And even pineapples. It’s nice to watch a heat-loving miracle ripen on your own windowsill, and it’s especially nice to treat yourself to it as a reward for your efforts. The most amazing thing is that growing such plants is not much more difficult than, for example, growing orchids.
Of all the fruit exotics available to home grown, the most common are lemons and tangerines. As for pineapples, you don’t often see these beauties in a flower pot.
How to grow pineapple at home in different ways
Growing a pineapple from the top
For those who want to grow pineapple themselves, you should know that it is better to start this process at the end of summer, in August or September. It is then that you can count on the pineapple bought in a store or market being suitable as a planting material It is better to take several fruits to increase the likelihood of successful rooting.
So, the fruit for planting material should be ripe, but not overripe, golden brown in color with bright green, not too large leaves. They should not have gray spots, the presence of which indicates that the plant has been damaged by a mealybug - such fruits should not be used for planting.
The top of the pineapple is cut off and cleared of leaves.
Preparing the crown for subsequent planting:
- Cut off the top of the pineapple, at a distance of 2-3 fingers from the leaves.
- The pulp is selected along the ring from the crust, not reaching the center, where a round island is left, from which roots will subsequently sprout.
- The lowest leaves are removed.
- The inside is sprinkled with activated charcoal or charcoal; you can wipe it with a very weak solution of potassium permanganate to prevent rot.
- The top of the pineapple is hung for 2 weeks so that it dries slightly.
Sometimes crowns planted 5 or 6 hours after treatment take root successfully.
Plant the prepared crown in a pot whose diameter is not much larger diameter seedling. A drainage layer, for example, expanded clay, is poured into the bottom of the pot. The soil may consist of a mixture of peat and sand, or you can buy a ready-made earthen mixture for cacti.
The hole for planting is made shallow to 2.5 cm. It is recommended to add a little crushed charcoal to its bottom. The soil should cover the seedling up to the lower leaves and be tightly compacted. After planting, the plant is watered and covered plastic bag or glass jar and put in a warm and bright place.
Usually the seedling takes root within a month. All this time it needs to be watered and sprayed with warm water. After a month, the plant can be replanted by transferring it to a larger pot.
Growing pineapple from a tuft
You can simply unscrew the tuft from the pineapple - it separates from the fruit with a small stem. You need to remove 3-4 bottom leaves to expose the base. To prevent the trunk from rotting, after cleaning, leave it to dry for several days.
Now we put the pineapple tops in glasses of water - this is the easiest and most reliable way, as practice has shown. We put the glasses on the windowsill with other flowers.
The pineapple should only be a couple of centimeters in the water and not touch the bottom. You need to constantly add water, sometimes change it completely - and in two to three weeks the roots will appear.
Good roots - can be planted in the ground As soon as they become a couple of centimeters, we plant them in the ground. We have already mentioned the composition of the soil; we bury the tuft three centimeters into the ground, or rather, the entire exposed base.
Good drainage is required so that the young plant does not rot. Pineapple loves moist soil, but should not be flooded. Find a bright place for it, but not in direct sun.
The pineapple will finally take root in one and a half to two months. This will be visible by the new leaves that will appear in the center of the tuft.
If new leaves are not visible for more than two months, then the pineapple probably has not taken root and it is better to try planting a new one.
As new pineapple leaves grow, old ones will turn brown and dry out - they need to be carefully trimmed. Young leaves will take their place. Young pineapples need to be watered rarely - once a week.
After about a year, the pineapple needs to be transplanted into a larger pot, adding soil for cacti. Be sure to have good drainage from expanded clay and gravel - because pineapple roots do not like stagnant water and the plant may die from excess moisture.
Replanting pineapple in new pots In winter, the pineapple has a dormant period, and with the onset of spring it begins to grow rapidly. If a pineapple does not grow in the spring, it means it urgently needs replanting with a change of soil, since the soil is depleted.
When growing pineapple at home, you should follow certain care rules - create suitable conditions for this tropical plant. good growth and fetal formation.
Pineapple care
Lighting and temperature
For a green pet to feel comfortable, it must be light and warm. Pineapple comes from the tropics and cold weather, especially since it does not tolerate frost at all. In summer indoor pineapple You can put it on the balcony or take it to the dacha. The plant should be placed under the canopy of trees so that the light is diffused. It grows well in the fresh air. For good development of the plant, you need to keep it in a bright place for at least 6 hours a day at any time of the year.
In summer, pineapple loves to “walk” In the winter months, be sure to keep pineapple at home - it is better in the southern part for better lighting. Away from batteries, no drafts. Comfortable temperature for pineapple +22-26 degrees.
Watering and fertilizers
Watering should be infrequent and plentiful. The soil in the pot should be moist, but stagnation of water should not be allowed; for this, good drainage is needed. On the one hand, pineapple is adapted to droughts, and it can be watered once a week in winter, and during the growth period it is watered more often and more abundantly.
