How to grow pineapple at home

Pineapple is a tropical fruit that hardly grows in our temperate climate. However, it can be grown at home and even achieve fruiting. You only need to know how to do it. Growing pineapple takes a lot of time and effort, but the result is worth it.

How to plant pineapple

In order to properly grow a tropical fruit at home, you can use one or more methods at once:

• growing from the top of the fruit;
• reproduction using young shoots;
• growing fruit from seeds.

How to choose a pineapple

First of all, it is important to acquire a healthy and ripe fruit. The leaves of such a fruit should be solid and dark green in color. If they already showed signs of wilting and yellowness, then this fruit is not suitable for cultivation. In winter, in the markets all fruits are usually a little frostbitten, and it is almost impossible to grow another from such a pineapple.

Signs of pineapple from which to grow a new fruit:

1. Healthy tops. This indicates the ripeness of the fruit. You can check this in another way, just pulling one leaf out of pineapple. From ripened fruit, this will be easy. And if the tops do not come off, then the fruit is ripe.
2. The peel on the pineapple should be a uniform brown color. In no case should you buy a fruit with a green peel, since nothing can be grown from such a fruit. Also, there should be no spots on the crust. Before buying pineapple, you can tap on it. If the sound is sonorous, then the fruit is fresh and ripe.
3. If the smell of pineapple is very sharp, then this fruit can not be called fresh. On the contrary, in a good ripe fruit, the smell should be barely noticeable.

Top cultivation

The easiest way to grow pineapple is to grow it from the top of another fruit. And if the pineapple has already been bought, then it's time to move on to growing fruit:

1. Take out the top of the pineapple. To do this, grab all the leaves and gently turn to the side. Thus, as if it is a jar with a lid. This should be done carefully and then the stem will come out easily.
2. If the pineapple is not ripe, then difficulties may arise. Have to cut the stem out of the fruit with a kitchen knife.
3. Further, from the base of the stem, all leaves are peeled off. Often, roots can be found at the base of the stem. They will not grow anymore, but in no case should they be cut.
4. If the top of the pineapple was cut with flesh, then it must be well dried. The top is left in a dark place for two weeks, after sprinkling the pulp with activated charcoal. Without this, the flesh will quickly rot.
5. Then the stem is carefully immersed 3-4 cm in water. A cup or glass is best for this. Top pineapple can not be placed in the sun, but to hide in a dark place, too, is not necessary. It should be moderately lightened place. Every two days, you must change the water in the cup. After 5-7 days, small roots will appear.
6. Many do not wait and immediately plant the top in the ground. But in this case, it rarely gives roots, so it is better to wait for their germination first.
7. After the formation of roots, the stem must be planted in the soil. The capacity should be large enough so that the plant does not have to be transplanted later. A garden pot is suitable, the diameter of which is 30 cm and the same height.
8. In the pot, holes must be made to drain the liquid. A drainage layer is placed at the bottom, not exceeding 3 cm. From above, everything is covered with earth. Pineapple does not sit deep, 3-4 cm.
9. The soil around the pineapple must be tamped. Then you should spray with water and cover the plant with a cap from a plastic bottle. It should turn out a mini-greenhouse, which is then placed in a warm and well-lit place. You can’t put pineapple in the sun.

After about 7 weeks, the plant will take root and release new leaves. If all this time the pineapple does not show signs of life, it means that the landing was unsuccessful. With the growth of new leaves, old ones will die. Therefore, from time to time they need to be cut off. After a year, if necessary, the pineapple will need to be transplanted into a pot more spacious for the plant. You will need to add a special mixture to the ground, which in composition resembles the soil for growing cacti.

Water stagnation must not be allowed, therefore the drainage system must be very good. In winter, pineapples usually do not grow, but in the spring it continues to grow. If the plant does not develop further, it is possible that the soil is severely depleted and the plant needs to be fed. For this, mineral fertilizers or bird droppings are used.

Sprout propagation

Pineapple can easily be grown from young shoots that the plant releases before it begins to bloom. They can be used only when they reach a size of at least 20 cm. Usually, the shoots are cut off, but it can also be broken off. Places of cuts should be sprinkled with charcoal and left them for 6-7 days in a cool room.

Once the cuts on the shoots heal, you can begin to root the plants. To do this, the soil is prepared in the following way: turfy earth is poured onto the bottom of the pot, then a layer of leafy earth, a layer of humus and two layers of sand. The temperature of the soil should be approximately 25–26 ° C. Once the soil is ready, shoots can be planted in it. Then the pot is covered with a film so that the cuttings do not touch it.

