Cultivating Pineapples: A Step-by-Step Guide
Growing a Pineapple Plant: A Fun and Easy Guide
Embrace Your Green ThumbEver fancied yourself as a bit of a horticulturist? Growing a pineapple plant from the comfort of your home is a fun and rewarding project. Here's a step-by-step guide to help you get started.
What You'll Need- A ripe pineapple- Multi-purpose, peat-free compost- Horticultural grit- A 20cm diameter pot
Let's Get Started
Step 1Take your delicious holiday treat and, with care, remove the rosette of leaves about 2cm from the top of the pineapple. Don't forget to enjoy the yummy fruit!
Step 2Carefully trim off the fleshy fruit from the base of the rosette, leaving the clean central core surrounded by leaves.
Step 3Peel away the individual leaves, revealing the length of stem. It's at this point where roots will develop.
Step 4Neatly trim the base of the stem, just below the leaf scars, ensuring you remove all the white stem tissue.
Step 5Fill your pot with multi-purpose compost mixed with horticultural grit, then position the pineapple rosette in the center, firming more compost around it.
Step 6Water well, allow the pot to drain, and set it in a heated propagator or a warm, bright spot indoors. Watch as roots develop and new leaves spring from the center of the rosette. Once roots start growing from the base of the pot, transplant your new pineapple plant into a bigger container and continue to care for it in a warm conservatory or greenhouse, or on a sunny window sill.
But Wait... Are Pineapples Really Fruit?
If you've ever wondered, "How do pineapples grow?" You wouldn't be alone. You might assume pineapples grow on trees, but they actually belong to the bromeliad family, which looks like a small, strap-leaved palm tree with a pineapple growing from the center, on a long stalk. Native to tropical regions of South America, you can grow pineapples in a greenhouse or conservatory in the British Isles too.
Interestingly, each pineapple plant produces only one pineapple, which grows from the center of the plant on a long stalk. After it blooms, the plant will die, but small plants or 'pups' growing at the base of the plant can be potted on to make new pineapple plants.
If you're in a rush to grow your own pineapple, you can try this optional method:
- Dry the pineapple top for a day or two in a shaded, well-ventilated area.
- Place the pineapple top in a glass or jar of water, exposing only the stem at the bottom. Change the water every few days.
- Roots should begin to form within a few weeks, after which you can plant the top in well-draining potting soil.
- Water lightly, making sure not to overwater. The pineapple plant prefers infrequent but deep watering.
Happy gardening!
Your Lifestyle Could Include a Home-and-Garden ProjectWith your newfound knowledge of growing a pineapple plant, you might consider incorporating home-and-garden projects into your lifestyle.
Nurture Your Pineapple Plant in the Greenhouse or ConservatoryOnce you've transferred your home-grown pineapple plant to a larger pot and it's thriving in a warm conservatory or greenhouse, you can take pride in nurturing this unique addition to your home-and-garden lifestyle.