In summer it is very good to spray the leaves with water, it will be absorbed by the leaves, and the excess will quickly dry out on the street. At home, especially in winter, do not do this - the water will stagnate in the leaves and the plant may rot.
Pineapple is fed with fertilizers only during the growth period, in summer. And this needs to be done carefully, little by little. If you spray on the leaves, make sure that liquid fertilizer do not get on young leaves - they may get burned.
Pests and diseases
At good care and following the rules for growing indoor pineapple, it is almost not affected by pests. It can be affected by ticks and mealybug. Washing the leaves helps in the fight against them. soap solution, then wash the leaves clean water. In case of severe damage, you can use insecticides, diluting strictly according to the instructions.
Pineapple can become sick with heart rot under the influence of a fungus. In a diseased plant, the leaves in the center turn black and are easily removed from the trunk. You can save the plant by pouring any fungicide into the center. Over time, the plant will produce a side shoot, and the old one is then carefully cut off.
Is it possible to get pineapple fruits at home?
Of course you can. With careful care, the plant blooms after 2 or 3 years, and after the fruit ripens, it dies. But shoots remain that can be used to grow new plants.
Ripe pineapple fruit When growing pineapple at home, the timing of flowering is difficult to predict; they can move in any direction. Usually at the age of one and a half months, when the flower grows to 25 cm in height, an inflorescence appears. A long stalk grows from the crown, at the top of which an inflorescence forms.
Pineapple blooms within two months and flowers appear for two weeks, every day. Bright blue flowers open only for a day, row after row - then they wither. The fruit begins to develop after the last flower withers. The pineapple fruit grows and ripens up to six months - depending on the conditions and variety of pineapple.
Pineapples have been cultivated in greenhouses for a very long time. But it turns out that you can grow them yourself at home if you know how to plant a pineapple from its top. Unpretentious plant will grow even in northern regions if appropriate care is provided. And decorate festive table fruit grown with your own hands is a real pleasure for everyone.
How to choose the right pineapple?
In order to get a new one from the cut off top of a pineapple at home, you need to choose this product correctly. That's right - this means buying a ripe, but not overripe fruit.
There are rules to help you make the right choice.
- Look for fresh pineapple in the store (a product that has been lying on the counter for a long time may not take root or a weak plant will develop from it).
- The crest should not be frostbitten.
- When viewed, the top should be firm, not dry, with elastic, bright green large leaves. Attendance at them dark spots, damage, cuts or dry ends are unacceptable.
- The pineapple itself should not be overripe or underripe. Ideally, it should have a golden-green peel, and the fruit itself should be elastic.
The optimal time to purchase the “right” product for the purpose of subsequent cultivation at home is considered to be the period from late summer to mid-autumn.
How to prepare for planting
Before planting, the tuft of a purchased pineapple should be separated. This can be done using one of the options.
- Twisting: grasp the leaves with one hand, and with the other, holding the fruit, slowly twist the top out of it.
- Cutting: carefully cut off the top of the fruit with a knife, leaving a distance of 4-5 cm to the leaves, while the lower leaves are removed, and the pulp is cut to a root 1.5-2 cm long.
The resulting “sprout” is dipped into a weak solution of furatsilin or potassium permanganate for disinfection.
Instead of solutions you can use wood ash, crushed activated carbon. You can sprinkle the root with one of them or prepare a mixture of them.
Drying the top is an important point. It is wrapped with lace, rope or wire and then hung for 10-14 days. At the same time, its leaves should hang down.
This procedure will ensure the outflow of all substances important for the plant into the root formation zone and heal the cut.
Landing
The plant is grown at home in a regular flower pot of up to 0.5 liters with drainage to drain the water. A small layer of pebbles is laid on its bottom, and the container is filled with soil (mix garden soil, humus, peat, sand in equal quantities). Can be purchased ready soil(suitable soil for growing plants from the Bromiliaceae family).
A small depression is made in the soil in the center of the pot, up to 3-5 cm deep and 5-7 cm wide (depending on the size of the root being planted). To save the plant from rotting, crushed activated carbon can be poured into the recess. Root rot can result from waterlogging of the soil or from insufficient drying.
Planting is carried out according to the following rules.
- The root is placed vertically in the recess, sprinkled with earth and lightly compacted.
- The top is fixed to avoid tilting: sticks (plastic or wooden) are placed along the edges of the container. Each stick is connected to the top with threads.
- The soil is slightly moistened (it should not be flooded).
- The plant is covered on top with a transparent container or plastic bag.
- The pot is placed at home in a fairly warm and well-lit place without drafts.
After 1-1.5 months, the top will give roots. This can be determined by the young leaves that appear. The package (container) can be removed only after they appear.
Rules for growing and care
Pineapple is a non-capricious and unpretentious plant to grow. He doesn't require special care. But there are several conditions that are important to consider.
- Temperature
The plant loves light and warmth. Growing pineapple from its top should take place at a temperature of 23-25°C. During the winter months, you can maintain the desired temperature with a heater or lamp.
If the pot with the plant is on the windowsill, it must be protected from drafts and accidental frostbite.