Good lighting, high humidity and warmth are important for cuttings. Every day, it is necessary to monitor the condition of the plant and soil, as well as open the film for several minutes. If the landing was successful, the first young leaves will soon appear. The first roots are formed after 1-2 months.

After this, the pineapple needs to be transplanted again. This will require a small pot. The soil should be exactly the same as when planting cuttings for the first time. Two-thirds of the pot is filled with drainage, and the rest with soil.

How to sow pineapple

This tropical fruit can also be grown from seeds. To do this, you need to purchase a fresh fruit and carefully extract the seeds from its pulp. Their color should be either yellow or brown. Then they are thoroughly washed in a weak solution of potassium permanganate and slightly dried. Pineapple seeds need to be planted shallowly, 1-2 cm is enough. The pot must be covered with glass from above.

The pineapple pot must immediately be put in a warm place. It must be ensured that the plant has enough light. Water it regularly. Also, several times a month, the plant needs good nutrition. To do this, you can use purchased mineral fertilizers or independently make a solution of bird droppings. As soon as young leaves reach 5-6 cm, they can be transplanted into the ground.

Conditions of detention

Pineapple should never be kept in the cold. At home in the winter it is better not to leave it on the windowsill. It is better to take it to a room and do not put it near the heater. The more often grown pineapple is in the fresh air, the faster it grows. In addition, he always needs a lot of light, so every day for 5-6 hours the plant should be in a well-lit place. The normal temperature for the plant is 25 ° C.

Watering and feeding

When the pineapple has already grown, it does not need to be watered often, since the plant is quite tolerant of drought. During growth, it must be watered 1-2 times a week.Water must be at room temperature, but not colder or hotter. If the pineapple is outdoors for a long time, you should spray all the leaves with water from time to time. Then the plant will take moisture from them. It is important to ensure that the soil in the pot does not dry out much or rot. If mold has appeared on the ground and it smells unpleasant, it must be completely replaced with a new one.

Feeding is also quite simple. The plant does not need a lot of fertilizer. Top dressing is required only during the growing season, and even then only once a month. The easiest way is to feed the plant through the leaves, simply spraying it with special compounds. But at the same time, you should make sure that the liquid does not fall on young leaves. Otherwise, it will damage them.

Diseases and Pests

If the pineapple care is correct, then there will be practically no problems with pests. Despite this, even in an apartment, the plant may be attacked by a mealybug or ticks. Therefore, from time to time, pineapple leaves need to be washed with water and treated with chemical agents. Do this according to the instructions.

Pineapple has another unpleasant disease that can completely destroy the plant. This is a fungus that provokes rotting of the core. The leaves of the pineapple affected by the fungus quickly blacken and fall off the stem. It can be cured with a fungicide solution. The product is poured directly into the plant. When the infection is destroyed, the pineapple will release a young shoot, and the old one can be removed over time.

How pineapple blooms and bears fruit

A plant needs about 25–26 months to produce a new fruit. If pineapple grows at home, then these periods may vary. Usually after 15-16 months an inflorescence appears. It forms on the top and grows on the peduncle, gradually moving away from the top.

Two months later, the plant begins to bloom. It lasts about 10-14 days. Pineapple flowers are usually blue in color and bloom one by one in just one day. As soon as the last flower fades, the development of the fetus begins. Full ripening occurs after 4-6 months.

Often, home-grown pineapple does not bloom. But he can be carefully stimulated to this, of course, if he has already grown enough. For this, ethylene is used. You can get it as follows - 1 tsp. calcium carbide is poured into 500 ml of water and left for a day in a closed container.

Then the liquid is drained separately so that no sediment enters it. It is with this solution that you need to water the pineapple so that it blooms. Once a day for 7 days, approximately 50 grams should be poured into the base of the leaves. ethylene. Then you need to wait until the flowers appear. If you do not want to use this method, you can do it differently. On top of the pineapple you need to put on a regular plastic bag, putting a little rotten apples inside. It can also stimulate the pineapple to bloom and bear fruit.

Usually this happens after 5-6 weeks. If the flowering has not begun, then either the pineapple is sick, or it is not yet ready to bear fruit. After the pineapple bears its fruit, it dies. But this does not happen right away, usually the pineapple "dies" within 2-3 years. Therefore, the plant manages to release a sufficient number of young shoots. With their help, you can continue to grow pineapples, especially since it will turn out to be done faster.

In order for the grown pineapple to give fruit, it is necessary to take care of it for a long time, not forgetting about watering and feeding. In general, this is an unpretentious plant, and if you protect it from sudden changes in temperature, then it will delight you with beautiful flowers and a delicious fruit.

Video: rooting and growing pineapple at home