How to plant a pineapple. How to plant a pineapple at home Planting a pineapple from a fruit

What winter holidays would be complete without a mountain of tangerines and a couple of juicy pineapples? A couple of years ago, I didn’t throw away the tops of my pineapples and decided to turn them into house plants. It turned out that pineapple easily reproduces vegetatively.

Choosing a pineapple to grow on a windowsill

For planting at home, fruits purchased in August or autumn are best suited. Before the New Year, slightly frozen pineapples arrive in stores and on the market; they are already unviable from the very beginning.

So, out of three planted pineapples, only one took root.

To increase your chances of growing a homemade pineapple from the top, choose a fruit based on the following characteristics:

1. With a powerful, dark green rosette of leaves, which should be covered with a light waxy coating (do not buy specimens with gray-green or brownish flaccid foliage).
2. With an untouched growth point - a hedgehog of young leaves hiding in the center of the leaf rosette.
3. With a pleasant sweet aroma (this is an indicator that the fruit is fully ripe).

How to grow a pineapple at home from the top: step-by-step instructions

So, to plant a pineapple at home, it is prepared in several stages:

1. Separate the crown with a sharp knife so that the cut is smooth and without burrs.
2. Next, the upper part of the pineapple is placed in a container with water so that a small air gap remains between the upper leaves and the liquid (this is necessary in order to prevent rotting).
3. As it evaporates, do not forget to add water to the dishes.
4. If the cut suddenly becomes covered with mold, remove this part with a knife.
5. As soon as roots from 1.5 to 2 centimeters long are formed on it, the crown is ready for planting.

Flower pots with a capacity of at least one liter (preferably two or three) are well suited for growing pineapple. Pineapple prefers fertile but loose soil, so I made the following mixture for it: 1 part garden soil, 1 part compost and 0.5 parts clean river sand.

I placed pebble drainage at the bottom of the pot (you can also use red brick fragments or small expanded clay).

I planted the rooted pineapple in a moderately moist soil mixture and moved the plant to a bright place out of direct sunlight. And when fresh leaves began to appear on the plant, I moved it to the south-eastern window sill in the sun.

As it developed, I periodically transplanted my pineapple into a larger container.

The optimal watering regime for homemade pineapple is to alternate generous irrigation with short-term drying of the soil in pots. Naturally, in summer, during the period of active growth, it is watered more often, and in winter, on the contrary, watering is reduced to the required minimum.

During the spring and summer months, I feed my pineapple every 2-3 weeks with fermented grass or. To do this, I dilute the manure infusion not 10 times, but 20-25 times. Indeed, due to the small volume of soil in the pot, there is a high risk of burning the roots of the plant.

Pineapple at home - where is the harvest?

Please note: the fruit can bear a pineapple with a base diameter of at least 5 centimeters. Despite careful care and regular feeding, my homemade pineapple was in no hurry to produce offspring. After a little communication with the know-it-all Google, I found out that in order to get a harvest in an apartment, plants need to be stimulated.

In tropical countries, when industrially cultivating pineapples, they use fumigation with ethylene smoke and watering the roots with acetylene solution. To prepare it, 1 gram of carbide is dissolved in 100 milliliters of water and 15-20 milliliters are added per plant.

As an alternative to chemicals, you can push the pineapple to bear fruit using regular apples. To do this, place a pot with a plant and several apples in a spacious transparent plastic bag. As a rule, in this case, flowering occurs in a month and a half.

It’s an interesting method, but it has one big drawback: the first apples ripen in August, so the fruiting period falls in mid-to-late autumn (and this is extremely undesirable).

Instead of apples, I decided to persuade my pineapple to bloom by watering it with nettle infusion. Every day for two months I applied a teaspoon of undiluted infusion to the root and - lo and behold! - by the end of this period, a short flower arrow appeared on the plant.

Flowering lasted a week and a half, and the fruit took two months to ripen. During this time, I kept the soil in the pot moderately moist.

When the flowering stem drooped and the fruit began to exude a delicate honey aroma, I carefully cut the “harvest”. Of course, my pineapple was inferior in size and weight to store-bought fruits, but in taste it was no different from them.

Today you cannot find a person who has not heard of pineapple. This exotic fruit, which is native to the subtropics, is supplied to most countries. And probably many people had a desire to eat pineapple grown with their own hands.