- Watering
Being a tropical plant, pineapple easily tolerates heat and lack of moisture. The main mistake gardeners make is frequent and abundant watering. At home, it needs to be watered abundantly only twice a week, and in winter this should be done even less often.
Excess water will lead to rotting of the roots and death of the plant. Watering should only be done with warm water and when the soil in the pot is really dry!
It is not only the soil under the crop that should be watered. Water must also be poured into the leaves so that they can accumulate it within themselves.
- Top dressing
When growing pineapple at home, you do not need to frequently feed it with fertilizers. It is enough to add any organic or complex fertilizer, intended for indoor flowers.
Do not use alkaline fertilizers (lime, ash). Even a small amount of them will lead to the death of the plant.
In order to prepare the crop for fruiting and enhance vegetative growth, in the third year every 14 days it should be fed with any organic fertilizer. At home, for this purpose, you can use mullein infusion, which contains all the important trace elements. To prepare an infusion, simply fill a bucket of water (10 liters), fill it one-third with manure, add water and infuse for 5-8 days with occasional stirring. When the fermentation of the manure is complete, the infusion is diluted with water in a ratio of 1:8.
To stimulate fruiting and improve the quality of the future fetus, it is recommended to carry out another feeding. Carbide showed itself well as a stimulant. A small piece of it (12-15 g) is placed in a container (1 liter) of water - bubbling and release of acetylene will be observed. After the reaction has subsided, the solution (30 ml) is poured into a funnel made of leaves, where the growth point is located. The procedure must be repeated again every other day. A peduncle will appear from a simple point in 1.5 months.
- Lighting
Growing at home requires the plant to be in a sufficiently lit room. On cloudy days or in the autumn-winter season, it is necessary to turn on a lamp installed 20-25 cm from it for 7-10 hours.
An indicator that the crop has enough light are large, wide leaves and the light crimson color of the edges of young leaves.
- Transfer
The growing plant should be promptly transplanted into a new, larger pot. Typically, replanting is carried out once a year in the spring. For the culture, you need to select a low but wide enough container. Its similar shape corresponds to the peculiarity of pineapple roots - they are in top layer soil and do not go deep. A wide-diameter dish promotes good soil aeration - this is very important for the growth of a green pet.
Pineapple is an exotic crop that can be easily grown. But every gardener should be patient in order to grow its fruit at home. It usually appears in the fourth year after planting the top. Cultivation, subject to all care rules, allows you to get a fruit weighing up to 1.5 kg. And the fact that this tropical plant grows at home - an outstanding result for which you can work hard!
Everyone's favorite exotic fruit, pineapple, is known among adults and children. In countries with tropical and subtropical climates, it has long been very successfully grown on an industrial scale, but if you carefully read the claims of this crop, even in the harsh conditions of the Russian winter you can plant and grow it amazing plant from the top in an ordinary flower pot at home on the windowsill.
Where does pineapple come from?
Pineapple is a perennial herbaceous plant, an epiphyte, with compacted, fleshy leaves collected in one strong, thick knot called a basal rosette. This rosette forms a massive stem with a peduncle at the top. The peduncle is usually formed high, up to 50 cm, with a spike-shaped inflorescence and a rosette with a bract.
Pineapple has a very exotic look and looks great in a pot.
Pineapple comes from Brazil, although this plant is cultivated in many countries with similar climates.
In countries with tropical climates, pineapple is grown on an industrial scale
It appeared in Russia under Catherine II and was grown in public greenhouses.
Pineapple variety MD-2 Decorative variety pineapple, large-tufted pineapple variety Champaka 
Mauritius pineapple variety Cayenne pineapple variety
Video: growing pineapples in captivity
Table: seasonal maintenance of the plant
How to plant pineapple correctly
Surely every second person who has ever bought a pineapple at the market has thought about whether it is possible to grow this crop at home. This is possible despite the fact that pineapple is used to growing in tropical climates. But, before you start growing this crop, you need to select the desired fruit and root it according to all the rules in an acceptable container and soil.
Fruit selection
The fruit that is purchased for rooting the top should be moderately ripe with a beautiful and intact tuft. You should buy pineapple for planting in season - in summer or early autumn, since in winter the fruits are stored in refrigeration chambers and the socket may already be frozen and lifeless by the time of purchase.
The pineapple fruit or tuft should have dense green foliage, be firm to the touch, and healthy in appearance.
When choosing a pineapple fruit for planting, focus on the condition of the tops
If the leaves begin to turn yellow and dry, then it is better not to take this fruit for planting.
The center of the pineapple pulp should be yellow in color and not very hardened. The fruit of a proper pineapple usually exudes a pleasant aroma and has no dents or signs of disease.
Top separation
In order to separate the top of the pineapple from the fruit, you need to grab the fruit with one hand, and the pineapple tops with the other and turn the top towards yourself, as if twisting it out of the pineapple. The stem will gently come out of the pulp.
If difficulties arise with twisting, then the separation procedure can be done using a knife, cutting out the leaves from the fruit with a root.
