Pineapple is a herbaceous tropical plant that gives aromatic, tasty and very healthy fruits, appreciated by gourmets and nutritionists. This once exotic berry can be grown both in greenhouses and at home.
How pineapples grow
Home to tropical South America, pineapples are excellently adapted to climates where a period of warm rainfall gives way to a long dry heat. The narrow, fleshy leaves up to 70 cm long store moisture during the rainy season, which allows the pineapple to survive the dry season. The leaves form a rosette, from which in the second year a spike-shaped peduncle grows, abundantly covered with bisexual flowers. In nature, flowers can be pollinated by hummingbirds and butterflies. The fruits that grow from such ovaries contain small apple-like seeds under the skin. The taste of pineapple with seeds is valued very low, and plantation owners try to keep pollinators out of their estates.
Pineapple fruits are rich in vitamins A, C and B, contain substances that thin the blood and inhibit the pathogenic intestinal flora, but can irritate the gastric mucosa in case of ulcers and gastritis.
If self-pollination occurs, then a seedless fruit grows from the ovary in the form of a huge cone, which is a set of accrete berries that have developed from individual flowers of the inflorescence. At the crown of this seed, a crest is formed from the rudiments of vegetative leaves. The ripe fruit is golden brown in color.
Side shoots grow from the axils of the leaves, which can be used for planting. After removing them, the plant will bear fruit again. After the second harvest on the plantations, pineapples are uprooted, and new plants are planted in their place.
Where pineapples grow
Pineapples were first cultivated in Paraguay and southern Brazil. Now they grow in many countries located in the tropical and subtropical zones: Hawaii and the Philippines, Mexico, Ghana, Guinea, Brazil, Australia, India. Pineapples are also grown in greenhouses in the United States and South and Central Europe: Belgium, France, Spain, Italy, Germany, the Netherlands, as well as in Russia in the Krasnodar Territory.
How to grow pineapple in a room
Pineapple can also grow in an apartment. For planting, a ripe fruit with a golden brown skin and a tuft of strong healthy leaves of a rich green color is suitable. The leaves should not have gray and yellow spots, which indicate parasitic diseases.
To separate the tuft from the stem, grab it with your hand and turn it - the leaves should separate with the stem. You can also cut off the top of the pineapple with a knife and remove the pulp from the crown to prevent the stem from rotting. Separate the lower leaves from the trunk, exposing it to a few centimeters. After that, leave the tuft in a dry, ventilated room for several days to dry out a little.
To grow roots on a trunk, place it in a glass of warm filtered or settled water and place it on a windowsill. The water needs to be changed 2 times a week. When the roots grow 2 cm, the seedlings can be transplanted into a pot.
Young pineapple loves moist soil, however, water should not stagnate in the container where it was planted. Take a small pot with a drainage hole, pour 2 cm of expanded clay on the bottom for better drainage, then soil - one that is sold in flower shops for cacti is suitable. Place the pot in a well-lit place, but not in direct sunlight. Rooting of pineapple will take 1, 5-2 months. As new leaves appear, the old ones will turn yellow and die off - carefully cut them off.
If mold or putrid odors appear in the pot, completely change the soil.
Water well-rooted pineapple once a week. For irrigation, use settled water, heated to 30 degrees. As it grows, about once a year, repot the pineapple in a larger pot, keeping in mind the drainage. In warm weather, take the plant out to the balcony or garden, protecting it from direct sunlight. In winter, make sure that the pineapple does not suffer from drafts. The optimum temperature for growing it is 24-26 degrees. During the growing season, feed the plant with mineral or organic fertilizers once a month.
Pineapple bloom can be expected when it has reached 25 cm in height. If inflorescence is not observed, forced flowering can be stimulated. To do this, pour a teaspoon of calcium carbide with 0.5 liters of water, close the lid and leave for a day. Then carefully pour the liquid into another container to get rid of any sediment. Once a week, gently pour the solution into the base of the leaves. For propagation, use the lateral shoots that appear after fruiting.