It is quite possible to implement such an idea, because with the right approach you can get fruit of approximately the same quality at home or in a greenhouse.

Description of the pineapple plant

Pineapple is a perennial plant that during the growing season produces dense leaves that form a dense rosette. The important part of the pineapple is basal rosette, from which a thick and massive stem is formed.

Subsequently, a peduncle 50 cm long grows at its top. Pineapple flowers are spike-shaped; during ripening, a peduncle grows at the top of the peduncle rosette with bracts.

You can understand what a rosette looks like by looking at a store that sells pineapple plants. This fruit is native to Brazil. It is therefore not surprising that here, as well as in Venezuela, Paraguay and Colombia, he is one of most popular fruits. There are about 8 different varieties of pineapple.

Surely, at least once, having tasted this fruit, many have thought about growing pineapple at home. The fact that pineapple is a tropical fruit is not an obstacle either. Main - select suitable conditions, in which this fruit will be grown.

Preparation of planting material

To save yourself from possible difficulties and at the same time be sure that the efforts expended will not be in vain, it is recommended to use crown planting method or rosettes of leaves. Before you begin the growing process, you need to carefully inspect the pineapple.

Suitable for growing at home only ripe fruit, the crest of which should not show signs of disease or other defects.

You should not use fruit purchased in winter for planting. Indeed, at this time of year, pineapple is stored in cold conditions, so the rosette of the tuft is often damaged by frost. Therefore, it will not be possible to grow a pineapple from such a fruit.

• It is best to plan to plant pineapple in the summer or early autumn, when fruit of suitable quality can be purchased.
• The chances that your venture will end in success will be higher if you buy a pineapple with an intact center tuft and juicy green leaves.
• When you have the fruit in your hands, you need to take a sharp knife and carefully separate the top from it, being careful not to damage the core. Sometimes there may be pulp present on the cut top. In this case, it must be removed, otherwise the trunk will subsequently begin to rot.
• In addition, the lower rows of leaves should also be cut off. Then you will have a clear view of the plant's trunk, which is usually about 1 cm high.
• After finishing trimming, you need to give the tuft time to dry. To do this, it is left in an upright position for two weeks. This time will be enough for the wounds on the surface of the cutting to heal.

Subsequently, the plant will use nutrients to form the root system. Most often, after 2–3 weeks, the tuft reaches the desired state, after which you can proceed to planting.

Container and soil

When growing pineapple at home, you will definitely need a special soil mixture, as well as a container where you will plant the pineapple.

Planting a pineapple

When all the necessary operations with the soil have been carried out, they begin to plant the tuft. It should be placed in the ground so that the lower leaves are at soil level. In conclusion it is necessary compact the soil thoroughly.

After this it is necessary water the ground thoroughly, spray, and finally cover the pot with a cap or pull on a plastic bag. The result will be something like a greenhouse.

After about a month, the tuft will begin to take root. However, until the first roots appear, the plant cannot be watered. To maintain humidity, you can limit yourself to regular spraying of the leaves.

Transplantation and watering rules

When the pineapple rosette takes root, it is replanted into a larger pot. In this case, the operation is carried out in accordance with the same scheme as in the case of the first planting. After transplanting, the pot with the plant must be covered with a cap.

After two to three weeks, the shelter can be removed. Can only be used for watering warm or hot water. Watering should be done infrequently, but in moderation, keeping an eye on when the soil begins to dry out.

As it develops, water will collect in the leaf axils, which will stimulate the formation of new roots. Considering that pineapple tolerates long periods of drought and is responsive to light, with the arrival of summer it can be moved to a sunny place or to a balcony.

At the first sign of approaching rain, the plant should be moved inside. To create conditions for the pineapple that are as close to natural as possible, it can be move to greenhouse where tomatoes or cucumbers are grown.

Conditions for pineapple and feeding

In order for a pineapple to grow well at home, it needs to create comfortable temperature conditions- within 20−25 degrees.

During the development process, the plant must be provided with fertilizers. They should be applied no more than twice a month. Mullein infusion can provide the necessary nutrients for pineapple.

You can replace it mineral fertilizers, however, in this case their consumption rate must be reduced by half compared to other plants. At the end of summer, when the temperature outside begins to decrease, the plant is brought inside, where it is necessary to select the most illuminated place for it.

