To grow a pineapple plant all you need is a fresh fruit. The next time you go to the supermarket or the greengrocer, buy one, then separate the leaves from the fruit and dip the base in water. In a few weeks, roots will sprout and you can bury the plant in a pot and then enjoy it for a long time. Read on to learn more.
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Prepare the Pineapple
Step 1. Get a pineapple with hard green leaves (not yellow or brown)
The peel should be a nice golden-brown color. Smell the fruit to see if it is ripe: to be planted it should give off a sweet and intoxicating scent if it has reached the right degree of ripeness.
- Make sure it's not unripe. It must be a ripe fruit to give rise to a plant.
- Check that the pineapple is not too ripe by moving the leaves gently, if they tear it means that the fruit is not suitable for your purpose.
- Check that there are no mealybugs (insects) at the base of the leaves (they look like small grayish spots).
Step 2. Twist the leaves on the top of the pineapple
Grab the body of the fruit with one hand and use the other to grip it, twist the leaves and detach them from the base. This way you can be sure to keep the base of the leaves intact. Some pulp will remain attached, but you don't need it to grow the new plant.
- If you are unable to detach the leaves with this method, you can cut the top of the pineapple, making sure to remove the excess pulp around the stem.
- Make sure that the base, that is the tip of the pineapple where the leaves join together, remains intact. From here will come out the new roots without which the new plant cannot grow.
Step 3. Peel off some leaves at the bottom to expose the stem
This will encourage root growth. Eliminate as many leaves as necessary to expose a few centimeters of the stem, and eliminate any residual pulp without damaging it.
Step 4. Turn the stem over and let it dry for about a week
This way the scars you caused with the cut harden. This is a crucial step before proceeding.
Part 2 of 3: Soaking the Crown
Step 1. Fill a large glass with water
The opening of the glass must be large enough to contain the crown of the pineapple, without however being completely submerged.
Step 2. Insert some toothpicks into the crown
Arrange them all around the top of the stem and insert them just enough to secure them. The toothpicks will allow you to keep the crown suspended in the water of the glass.
Step 3. Put the crown in the water
The toothpicks rest on the edge of the glass, the stem is not immersed in water and the leaves point upwards.
Step 4. Place the glass on a window that gets a lot of sun and wait for the roots to sprout
It will take several days or even a couple of weeks before you can see the first roots.
- Avoid that the plant is exposed to excessive temperatures: there must be neither too hot nor too cold.
- Change the water about every two days to prevent mold from forming.
Part 3 of 3: Plant the Crown
Step 1. Prepare a pot with soil
Fill a 15cm diameter pot with garden soil mixed with organic fertilizer (about 30%). This compound guarantees the right nutrients for the pineapple plant.
Step 2. Bury the crown in the vase
You need to do this when the roots have reached a length of about 5 cm. Wait until they are long enough to take root in the ground; if you are in a hurry they will not be able to develop well. Press the potting soil around the base of the crown without covering the leaves.
Step 3. Keep the plant in a warm, humid place
Your pineapple needs a sunny, warm and humid environment, where the temperature never drops below 18 ° C. If you live in a dry climate, mist the plant regularly.
If you live in a warm region, you can leave the pot outdoors. If, on the other hand, the winters are cold it is better to shelter your pineapple indoors and put it in front of a window with a lot of sun. For this type of plant it is important to receive the sun all year round
Step 4. Give the plant water and nutrition
Lightly wet the soil once a week. During the summer, add medium-strength fertilizer twice a month.
Step 5. Look at the flowers
It may take several years, but red cones may emerge from the center of the leaves followed by blue flowers and possibly fruit. The development of the fruit takes about six months, the pineapple comes from the flower, above the ground in the center of the plant.
Advice
- Try growing two pineapples, so if one attempt fails, you will still have another one and are more likely to get the desired results: lots of juicy pineapples.
- To encourage the plant to bloom, place it in a bag with two very ripe apples cut in half. Released ethylene gas can trigger the flowering process.
- To produce fruit of standard size, the plant must reach a certain size: 2 meters in width and height. Unless you have enough space, don't be surprised if you get some small fruit.
- If you have a wild pineapple, handle it carefully as the sap contains enzymes extreme irritants to our skin.
