. The usual time of their formation is 18-30 months. If nothing happens at this time, then the plant can be provided with appropriate assistance. One way to solve the problem could be to process the pineapple with ethylene gas. At home, it can be obtained using apples. The fruits are cut into two halves, one is placed next to the pineapple with a slice to the soil, the other on the outlet in the same position. The plant in this form is covered with a plastic bag and left for 3-4 weeks. Apples will produce ethylene, which will have a stimulating effect on the plant. When it will be possible to see the appearance of flowers, the package is removed, and the remaining apple is removed.
Other disturbances in the development of the plant are also possible:
- sometimes you can see how the lower leaves dry and curl. The most likely cause is a pineapple in a draft. It is necessary to move the plant to a new place where it will not be in danger;
- if there is dust on the leaves, you need to wipe them with a damp cloth;
- if the plant has wrinkled and drying leaves and has recently had fruiting, then this is not a cause for concern. Pineapple after the formation of the fetus dies, but its outlet can be used again to grow the plant;
- if the pineapple has a slow development, then this indicates a lack of nutrients and trace elements. In this case, it is recommended to purchase and use fertilizer for flowering plants;
- although pineapple is a thermophilic plant, nevertheless, it does not tolerate excessive heat. In this case, the leaves may dry and fall off. In this situation, it is necessary to take care of creating comfortable temperature conditions for it and additional watering.
Note! Scabies may attack the plant. As a result, clearly visible brown spots appear on the bottom of the leaves. To get rid of pests, just wipe the leaves with a cotton swab dipped in soapy water.
How is pineapple propagated?
For growing, it is most convenient to use a rosette of leaves. However, it is possible to grow pineapple fruit using its seeds. This process is more time consuming than growing from a power outlet.
You can also apply reproduction basal cuttings.
How to grow pineapple from seeds at home
When planning how to plant pineapple at home, the following should be considered. Growing pineapple using its seeds is possible only when using those purchased in a specialized store. It is impossible to plant those that were obtained independently. If you buy a pineapple for food, then either it will not have seeds at all, or they will remain unformed.
Seeds that are suitable for growing are as follows:
- they are flat and have a semicircular shape;
- the color is brown or has a reddish tint;
- length 3-4 mm.
Before planting, they need to be germinated. To do this, they are placed between two wet wipes and left in a warm place for 18-24 hours.
They are planted in a peat-sand mixture. In this case, the seeds are buried no more than one and a half centimeters. To germinate, cover the cellophane film or glass and put in a warm place. If germination is carried out at room temperature, then it makes sense to expect the first seedlings in a period of three weeks to one and a half months. If you keep the container at 30-32 ° C heat, the seedlings will appear after 2-3 weeks.
When germinating, you need to regularly water the sprouts and feed them every 2-3 weeks.
After the appearance of 2-3 leaves, plants dive (planted in separate pots). They need soil consisting of equal parts of peat, humus, garden soil and sand. To make the structure of the soil more loose, 5% of crushed charcoal is added to it.
Important! Instead of part of the sand, an equal amount of perlite can be used.
Pineapple on the plantation
How is pineapple propagated in nature?
How does pineapple grow in nature? It is found in the form of solitary plants. Often its fruits are harder, having a smaller size and sweetness compared to cultivars.
After flowering is completed, a fruit is formed in this place. Since in most cases the plant is bisexual, it is self-pollinating. However, it happens that the flowers are only male or only female. In this case, it can reproduce with the help of insects.
In wild fruits, there are many seeds that birds and animals like to regale, moving them to where they fall into the ground and grow.
Growing pineapple at home is not particularly difficult. With minimal care efforts, you can count not only on delicious fruits, but also on a beautiful ornamental plant.