During the first two years from the moment of planting, the pineapple needs to be properly cared for so that it can accumulate enough strength to enter the flowering phase. However, sometimes it happens that the plant begins to bloom later than the specified period.

If you are faced with a similar problem, and at the same time provided proper care throughout the entire time, then you will have to carry out special events to stimulate flowering.

• Usually the required effect can be achieved using ethylene; to prepare it, you need to take one teaspoon of calcium carbide and dilute it in 0.5 liters of water;
• when the solution is ready, it is infused for 24 hours;
• further, it must be strained, trying to separate the liquid from the sediment that forms at the bottom of the jar;
• The resulting liquid should be treated with the central part of the leaf rosette once a day for a week.

As a result of this operation, quite soon the pineapple will begin to bloom which will last approximately 1-2 months.

Pineapple propagation after fruiting

When growing a pineapple from the top, you should not forget that it is a herbaceous plant, so after fruiting it does not go into a dormant state, but dies. But often this process can drag on and take several years.

The mother plant can form many small shoots, which can be used to produce new plants. After waiting for young roots to form, they should be separated, after which they are transplanted into separate pots.

As a rule, plants obtained from young shoots enter the flowering phase much earlier than pineapple bushes that were obtained from a tuft.

Pineapple seed propagation

An alternative to growing pineapple from the top is to sow seeds. To do this you need to choose enough ripe fruit and extract the brown seeds from it. Next, they are placed in a weak solution of potassium permanganate, and after this treatment they are allowed to dry.

When sowing, the seeds need to be buried 2 cm. After this definitely needs to be watered substrate with warm water, and stretch the film over the container with the seeds or install a cap. Then the pots are transferred to a warm place.

Particular attention should be paid to creating an optimal temperature regime, since this largely determines the time of appearance of the first shoots.

It is impossible to say exactly when the seeds will germinate. Therefore, you will have to be patient. Sometimes seeds hatch after 2 months, and in some cases you have to wait six months.

In the process of caring for young seedlings, you need not only to regularly water and spray them, but also fertilize using chicken manure or mineral supplements as fertilizer.

Pineapple is one of the most popular exotic fruits, which each of us has probably heard of. But if you wish, you can enjoy pineapple grown at home. You can master this task if you first get acquainted with agricultural technology its cultivation.

The most popular method of growing pineapple is to use the top of the fruit. To obtain a fruit-bearing plant from it, you will have to not only prepare the soil of a suitable composition, but also create favorable conditions for growth.

First of all, this concerns temperature, because pineapple is grown in the tropics. Therefore, it is necessary not only to plant the pineapple correctly, but also to provide it with the appropriate temperature conditions.

For many people, a very interesting and unusual activity is growing pineapple from green top. However, if someone suddenly sees such an exotic plant, for example, among his relatives or friends, then he, of course, will certainly want to have the same one. And that’s all, because the pineapple has a very impressive appearance and is an evergreen plant. That’s why he can transform any room. And on top of everything, if you provide it with proper care, you can even see the appearance of small fruits. In order to learn how to properly care for pineapple at home, you need to study the step-by-step instructions below.

In order for your venture to be successful, you need to choose the right planting material. The fruit must be healthy and ripe, but it should be taken into account that an under-ripe or, on the contrary, over-ripe pineapple is not suitable for this purpose. You should also pay special attention to the fruit, or rather, the leaves. The correct fruit, suitable for planting, should have a dark green color, healthy, and very firm to the touch. In the case when yellowness appears on the leaves or they have acquired a brown tint, such fruit, of course, should be put aside. If you go to the market to buy pineapple in cold weather, be extremely careful, as it may be frozen and definitely not ripening.

The central part of the fruit should be yellow and not too hard. By the way, if you suddenly notice that the pineapple is damaged, then it is better not to purchase it. You can also smell this fruit, and it should have a quite pleasant smell. If you have any doubts about the fruit you have chosen, then buy two at once, but only in different stores in order to increase the chances.

Step 2: Preparing the Top

First of all, the top of the fruit must be carefully removed. This is quite easy to do. Grasp the bunch of leaves tightly, so that it is completely in your hand, and slowly turn it. This action is very similar to unscrewing the cap on a bottle. As a result, the stem should come out without much effort.

