A Guide To Grow Pineapple Tree: Everything You Need To Know

If you are looking for a plant to grow in the garden which is easy to take care of, pineapple could be a good choice. It can be grown both indoors and outdoors without any trouble. However, it takes a lot of time and commitment of yours. This plant is an incredible way to create a tropical succulent and extract your own juicy, tasty fruit. If you want to grow a pineapple tree, there are three different ways to begin- The first, and probably the cheapest way, is to start with a pineapple top. Second, you can buy the pineapple plant from your nearby nursery and grow it until the fruit is produced. The third is to try growing a pineapple from the seed. We are going to discuss with you all three ways, so delve below without any delay.

What All You Need To Know About Pineapple?

The pineapple is considered an economically significant plant of the family Bromeliaceae. It is a tropical plant that comes with edible and juicy fruit. It originated in South America and came loaded with nutrients, antioxidants, and enzymes, which have the capability to boost immunity. Pineapple leaves and roots have the ability to absorb water as well as nutrients. A matured pineapple will be several feet tall. Plus, the mature plant will require a 5-gallon container for planting. It will at least take you one year to grow this plant. You can put it outdoors when the summer arrives but bring it inside as soon as the first frost of fall comes.

Growing pineapple is actually quite straightforward. This plant loses less amount of water through evaporation because of its tough leaves. Further, it has a small root system, and you don’t need to take extra care about the quantity or quality of its soil. This is the reason pineapples make for excellent container-grown plants.

How To Grow Pineapple Plant With The Help Of Pineapple Fruit

1. Select A Fresh Pineapple

It is great if you look for one who is rigid with green leaves that are not yellow or brown. The skin of the fruit must be golden brown as well as firm to touch. Plus, smell the pineapple to check if it is ripe or not- it should be sweet, smell good that indicates you have chosen at the right time.

• Ensure the pineapple isn’t unready. It should be ripped to produce another pineapple.
• Also, check if the pineapple isn’t too ripe. Tug the leaves a little if it comes right off; the pineapple is too ripe and not ready to plant.
• Lastly, make sure the fruit doesn’t have insects around the leaves.

2. Twist The Leaves From The Top Of The Pineapple

Hold the body of the fruit with one hand and use the other hand to remove the leaves. This will ensure that the bottom of the leaves stays intact. Some parts of the fruit will be attached to the bottom of the leaves, which is typically not required for the plant to grow.

• If you face any trouble in crumpling off the top, you can then slice the top of the pineapple. Slicing will remove the extra fruit present around the root.
• Ensure that the base remains intact at all costs. New roots will sprout from the bottom, and without them, your plants won’t be able to grow.

3. Pluck Out Some Extra Leaves

You need to clear out some of the leaves from the lower part of the base you plucked from the fruit to expose the stem. This will help the stem to sprout out roots when it is planted. Keep striping until little inches of stem are exposed. Lastly, remove any left fruit without harming the stem.

4. Let It Dry

Turn the base upside down and allow it to dry for a week. This will harden the place from where you removed the leaves.

5. Soak The Crown Of Pineapple

Fill water inside a large glass to fit the pineapple. The glass should have enough space to fit the crown but should be small enough that the crown is not completely submerged. Next, place a few toothpicks inside the pineapple crown. Push them enough so that they stay at their respective place. This will ensure that the crown remains in the glass of water. Now, place the glass near a sunny window and simply rest till the roots sprout. It can take several days or a few weeks for the root to come out. Also, don’t let your plant get too cold or too hot. You should alternately change the water.

6. Plant The Crown

To plant your pineapple crown, you need to prepare a pot of soil. Fill a 6-inch pot with garden soil that comes with 30 percent organic matter. Now plant the pineapple crown when you see a few inches long roots. Make sure the roots are completely inside the soil, whole the base of leaves above the soil.

7. Care For The Plant

The last step is to care for the pineapple crown so that it starts growing. Pineapple plants typically require a warm, humid, and sunny environment, where the temperature doesn’t go below 65-degree F. You can either keep the pot outside if you live in a mellow climate. However, if you live in a place that has chilling winters, take the plant inside and keep it at a place where sunlight falls. Lightly water the soil for a week and then fertilize the plant with a mild fertilizer two times a month in summer. After some time, you will see the flowers growing on your pineapple crown, and this will be the advent of the plant.

How To Grow Using Pineapple Plant

A pineapple is easily available in a nursery or local garden near you, and sometimes you can also buy it online. When growing pineapple, you need to remember that their roots do not prefer to stay damp. Basically, this plant grows in similar conditions such as cacti- well-drained and dry side. Also, while watering, examine the joint where the plant meets the leaves. If you see water inside these little pockets, refrain from watering the plant. Lastly, fertilize them each month with a balanced liquid fertilizer, which should be further showered over the pineapple plant, similar to watering.

How To Grow Pineapple Plants Using Seeds?

To grow a pineapple from the seed, you need to find a seed. Perhaps, there will be seeds in the pineapple brought from the store. As you cut through it, you will find small blacks seeds. Wash the seeds prior to use. Germinate them by wrapping them in a wet paper towel and keeping it inside a plastic zipper bag. You can place the bag in a place that is constantly warm. It will basically take about six months for the seeds to sprout. At this time, you can plant the baby pineapples in temporary containers for growing. Preferably you can keep them in containers till they become large enough to be planted in a garden or a larger pot.

Some Additional Care Tips For Pineapple Plants

• Pineapples are usually considered drought tolerant and therefore can grow with the help of low amounts of water. Simply add a thick mulch layer to reduce evaporation.
• It is best to grow pineapples in a somewhat shaded area, particularly if you live in a subtropical or tropical area.
• If you are planting pineapple in a pot, make sure they have well-draining soil as well as drainage holes. Also, don’t hamper the pineapple plant by watering it excessively.
• For the few months after planting pineapple, leave the plant alone. Then after some time, you can employ liquid fertilizer such as seaweed extract or fish emulsion. Further, don’t use artificial fertilizer, which can possibly burn your plant.
• All pineapple plants require at least six hours of bright light to grow properly.
• Pineapple plants will only mature after two or three years. At this time, it will bear the first fruit.
• Pineapple at the time of its productive years can be considered a sucker. This means you can remove it from the parent plant to start growing a new pineapple plant somewhere else. The sucker is basically baby plants that can be formed anywhere- beneath the soil, in between the leaves, or beside the flower stalk.

Conclusion

Each one of us loves and enjoys a beautiful and bountiful garden. We like to grow different plants in our garden that enhance its beauty and provides certain benefits. Pineapple is a unique and delicious plant to grow in your garden. This plant will not only allow you to enjoy tasty, juicy fruit, but it will provide certain health benefits too. It is simple to grow and care for a plant that does not take much of your effort and time. Though this plant takes time to grow and bear fruits, the end results are worth the wait.