You can separate the pineapple tuft from the fruit by twisting it
You will have to cut at an angle of about 45 degrees, and then, to avoid rot, remove the pulp from the tufted stem and the lower leaves, exposing the trunk.
The tuft is dried in a vertical position in a ventilated area for several weeks.
Before planting, pineapple cuttings must be thoroughly dried.
This procedure is necessary to heal all damage caused to the cutting when separated from the fruit. While the cuttings are drying, nutrients will be concentrated in the rooting zone.
How to root and plant the top
In order for the pineapple top to take root, it is placed in an opaque container with water. room temperature approximately 4 cm and left in a moderately lit place without drafts and temperature changes for a week.
The pineapple cutting will sit in water for several days before sprouting tiny roots.
Video: rooting the pineapple top
While the cuttings are taking root, there is time to choose for the future pineapple suitable soil and a pot.
Any container will serve flower pot with drainage holes, the size of which should be quite a bit larger than the size of the cutting.
An impressive drainage layer of expanded clay or pebbles, about 4 cm, is laid on the bottom of the pot, and then a soil mixture consisting of sand and peat in equal parts is poured. Two to three days before planting, it is recommended to carry out disinfection procedures for the soil. To do this, you can simply pour boiling water over it.
This method of tillage will also moisten the substrate and make it at the desired temperature, since pineapple cannot be planted in cold soil. In such conditions, you can safely plant the tuft without first rooting it in water.
Video: planting the top in the ground without rooting
The tuft is placed in the prepared soil up to the lowest leaves. The soil around the cutting must be thoroughly compacted and the future pineapple should be thoroughly watered again with warm water. Next, the cutting is sprayed and covered with a bag to create a greenhouse atmosphere.
After placing the pineapple top in the pot, cover it with a bag to create artificial tropics
Such a greenhouse is left in a warm and illuminated place, but without direct exposure to rays, since we do not need the greenhouse effect.
The pineapple will be able to take root thoroughly in the soil only after a month, and it is not at all advisable to water it all this time, but the pineapple tuft will respond with gratitude to spraying.
Sphagnum moss is an excellent substrate for rooting bromeliads.
Sphagnum moss is an excellent substrate for epiphytes
It is hydroscopic and breathes well, and when it turns pale at the edges, it becomes clear that it is time to water the plant.
Successful rooting of the tuft entails transplanting the plant to permanent place, where exactly the same soil awaits him as the one that was used for rooting. After transplantation, the pineapple is again covered with a cap for a couple of weeks, kept in a more illuminated place and continues to be sprayed.
Since the homeland of the pineapple is the tropics, it is accordingly accustomed to light, warmth and humid air. Pineapple can withstand drought, and growing it indoors is not a labor-intensive task and is within the capabilities of anyone.
How to care for decorative pineapple at home
Pineapple is a light-loving epiphyte, so it is best to place the pot with the plant on a south or south-east window, but even if your window sill is well lit for about 12 hours a day, being cold it can destroy the root system of the plant from hypothermia, because you can even water the pineapple only with very warm water. To prevent cooling of the roots, a pot with pineapple can only be placed on an insulating substrate or an insulated window sill, and the safest thing is not to place it on the window at all, but to install a flower stand or table next to the window.
Placed too far from the window homemade pineapple it's not worth it, he won't have enough light
Don’t think that having gotten used to the tropics, pineapple will feel great in an apartment with central heating, this is wrong. This crop does not tolerate heat and dry air, so it is necessary to maintain the air temperature during the day within 22°-28°C, and at night it should not fall below 18°C.
What to feed and water
Pineapple should be watered only with warm or even hot water. It is necessary to water rarely, but abundantly, and only after the earthen clod has completely dried.
During active growth pineapple from April to September proper watering- Very important condition for content. It is necessary to water pineapples exclusively with warm or hot water, settled, and best of all, rainwater that does not contain lime impurities. Watering should be rare but plentiful, and only when the soil is dry.
If you do not let the soil dry out, the roots of the plant will rot, and if the pineapple does not have enough moisture, its tips will dry out and the pineapple will begin to lose its decorative effect.
When watering a pineapple, you can pour water from above so that it gets into the axils of the leaves and stays there. This moisture will serve as additional nutrition for the roots and ensure the plant’s well-being due to evaporation.
Hooligan lovers will love watering the pineapple, since you can start doing it right from the top.
In addition to watering and foliar irrigation, the pineapple will appreciate regular wiping of dust from the leaves with a damp swab.
It is recommended to fertilize pineapple no more than twice a month, and the ideal fertilizing solution is considered to be a solution of mullein, which is infused in warm water for a day and then diluted 10 times. A liter of the resulting solution will last for a month and a half.
Good for pineapple and mineral fertilizers For indoor plants or complex for bromeliads, but the concentration of fertilizing should be half that according to standard instructions.
After the pineapple has flowered, it should be fed mainly with nitrogen-containing products for rapid fruit formation.