However, in the case when the pineapple is unripe, it will be impossible to separate the top using the method described above. An ordinary kitchen knife will come to your aid. Use it to carefully cut out the leaves with the spine, while holding the knife at an angle of 45 degrees. Then be sure to remove all remaining pulp in order to prevent the formation of rot on the workpiece.

After this, the stem located at the lower base must be carefully cleaned, removing all leaves to a height of 2-3 centimeters.

Step 3. Rooting the top

In order for the top to take root, it must be placed in a container of water at room temperature. It should be immersed in the liquid by 3 or 4 centimeters. Absolutely any container is suitable for this purpose. For rooting, the top is placed in a well-lit place, but the sun's rays do not fall on it. Also, there should be no draft or sudden change in temperature. After 4–6 days, roots will begin to grow.

Step 4. Planting and growing

To plant a pineapple, it is better to immediately take a larger pot, or rather, it should be 20–30 centimeters in height and 30–35 centimeters in diameter. However, if you don’t have a similar size pot at hand, the top of the fruit can be planted in a pot with a diameter of 10–15 centimeters. But after the plant grows larger, it must be transplanted into a larger flower pot. Otherwise, the leaves will begin to dry out and there will be no flowering. Experienced gardeners advise replanting this plant as it grows.

The flower pot must have holes so that excess liquid can flow out. Then you need to make a three-centimeter drainage layer. For planting you will need loose and very nutritious soil. The prepared pineapple top needs to be buried up to 3 centimeters. Within six months, fertilizers, or rather mullein, will need to be applied to the soil. Fertilization is carried out once every 1–2 months. Be sure to place the flower pot in a warm and bright place.

Do not forget about systematic moderate watering. To do this, use exclusively settled water, and, if possible, rainwater. If watering is too abundant, rot may form on the roots. And when watering is too scarce, the plant’s leaves will begin to dry out (the dried ends must be carefully cut off). As a rule, watering is done after the top layer of soil has dried out a little. It is also systematically necessary to moisten the leaves with warm water, and also, as necessary, wipe them with a dampened cloth (for hygienic purposes).

Growing pineapple at home is not that difficult. And if you care for it correctly, then after just 2–2.5 years it will bloom, and after some time you will be able to enjoy a tasty and aromatic fruit grown with your own hands.

Video review

Growing an unusual plant yourself is always interesting. Now flower growers can add real pineapple to their collection. To grow it at home from the top, no special skills are needed, because this fascinating process is very simple. But, no less important, a native of the tropics will bring some note of exoticism into the room, and with proper care it will delight the owner with a delicious fruit.

General description of the plant

Pineapple is a perennial herb, and therefore its classification as a fruit and vegetable is erroneous. Culture is a small growing out of fibrous root stem, studded with sharp long leaves. It can reach one meter in height and up to two meters in diameter. The fruit of the plant is formed at the top of the main shoot, which elongates after flowering. The weight of some pineapple fruits is 3.5 kg.

Historical reference

The homeland of the exotic grass is Brazil. In Europe, an unusual fruit appeared thanks to the sailors of Christopher Columbus. It was they who brought pineapple from South America in 1490. Wealthy Europeans immediately liked the taste of the fruit, but sending expeditions for a new delicacy in those days was very expensive, and it would have taken too long to wait for their return. All that remained was to grow pineapples in Europe.

For a long time, no one managed to grow South American grass in the harsh European climate. The attempts were crowned with success only when the plant from the expanses of Brazil began to be planted in greenhouses and greenhouses. There, the heat-loving pineapple began to grow and bear fruit successfully.

Russia, following the example of European countries, has also started growing exotic fruit. For more than a century, pineapple plantations existed in St. Petersburg and even on Solovki.

The situation changed in the 19th century, when steamships made travel to South America quite accessible. It was then that juicy fruits began to be brought directly from their homeland in huge quantities. Now the plant is one of the most valuable crops South America, Africa and Southeast Asia. At home, you can grow pineapple from the top, as well as from seeds and root cuttings.

Growing from an apical rosette

To successfully grow an exotic plant at home, you first need good planting material. When choosing a pineapple in a store to grow at home, you need to pay attention to ensuring that it is fresh and ripe. The peel of such a fruit is golden yellow, and the foliage of the apical rosette is lively, green and elastic, without any traces of spoilage or cold damage. In addition, the inner leaves should not be dry. You also need to keep in mind that if the growing point of the rosette is rotten or dried out, then it will be very difficult to get a new plant.

