How pineapple grows in nature and at home

Pineapple is not only beautiful, but also a delicious exotic fruit. Florists (lovers of experimentation) often grow pineapple on the windowsill. This is a time consuming but fun process. Having fulfilled all the requirements, you can surprise your friends and acquaintances with an exotic pineapple tree on your windowsill.

Pineapple - what kind of plant, a short description

Pineapple (ananas) is a plant belonging to the Bromeliad family. Of all the representatives, it is the only one that is edible. The exotic fruit attracts gardeners with its spectacular appearance, which is why it is often grown at home.

An exotic fruit that can be grown at home

Beneficial features

The benefits of pineapple are to improve digestion. Fruit juice contains a huge amount of vitamins that strengthen the immune system, energizing. The pulp of the fruit helps to cleanse the body of toxins.

Pineapple brings tremendous benefits to the body, enriching it with vitamins

How to grow pineapple at home from the top step by step

The only decorative type of pineapple that can be grown at home is the large-tufted pineapple. It is distinguished by its compact size and active growth. Indoor plant species has a shortened stem with thick leaves. They form a socket. Fruits begin to form with the appearance of inflorescences.

Pineapple selection for planting material

There are many ways to grow pineapple. The crest itself, as well as seeds or root cuttings, are used as planting material. If you use the top, you need to choose the right pineapple. First of all, they pay attention to the aroma. If the fruit does not smell in any way, then it is not ripe and is not suitable for planting. Ripe pineapple has a very bright and pleasant aroma.

When choosing a fruit for planting, you must correctly determine whether it is suitable or not. To do this, lightly press on it. In a good pineapple, the scales "spring back". The top is chosen green with slightly dried edges. A suitable fruit makes a dull sound when tapped.

Fruit selection

The process of preparing the crown

Cultivation success will depend on the quality of the planting material. It needs to be properly prepared. After a suitable fruit has been selected, the tuft is separated from it. This is done in several ways:

1. The pineapple leaves are tightly squeezed into the hand, then gently twisted. If the fruit has been chosen correctly, the top will separate from the body easily. Part of the stem should remain at the bottom.
2. If it was not possible to separate the top in the first way, cut off the upper part with a knife. After that, all the edible pulp is separated from the top. It is important to remove it completely so that decay does not start.
3. Once the top is ready, remove a few of the lower leaves.

Apex rooting procedure

The prepared planting material is left for a day in a dry place. Then a container of water is taken into which the top is placed. The root germination process takes about a month. The water is periodically changed, and its level is monitored. You can only transplant when the roots reach 3 centimeters in length.

Rooting process

Planting the germinated top

Before planting the crown in the ground, the soil is properly prepared. It is possible to cook it yourself by mixing earth, sand and peat in equal proportions. It is recommended to separately add special soil for cacti and expanded clay.

First, the pineapple is planted in a small pot, a volume of about 1 liter is suitable. Expanded clay is poured at the bottom of the tank, it performs the function of drainage. The second layer is filled with soil. Before planting the top, the soil is moistened. The step-by-step procedure on how to plant a pineapple is as follows:

1. A hole is made in the ground.
2. The crest is placed in it, then covered with earth from above. The soil is lightly tamped. You can sprinkle the lower leaves, but you cannot lower the rest into the ground.
3. After the crown is well established in the ground, it is watered.
4. Considering where pineapples grow, they create favorable conditions for the plant. The pot with the top is placed in a bag. It is regularly removed to ventilate. The bag is completely removed once the pineapple is well established.
5. The place for the plant is chosen warm, without drafts. It is important that the sun's rays do not fall on it.

After that, watch how the pineapple grows. After a few months, the top leaves will disappear. In their place, new ones will begin to appear. This is a normal physiological phenomenon, which indicates that the pineapple has begun to grow actively. Dry leaves are removed so that they do not interfere with new ones. After 1.5 years, the plant is transplanted into a larger pot. Do this at any time, except for the flowering period.

Landing process

Conditions for growing indoor pineapple, how to care

Growing pineapple at home is easy. In order for it to begin to mature, they follow the rules of care. Wild pineapple naturally grows in hot conditions, which must be approached in an apartment.

Temperature

The plant loves warmth. In the room where he stands, the temperature should be at least +22 ℃. An exotic bush loves good lighting. Often additional illumination is organized for it.

Watering rules and humidity

In summer, pineapple requires abundant watering. The water must be warm, the temperature is not lower than +30 ℃. It is preliminarily defended within one day. In warm weather, an exotic plant needs additional spraying. In autumn and until spring, watering is reduced.

An exotic plant loves moisture

Top dressing and soil quality

The soil for growing pineapple should be acidic and loose. A flower pot is selected low and wide so that the roots are located closer to the surface of the earth.

Flower container size

For pineapple, choose a pot no more than 15 centimeters in diameter. At this size, young roots feel comfortable. To prevent the water from acidifying, they equip drainage holes in the pot.

Pineapple blooming, how often does it happen, what is needed for this

The flowering process takes two weeks. An inflorescence of many flowers appears on the peduncle. Then the inflorescence begins to develop from the inflorescence with a rosette. It is pinched, as it interferes with the development of the fetus. The plant will bloom from late spring (from May to late June). When growing pineapple at home, an atypical bloom may appear, which will begin in December.

A small pineapple ripens five months after the appearance of the fruit.By weight, it can reach a kilogram. The flowering rate can be accelerated by placing a small bag of ripe apples in the pot. It will release ethylene, which stimulates the growth process.

Reproduction of pineapple seeds at home

The plant reproduces not only by tops, but also by seeds.

Fruit picking

This method is considered the most difficult. The landing procedure is as follows:

1. Seeds are purchased only in specialized stores.
2. The soil is poured into the pot, composed in equal proportions of sand and peat.
3. Seeds are sown to a depth of no more than 1.5 cm.
4. The earth is watered with warm water, the container is wrapped in foil.
5. Six weeks after the pot is in a warm place, the first shoots will appear.
6. As soon as the leaves have grown to 5 cm, they dive.

Growing problems, diseases and pests

When growing an exotic fruit at home, it is important to know how the pineapple blooms and what color the leaves should be. This will help detect disease symptoms in a timely manner. Florists may face problems:

1. If the plant leaves the tips of the leaves dry, the pineapple lacks moisture.
2. If the watering rules are not followed, mold may form on the walls of the pot.
3. The plant is actively attacked by scale insects. Symptom - small light spots appear on the leaves.
4. If the pineapple is in a cold room, it will show stunted growth.

Compliance with the basic rules of planting and care will help to grow a magnificent exotic fruit on your windowsill, which in its taste will be much better than the purchased one.