How does an indoor pineapple bloom in a pot?
The flowering time of home-grown pineapple is usually unpredictable. About 3 years after planting the pineapple, a flowering period begins, which lasts about two weeks and is accompanied by a light aroma.
The bud forms at the very top of the central stem. Flowers can be bright blue, pink or purple, they can change shade; arranged in a spiral, opening one after another and only for one day.
Pineapple blossoms are inconspicuous and are unlikely to surprise anyone, but exotic lovers cannot fail to be impressed by this process.
Pineapple blooms brightly, but very briefly
After flowering, the fruiting period begins, and small fruits are formed that are easy to root. It is worth noting that these rooted fruits will bloom even faster than their parent.
A small pineapple fruit can quickly take root and bloom before its parent.
One fruit left on the mother's rosette can grow quite large. Its ripening period can range from three months to six months and depends on the variety of pineapple and the conditions of its maintenance. The most favorable period for pineapple fruiting is summer.
After the fruiting stage, the pineapple dies. This is normal natural process for the bromeliad family.
It happens that even with good care, pineapple does not bloom. In such cases, it can be forced to bloom by artificial stimulation using ethylene gas. To do this, dissolve five grams of calcium carbide in a half-liter container and leave it closed for a day. Afterwards, the liquid is drained and only sediment is left. This precipitate is an ethylene solution, which must be gradually placed into the core of the pineapple rosette over the course of a week. A month or a month and a half after such stimulation, the plant should enter the flowering phase.
Video: flowering and growth of pineapple at home
Pineapple hibernation
In winter, pineapple hibernates, but this does not mean that it does not need to be watered. Pineapple watering should be moderate. One abundant watering per week or two waterings per week, but in a smaller volume, will be enough. The soil should not be wet all the time, since the pineapple's dormant period occurs at a temperature of about 15°C, and at low temperatures, flooding can turn into rotting of the roots or rosettes.
Feeding is not carried out until March-April and the lighting will also have to be reduced a little, as well as the temperature, otherwise the pineapple will not fall asleep and will suffer from a lack of nutrition and warmth.
In spring, the pineapple will gradually wake up on its own: new leaves will begin to appear. If awakening does not occur, it is necessary to increase the amount of light and transplant the plant into new soil.
If you want your pineapple to stay awake in winter, it is important to provide the plant with additional lighting (at least 10 hours a day) and maintain an average temperature of 22°C-23°C. In addition, it is necessary to continue to feed the pineapple at least once a month.
Diseases and pests
Precisely because the pineapple has long and very firmly established itself among other indoor plants, it, just like everyone else, has become susceptible to attack by insect pests. These and other troubles that beset pineapple in an apartment are discussed in the table along with preventive measures and prevention.
Table: possible troubles and solutions
Photo gallery: what pineapple suffers from
Dry spots on pineapple foliage appear due to heat or insect attack. The death of the rosette after fruiting is a natural process in pineapple. Scale insects provoke yellowing of the leaves. Aphids are an insect that drinks plant sap. Spider mite loves dry air very much 
Yellowing of pineapple leaves can be caused by pests such as mites or scale insects. The tips of the pineapple dry out if it is not sprayed. Yellowing of the lower tier of pineapple foliage occurs due to drafts. The rosette of the pineapple will rot if you flood the pineapple in the cold season. The mealybug leaves a white mealy discharge on plant
Pineapple propagation
Pineapple, like a true herbaceous plant, dies after fruiting, but this does not happen immediately and can even last for several years. At the same time, during this time, the mother bush gives birth to many small shoots around itself, which can be successfully planted in independent pots. These shoots will bloom much earlier than the attached tops.
Reproduction by shoots
Even before flowering, the pineapple forms a number of lateral shoots - basal shoots.
Tiny shoot on the mother rosette of a pineapple
They can be cut off or broken off from the mother's rosette once they have grown to about 20 centimeters in height. The cut areas are sprinkled with ash or crushed coal and left to dry for a week in a cool and ventilated room.
Shoots should be rooted in a vessel with water or in prepared soil only when cuts or breaks on the shoots are completely healed.
The optimal soil for rooting is layered. To do this, 3-4 cm of turf soil is poured onto the bottom of the container, then there is a layer of leaf humus and then about 10 cm of river sand. This is one of the rooting options; many gardeners plant shoots in mixed compound soils.
The soil should not be cold; its temperature can fluctuate between 24°-28°C.
After planting the shoot, the pot is covered with film or shoot, but so that the polyethylene does not touch the leaves.
When the pineapple shoots take root, they will soon begin to grow.
To do this, you can place supports on three or four sides by sticking sticks into the pot around the shoot.
You need to place a young pineapple in a sunny and warm place with diffused but bright light and high level air humidity.
Video: transplantation of lateral processes
Propagation by seeds
The seed propagation method is not the easiest, but quite accessible.
Seeds can sprout both in the second month and in the sixth: the seed method is therefore considered difficult, as it requires time and patience.