If the purchased fruit meets all the specified requirements, then you can begin preparing planting material. To do this, use a sharp, clean knife to cut off the top part of the pineapple so as to capture not only the rosette of foliage, but also part of the fruit itself three centimeters below.

For a fully ripe pineapple, you can simply carefully unscrew the socket. To do this, you should firmly hold the top with one hand and turn the fruit with the other.

Having received future planting material, it must be thoroughly cleaned of all remnants of juicy pulp, as they can become a source of rot. In addition, the short lower leaves of the rosette also need to be removed to create a cylindrical cutting about three centimeters long.

Sections must be treated with a saturated solution of potassium permanganate or crushed charcoal. In addition, it is suitable for antibacterial treatment of cuttings, which will also speed up the appearance of roots.

To prevent rotting of the planting material, it must be dried before rooting. To do this, it is best to hang the outlet for a day or two so that it does not touch any surfaces.

To stimulate the emergence of the root system, the part of the cutting, cleared of foliage, should be immersed in water. To hold the socket at the desired level, you can use plastic or cardboard circle, as well as toothpicks.

When the first roots appear on the pineapple, the apical rosette can be planted in the ground, but it is better to deepen the young plant no higher than the lower tier of leaves. The soil around the seedling must be carefully compacted, taking care not to damage the fragile root system.

Temperature

Subsequently, pineapple cultivation takes place under plastic film or a glass jar so that the temperature around the plant does not drop below 22 °C. If the air and soil in the greenhouse warm up to 25 °C, then in about a month young bright leaves will appear in the center of the apical rosette.

During the period of acclimatization and rooting of the plant, it is important to follow the following rules:

• protect the leaves from condensation drops, as it can cause mold development and rotting of the rosette;
• water the plant regularly;
• Gently ventilate the greenhouse, preventing the seedling from cooling.

Propagation of pineapple by seeds is considered the most difficult and time-consuming, since seedlings can only be obtained from purchased seeds. The fruits sold in stores either have no seeds at all, or only have their whitish immature rudiments.

The pineapple seed suitable for planting is brown or reddish brown. It has a slightly flattened semicircular shape. The length of the seed is from 0.3 to 0.4 cm.

To successfully germinate seeds, they are placed between layers of damp gauze or napkins for 18 to 24 hours before planting. The container with seeds is covered and placed in a warm place. After the seeds have swollen a little, they can be planted in moist soil consisting of peat and sand. To ensure the best germination of seeds, they are deepened no more than 1-2 cm.

The container with the planting is covered with polyethylene or glass, providing greenhouse conditions, since the germination of seeds and the time of appearance of the first shoots depends precisely on the ambient temperature:

• At room temperature, seeds may take three weeks to one and a half months to germinate.
• At temperatures between 30 and 32 °C, pineapple seeds will germinate in 2-3 weeks.

It should be noted that it is important not only to maintain a certain air temperature and moisten the soil in a timely manner, but also to regularly feed the seedlings. For this purpose, complex fertilizers are suitable, including all the basic nutrients. Fertilize the plants once every 15-20 days.

When the seedlings form rosettes of several leaves, you can begin to dive. To do this, young pineapples, together with a small lump of earth, are transferred to the soil for adult plants. Making such soil yourself will not be difficult; to do this, you just need to mix peat, garden soil, humus and sand in equal proportions. To protect the sprouts from possible infections, you can add a little crushed charcoal to the soil. In addition, some of the sand can be replaced with perlite.

If you already have an adult pineapple at home, then it can be propagated using the daughter shoots formed at the bottom of the plant’s stem or under its fruit. Suitable cuttings for planting are 15 to 20 cm long and have several rows of leaves.

Like the rosette from the top of a pineapple, the stem of the plant can either be carefully twisted out or carefully cut off with a sharp blade. Then the cut site should be sprinkled with coal chips, after which the cutting should be lowered into water to root formation. When the plant has a root system, it can be planted in light soil consisting of the following mixture:

• peat,
• perlite or sand,
• ready-made substrate for indoor plants.

Some cuttings may already have root buds. Such specimens are planted immediately in a suitable soil mixture.

Home care

Caring for pineapple is easy. It consists of providing the plant with conditions for normal growth and development, these include:

• Selecting the right soil.
• Timely loosening of the soil.
• Creating acceptable lighting, as well as temperature and humidity.
• Proper watering.
• Regular fertilizing with fertilizers suitable for the plant.

To successfully grow pineapple at home, you need to keep in mind that it has a weak, superficial root system. Therefore, the soil and pot must meet the following conditions:

• The earth must be permeable to moisture and oxygen.
• A drainage layer must be placed at the bottom of the pot.
• The container for the plant should be shallow, but wide enough.

Pineapple, like many southern plants, is quite light-loving, and therefore at home it is best to place it on southern, eastern or western windows. At the same time, it is better to shade a pineapple growing on the south side in the summer, when the sun is hottest. But in winter, the plant needs to be provided with lighting, which will extend the daylight hours by 8 hours. If the level of light received by the pineapple is sufficient, its apical rosette will form symmetrically.

The lower limit of ambient temperature for a plant is 18 °C, at which the development of a native of Brazil stops. In order for exotic grass to actively develop, the air in the room must be much warmer, so in spring and summer the optimal temperature is from 22 to 30 °C.

An important part of caring for a homemade pineapple is regular and infrequent, but abundant watering. It uses settled water at room temperature. On hot days the plant requires irrigation, but on cold days wet leaves will inevitably cause disease and wilting. This should be expected if the pineapple comes under a stream of cold air from an open window or under dry air coming from a hot radiator.

In mid-spring, the pineapple begins its active growing season. It lasts until October. All this time the plant requires feeding. Usually the schedule is built depending on the condition of the pineapple, but most often organic and mineral fertilizers are applied to the soil once every 1-2 weeks.

For the winter, feeding is stopped and watering is reduced. In addition, the temperature of the plant is reduced.

Stimulating flowering for fruiting

The first flowers on the plant should appear approximately 2 years and 5 months after planting. If the appearance of ovaries is delayed, then the pineapple should be fed with 50 mg of an aqueous solution of ethylene every day for a week. To obtain this solution, one teaspoon of carbide is dissolved in half a liter of water, after which the resulting liquid is infused for 24 hours and poured into a clean container without sediment.

In addition, for stimulating flowering the plant is fumigated with smoke from burning coal 2 times with a break of 10 days. But this procedure can be replaced by placing a pot of pineapple in the same plastic bag with tomatoes or ripe apples.

During flowering, growth of the apical rosette of the plant and the appearance of basal buds are observed. If the rosette has grown well, it will later produce a large fruit. After the pineapple has faded, its old leaves must be carefully removed, and then continue to water the plant once a week.

Even in indoor floriculture conditions, growing pineapple from apical leaves is not difficult if you pay enough attention to this plant. With proper care, exotic grass will decorate the owner’s home with its unusual appearance, and the florist himself will add a rare specimen to his collection, which is quite capable of thanking him for his care with delicious fruits.

Attention, TODAY only!

– This amazing tropical plant comes from the tropics of South America. In European countries, they began to grow it in greenhouses, creating the necessary climate conditions.

But with a little effort, growing pineapple can be done even at home. And after a while this interesting plant will surprise us with its appearance and fruits.

Pineapple: plant description

– It is a herbaceous plant with a stem sprouting from the center. In the center of the stem, at the top there is an inflorescence, which after fertilization turns into infructescence.

Outwardly, it can be seen that the individual parts of the berries of the fruit grow together into one fruit - a pineapple. The stem is surrounded by a rosette - fleshy and thick leaves.

The pineapple fruit has an oval, cylindrical shape and consists of numerous individual small parts fused together. A rosette of leaves forms at the top.

The dense scaly shell of the ripe fruit has a dark green, yellow, brown or even reddish tint. Inside the fruit there is bright yellow pulp. It has a pleasant taste and good aroma. Ripe pineapple fruits reach a weight of 4-5 kg.

What conditions does a pineapple need to grow successfully?

Pineapple, when grown at home, is very demanding on the conditions that will be created for its successful ripening. Since this is a tropical plant, it is extremely important to maintain proper lighting, temperature and humidity.