Pineapple (lat. Anánas) - genus herbaceous plants the Bromeliad family (Bromeliaceae), numbering nine species. The homeland of pineapple is South America. Large tufted pineapple (Ananas comosus) - popular fruit crop, grown in the tropics throughout the planet. To grow it, it is not at all necessary to move to warm countries - from the article we will learn how to grow pineapple at home.
Ripening pineapple.
Pineapple is land plant, with spiny stems and leaves. It has many adventitious roots that grow in the leaf axils, absorbing the water retained in them. Pineapple leaves are quite wide and fleshy, covered with a special epidermal layer. The plant retains its moisture supply in them. The leaves can reach 140 centimeters in length.
After the leaf rosette is fully formed, it forms a long peduncle covered with many bisexual flowers. Based on the results of two weeks of flowering, the golden fruit grows brightly orange color, resembling a pine cone in shape.
The benefits of pineapples for the human body
The volume of ripe pineapples is approximately 85% water - which is why it is so juicy and thirst-quenching. Pulp yellow color very sweet and has a unique aroma.
Pineapple contains a large number of elements: acids, sugars, fats, proteins, alkaloids, various trace elements and important vitamins (A, E, PP, C and many B vitamins). The fruit is very tasty and healthy - an excellent tonic for people of all ages. The calorie content of pineapple is approximately fifty kilocalories per 100 g of product.
Experts identify in its composition such useful microelements as potassium, calcium, iron, phosphorus, copper, and carotene. It is worth mentioning separately the content of bromelain, which burns fat, has an anti-inflammatory effect, helps with varicose veins and helps cleanse the body's blood vessels.
Pineapple juice normalizes liver and kidney function and stimulates intestinal function. Due to the abundance of vitamin C in it, it is recommended for use to prevent colds. Pineapple juice is also useful for hypertensive patients, because it cleanses the blood of cholesterol and normalizes blood pressure.
Growing at home using a crown
The crown of a pineapple is the top of the fruit.
To understand how to plant a pineapple at home, it’s enough to understand a few simple methods. The easiest way to do this is by planting the crown of the fruit.
Pineapple selection
All you have to do is walk to the grocery store to buy a pineapple. You need to carefully examine it - it must be ripe, and its top must be intact and not dry. It is not recommended to plant indoor pineapple in winter - as you might guess, during this period the fruit can remain in the cold for quite a long time. A frozen rosette is not suitable for planting.
A fruit with an intact top and green, not dried out leaves is required. It is recommended to grow this pineapple at home in summer or early autumn.
Planting the crown
First, you will need to cut off the crown so as not to touch the core with the knife. It will need to be cleared of pulp - otherwise the planted pineapple will begin to rot after some time. For the same reason, it is necessary to remove the lower rows of leaves so that the trunk of the plant, about one centimeter high, is visible. After these procedures, you will have to postpone planting for several weeks - the crown must dry thoroughly.
Choosing a pot and soil
To completely guarantee the successful growth of pineapples, you need to take care in the right pot and the soil for them.
A pot slightly larger than the seedling will do. It is better to use a container with holes to drain excess moisture. The shards are placed in the pot, and a layer of pebbles (about two centimeters) is placed on top of them.
Cultivate and moisten the soil - only after this can the dried crown be planted. It should be in the ground at the level of the lower leaves. Pack the soil thoroughly.
After this, you will need to water and spray it abundantly, and also create an impromptu greenhouse (it is enough to cover the plant with a plastic bag or cap). The pot with pineapple should be in a warm and bright place. To avoid the greenhouse effect, do not place the pineapple in direct sunlight.
After the first four weeks, the crown will give its first roots - until then, do not water the plant, just spray the leaves daily.
Transplanting and watering
Rooting a pineapple.
When the plant takes root, transplant it into a large pot. It is better to use soil of the same composition. After transplanting, you need to cover the fruit with polyethylene - you can remove it in a couple of weeks.
When watering pineapples, only warm water should be used. Watering should be done when the soil is dry. Watering is rare but plentiful - the pineapple retains moisture in the leaves, which is used as feed for additional roots.
This plant loves sunlight, so in summer it can be left on the balcony, on the window, or displayed in a greenhouse along with cucumbers or tomatoes.
Care and feeding
To grow this tropical fruit, you need a temperature of about 25 degrees above zero.
During the growing season (late spring, summer), pineapple needs feeding. It should be fertilized no more than once every two weeks. Gardeners unanimously recognize mullein the best fertilizer for pineapple. You can use mineral fertilizers - their concentration should be half that for other plants. With the beginning of autumn, the pineapple needs to be returned to a warm room.
Stimulation of pineapple flowering
Pineapple flower.
Pineapple blossoms at proper care usually starts two years after planting in a pot.
Delays in the onset of the flowering period are also possible. If the plant has been properly cared for, but it does not bloom, you will have to help it. To do this, you need to get ethylene. This is quite simple to do by mixing 0.5 liters of water and one teaspoon of calcium carbide. The resulting solution should sit for 24 hours, after which it should be poured into a new container so that the sediment remains at the bottom of the old one. The resulting liquid must be poured directly into the central part of the leaf rosette once a day for a whole week. This procedure ensures pineapple flowering for a period of up to several months.