Lighting

Pineapple needs at least 6 hours a day, regardless of the time of year, to be in a well-lit place. In summer, the plant can be placed on the balcony or in the garden, in a moderately lit place. During the cold season, pineapple should be kept on the south side to evenly receive sunlight.

The plant should not be rotated, as this can slow down its growth; one-sided lighting is sufficient for it. If the time of year and weather conditions do not allow sunlight to reach the pineapple, then the pineapple can be illuminated with additional lighting - fluorescent lamps. Just keep in mind that when using lamps, the pineapple must receive lighting for at least 8 hours a day.

Air temperature and humidity

Pineapple is very afraid of the cold. If in summer it is quite satisfied with the ambient temperature, then in winter it is worth considering ways to preserve heat in the room and soil of the plant. It should not be kept on a cold floor or windowsill; in winter it is best to maintain the soil temperature at 18 – 21 °C, the maximum temperature for the winter period is 27 °C.

The plant should not be kept near radiators and heaters; it is also worth ensuring that there are no drafts. To maintain humidity, you need to use a pot with wet drainage. You can spray water around the plant; you should not spray the leaves, as water can accumulate inside the rosette and cause them to rot. They should be wiped from dust with a damp cloth.

How to plant a pineapple

Before planting pineapple at home, you should first purchase a ripe, fresh and healthy fruit.

A good pineapple fruit should:

1. Have a light sweetish aroma.
2. Have no external damage, the color should be uniform, golden brown.
3. The pineapple should be elastic to the touch. If the fruit is soft, it means that it is overripe. If the fruit is hard, then, on the contrary, it is unripe.
4. The leaves at the top should be fresh, green with slightly dried edges - this is an important sign of the ripeness of the fruit. If there are gray spots, this means that the leaves are damaged by scale insects, and you should refuse to use such a fruit.

By following the following rules, we will be able to grow a good pineapple at home, which will delight us with its unusual appearance and bear fruit in the future.

Separation of tufts from the fruit

Separating the crown of leaves from a pineapple is quite simple. You need to grab all the leaves with your hand and turn them very carefully, as if unscrewing the cap of a bottle. If everything worked out correctly, you should be left with a crown of leaves in your hand with a small stem at the bottom.

If you are worried that you may not be able to do everything carefully, you should use a knife. Use a knife to cut off the top crown of the pineapple and cut out all the flesh to prevent rotting.

Preparing the crown for root germination

We need to remove several lower leaves with a knife to expose the trunk from which the roots will grow. After trimming the leaves and cleaning the trunk, leave our future pineapple to dry for a couple of days to prevent the scars and leaves from rotting after pruning.

Then the dried crown needs to be placed in a transparent bowl with water so that it covers the bare trunk of our plant. The water should be at room temperature. Place the dishes in a bright place, on the windowsill. You need to carefully monitor the water level, changing the water periodically. If everything is done correctly, the pineapple will take root in 3 to 4 weeks.

Planting a pineapple in the ground

After the roots have grown 3-4 cm, the pineapple can be planted in the ground. For initial planting, it is better to use a small pot with a hole for water drainage, suitable in size to our crown. A 3-centimeter layer of drainage is placed at the bottom of the pot; expanded clay can be used.

You need to fill the pot with loose, nutritious soil. After filling the soil, it is recommended to pour hot water into the soil. After this we can plant our plant. You need to plant it 5-6 cm deep; after planting, water the pineapple well with warm water. You need to place the plant in a bright and warm place. Pineapple takes root within 2-3 months.

Important!An important sign that the pineapple has taken root is the appearance of new leaves.

In the future, the first leaves will wither and die, but new green shoots will begin to grow in their place. Old leaves need to be carefully trimmed and removed. A grown pineapple should be watered once a week with warm water. After a year of growth, the pineapple is replanted into a larger pot.

You still need to place a drainage layer on the bottom, this time you can use gravel. The soil should be used from a mixture of two parts peat, one part river sand and three parts natural soil. In winter, the growth of pineapple slows down, but there is no need to worry: with the onset of a warm period, it will begin to develop abundantly, only for this you will need to feed the soil.

Did you know?If possible, during the primary and secondary planting of a pineapple, it can be placed under a plastic cap for 2-3 weeks to create tropical climate conditions and better survival of the plant.

Rules for caring for pineapple

Watching how our pineapple grows at home, we see that pineapple is a very heat-loving plant. It needs to be watered, but water stagnation should be prevented. It also needs periodic fertilizing of the soil.

Should I water my pineapple?

The soil in the pineapple pot should not dry out, but the water should not stagnate. Therefore, an adult plant needs to be watered generously once a week with warm water.

If the plant is outdoors, you should spray its leaves: they will absorb moisture, and the rest will evaporate. During the period of active growth, watering the pineapple can be changed: water twice a week, but reduce the amount of water poured. It is best when the water completely passes through the drain and flows out.

If you notice a marshy smell in the pot or mold appears on the soil, it needs to be replaced as soon as possible, otherwise the plant may die.

Important!The root system of the pineapple is very small, so a 3-4 liter pot is enough for an adult plant.

Feeding an exotic plant

During the growing season, pineapple needs to be fed twice a month. Ordinary cow humus will be a good fertilizer. You can also apply a complex of mineral fertilizers, which are sold in garden stores, but the dosage should be halved compared to other plants.

It is also necessary to spray the plant once a month with a 0.01% solution of iron sulfate. Alkaline fertilizers, lime and wood ash are contraindicated for pineapple.

Secrets of successful pineapple flowering

In the wild, it takes 26 months for a pineapple to bloom. At home, flowering times can vary in different directions. When 16 months have passed and the height of the plant is more than 20 cm, you can count on the beginning of flowering. Pineapple blossoms according to the following description.

A bud begins to form at the top of the trunk; it gradually rises up on a stalk growing from the trunk. After a couple of months, flowering begins and lasts literally two weeks. The flowers are bright blue. One flower opens for just one day. After blooming, the last flower begins the period of fruit development.

The ripening period ranges from 3 to 7 months, it all depends on the growing conditions and the pineapple variety.

It may happen that the pineapple has reached the required age and has developed normally, but flowering does not occur; in this case, the beginning of flowering can be stimulated. An aqueous solution of ethylene will do the job well.

To prepare it, you need to take 1-2 teaspoons of calcium carbide and pour 0.5 liters of water. Keep this solution in a closed vessel, then pour it, filtering off the sediment. This solution should be applied 50-55 ml per week to the upper part of the leaves of the plant. After such stimulation, the pineapple should produce a bud in 4-6 weeks. If this does not happen, it means that he is not yet ripe or is sick.

Did you know?Pineapple is a herbaceous plant, so it will die after fruiting. But it will leave behind several side shoots that can be used for further cultivation.

How to deal with pineapple pests and diseases

When growing pineapple as a houseplant, we must be prepared for the fact that it, like other plants, can be attacked by pests. Also, if the rules for caring for pineapple are not fully followed, the plant may experience certain problems.

If the leaves begin to dry out, this means that the plant is in a very hot or sunny place. It needs to be sprayed with water and moved to a cooler place. If the leaves begin to turn pale and curl, the plant needs to be placed in a brighter place.

If the trunk of a plant rots, it is worth moderating watering and stopping it until the plant returns to normal condition.

The following pests can attack pineapple:

• . It affects the leaves of the plant; it can be removed using a cotton swab dipped in ethyl alcohol. The plant should also be treated with an insecticide, which can be purchased at garden stores.
• Mealyworm. Covers the leaves with a continuous film. You can remove it by washing the leaves with a soapy solution, then treating them with Karbofos emulsion.
• Root worm. Affects the root system. If it is detected, you should stop watering and treat the soil with insecticidal preparations.
• Spider mite. It forms a thin web on the leaves; it must be removed with a soap solution, moistened with soft water and treated with a light insecticide.
• Orchid aphid. A small insect that lives on the upper leaves of the plant and feeds on its sap. Having discovered aphids, the plant must be treated with Actellik.
• Honeydew. This is a sticky coating formed due to insect secretions. If it is detected, the leaves should be washed with soapy water.
• Fungal diseases. Fungi are formed due to the application of fertilizers containing nitrogen. If they occur, the plant must be treated with a fungicide.

How can you propagate a pineapple?

Pineapple can be propagated using daughter shoots that form after the pineapple bears fruit. On average, one plant produces up to five shoots. Daughter shoots should be separated from the main part using a knife. They should reach a height of 15-20 cm and have their own roots.