Reproduction after fruiting
Because pineapple herbal plant, it dies after fruiting. Death usually occurs within a couple of years. The pineapple leaves behind many small shoots with which you can grow new fruits. After they produce the first roots, they can be safely separated and transplanted into separate containers. Such shoots will bloom much earlier than their mother plant, grown from a pineapple crown.
Planting using seeds
Pineapple seeds.
You can also plant pineapple seeds. You need a large, ripe fruit, from which you need to get the brown seeds. They are washed in a solution of potassium permanganate and dried thoroughly.
In addition, in specialized stores you can buy seeds and grow decorative inedible pineapple. Caring for a purchased plant is no different from the method described here.
Now you need to prepare the ground for sowing the seeds. Great option will become a mixture of leaf soil, sand and peat, taken in equal quantities. Sowing is done to a depth of no more than two centimeters, after which the seeds are watered generously with warm water and covered with a cap or plastic film. Containers with planted seeds should be placed in a warm and dry place. The higher the air temperature, the faster the first shoots will appear.
There is no exact period for seed germination - for some gardeners it takes only two months, for others it takes six months. We'll have to be patient.
The sprouts that appear must be regularly watered and sprayed. Young shoots need to be fed with chicken droppings or mineral fertilizers. Ventilation of young plants and their adaptation to dry climates is critical.
As soon as the pineapple leaves reach five centimeters in length, they will need to be transplanted into separate pots with loose soil. Fertilizing becomes similar to the previous method - the pineapple will need to be fertilized with mullein once every two weeks.
Growing pineapple at home both with seeds and with the help of the top is quite exciting activity. During flowering it smells nice, try grown with my own hands exotic fruit is an incomparable pleasure.
Many amateur gardeners often experiment with growing the most unusual plants at home. If someone thinks that pineapple is not suitable for growing in a pot, then this is not so. In fact, knowing some of the intricacies of growing various exotic crops, you can easily germinate almost any fruit purchased in a store. However, for many, the most interesting topic is how to plant a pineapple from the top yourself. To understand this issue, it is worth studying general information about this amazing plant.
Description
Pineapple represents perennial, which forms rather dense leaves during the growing season, which are subsequently transformed into a dense rosette. A very thick and durable stem grows from it, at the top of which a peduncle appears. Its length can reach up to 50 cm. The plant blooms with spike-shaped flowers.
The pineapple first appeared in Brazil, so this country is considered its legal homeland. There are a total of 8 varieties of this unusual plant.
Today, pineapples are sold in almost all chain stores. At the same time, the price of overseas fruit is low. While eating the delicious pulp, everyone has at least once wondered how to plant a pineapple. To some, such an idea seems stupid, but it can actually be brought to life. The main thing is to properly prepare everything you need.
Preparing planting material
Before planting a pineapple at home, you need to make sure that all the effort expended will not be in vain. The simplest and most effective way is to plant the crown, or as it is also called, the top of the sweet fruit.
First of all, you need to carefully examine the pineapple itself. If the fruit is unripe or diseased, then it will not be possible to grow a normal plant from it. Also, pineapples purchased in winter are not suitable for planting. The fact is that in winter fruits are stored at outside temperatures. Because of this, the top of the plant becomes frostbitten, and therefore a normal root system cannot develop from it.
Preparing containers and soil
Before planting a pineapple at home, you need to prepare the soil for the exotic plant and a reservoir. You can use any free flower pot as a container. In size it should be slightly larger than the height of the top, which is planned to be used as the starting material. In addition, the pot must be equipped with holes to remove excess moisture.
Before planting your pineapple, you need to fill the container appropriately. The first layer is the shards. After this, the pot is filled with expanded clay or pebbles. The thickness of this layer should be about 2 cm.
You also need to prepare the planting substrate. For this, a mixture of peat and sand in a 1:1 ratio is best. A few days before planting the pineapple tuft, it is necessary to disinfect the soil. To do this, just pour boiling water on the ground. Thanks to this treatment, the soil will be sufficiently moist.
Choosing pineapple
In addition to purchasing fruit in right time year, you also need to pay attention to the fruit itself. Pineapple leaves should be thick, firm and a rich green color.
It is recommended to smell the pineapple. It should have a pleasant aroma. If an unpleasant or sour odor emanates from the fruit, then it is better to discard such a fruit. To increase the chances of growing a full-fledged plant, it is recommended to purchase several pineapples at once.
Preparing the crest
Also, before planting the top of a pineapple at home, you need to carefully cut off the tuft from the fruit using a sharp knife. In this case, you need to try not to damage the core. If there is any pulp left on the tuft, it must be removed. Otherwise, it will begin to rot and the rhizome will not develop. It is also worth separating the lower leaves.
After preparing the starting material, you need to dry the top a little. To do this, you need to lay it in an upright position in a cool, dark place for several weeks. During this time, the wounds of the cutting will heal, and all nutrients will begin to be used exclusively for the development of the root system of the future plant.
Sprouting a crest
Continuing to consider the question of how to plant a pineapple from the top at home, let us consider in more detail the process of germination of this fruit. In order for the plant to take root, it is necessary to lower the tuft into water 3-4 cm. At the same time, it should be at room temperature. It is best to use a regular opaque glass or cup for this.
In this case, it is advisable to place the plant in a fairly illuminated place. However, there should not be too much sun. It is also worth making sure that there are no drafts in the room and that the air temperature does not change. If the conditions are correct, then after 4-7 days you will notice small roots at the top.
How to plant a pineapple at home: photos, subtleties of growing
Once the top has grown roots, you can prepare to transplant the plant into a pot. To do this, it is better to choose a fairly large container, the diameter of which will be about 35 cm with a height of about 30 cm. If you only have a smaller pot, then you can use it for the first time. However, a little later it is necessary to transplant the plant into a larger container. Otherwise, the pineapple leaves may begin to dry out and the fruit may not form.
It’s not enough to know how to plant pineapple at home. You still need to take care of it, don’t forget to water it. Water should be added in moderation on a regular basis. If you overwater the plant, then drainage system may not be able to handle the amount of moisture. Because of this, the pineapple rhizome may rot. The opposite situation can happen if the plant does not have enough water. In this case, its leaves will begin to dry out.
It is also worth periodically spraying the plant with a spray bottle. In addition, it is recommended to wipe the pineapple leaves with warm water.
Transfer
So, we learned how to plant a pineapple. Photos in the article can also help in this process. Now you need to wait until the rosette is completely rooted. At the next stage, the plant is transplanted into another pot. bigger size according to the same scheme as described above. After this, you need to cover the plant with a special cap, which can be removed after 2-3 weeks.
After this, the pineapple should be regularly watered with warm or even hot water. In this case, you need to add liquid a little less often, as the soil dries. As new leaves develop, moisture will begin to accumulate in their axils, thanks to which new roots will form.
When talking about how to plant a pineapple correctly, it is worth considering that this plant loves the sun and tolerates drought well. In summer, it is recommended to place the rooted flower on a well-lit windowsill or balcony. However, before the rain it is better to clean it indoors. Also, if desired, you can transplant the pineapple into a greenhouse for the summer. This environment will be optimal for him.
Top dressing
Any plant needs an additional source of nutrients and necessary conditions. Pineapple grows best at temperatures from +20 to +25 degrees. For its best development, it is recommended to add mineral fertilizers to the soil. However, this plant requires half as much of them when compared with other crops.
If a pineapple grows in a greenhouse throughout the summer, then with the onset of the first cold weather it must be brought indoors and placed in the most illuminated place.
In addition, experts who are well versed in how to plant pineapple recommend feeding the exotic plant with mullein several times a month.
How to stimulate flowering?
In order for the plant to grow fully and begin to bear fruit, as in its natural habitat, it is necessary to properly care for it. The pineapple must accumulate a sufficient amount of minerals and nutrients. Only in this case will it enter the full flowering phase. However, sometimes this happens a little later than expected.
If this happens, then additional measures can be taken to stimulate flowering. To do this, experts advise mixing 1 teaspoon of ethylene and calcium carbide. The mixture is diluted in 0.5 l warm water. The resulting solution is infused for 24 hours. After this, it must be strained in such a way as to remove all sediment. The central part of the plant rosette is treated with the prepared liquid. The procedure must be repeated daily for 7 days. After this, the pineapple will bloom quite quickly, and the process can last up to several months.
Another effective way- apple. It needs to be cut in half. One part of the fruit must be lowered into the ground with the plant, and the second must be placed in a leaf rosette. After this, the pineapple is covered with polyethylene for 2-4 weeks. Apples emit natural ethylene, which stimulates the flowering process very well.
Diseases
In addition to knowing how to plant a pineapple correctly, you also need to be prepared for all the ailments that the plant may suffer from. Therefore, you need to take into account several useful recommendations:
- If the plant's leaves turn pale, this indicates that it is not receiving enough light. The pineapple needs to be moved to the sun.
- If the plant does not bloom, then it is worth considering that at home it enters this stage after 18, and sometimes after 30 months. In industrial conditions, the culture of this species is treated with ethylene gas.
- If the lower leaves begin to dry out, wrinkle or curl, this indicates that the plant is suffering from strong drafts. In this case, it is enough to move the pineapple to another place and not open the windows too often.
- When dust forms, it is necessary to periodically wipe the leaves with a cloth soaked in warm water.
- If the leaves have begun to die off, this should not be a cause for concern if the plant has recently fruited. Sometimes the pineapple dies after this, but a new flower can be grown from the remaining rosette.
- When a crop grows too slowly, it may need an additional supply of microelements. To do this, it is enough to feed the plant.
Thus, you can grow an exotic plant yourself at home.
