Today you cannot find such a person who has not heard of pineapple. Native to the subtropics, this exotic fruit is exported to most countries. And surely many had a desire to eat pineapple grown by 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.
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Description of the pineapple plant
Pineapple is a perennial plant that forms dense leaves during the growing season, forming a dense rosette. An important part of the pineapple is root rosettefrom 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 at the top of the peduncle it grows rosette with bracts.
You can understand what a rosette looks like by looking at a store that sells pineapple plants. The homeland of this fruit is Brazil. It is therefore not surprising that here, as well as in Venezuela, Paraguay and Colombia, it is one of the most popular fruits... Pineapple includes about 8 different varieties.
Surely at least once, when tasting this fruit, many had the idea of growing pineapple at home. There is no obstacle here, and the fact that pineapple is a tropical fruit. The main thing - find suitable conditionsin 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 spent will not be in vain, it is recommended to use crown planting method or rosettes of leaves. Before starting the growing process, you need to carefully examine the pineapple.
Suitable for growing at home only ripe fruit, the crest of which should not show signs of disease and other defects.
Do not use fruit bought in winter for planting. Indeed, at this time of year, pineapple is stored in cold conditions, so the tuft rosette is often damaged by frost. Therefore, pineapple cannot be grown from such a fruit.
- It is best to plan pineapple planting in the summer or early fall, when fruit of suitable quality can be purchased.
- The chances that your venture will succeed are higher if you buy a pineapple with an intact tuft center and juicy green leaves.
- When the fruit is in your hands, you need to take a sharp knife and carefully separate the top from it, while being careful not to damage the core. Sometimes flesh may be present on the trimmed top. In this case, it must be removed, otherwise the trunk will subsequently begin to rot.
- In addition, the lower rows of leaves should be cut off. Then you will be able to clearly see the trunk of the plant, which is usually about 1 cm high.
- Having finished trimming, you need to give the tuft time to dry. To do this, it is left upright for two weeks.This time will be enough for him so that the wounds on the surface of the cutting can heal.
Subsequently, the plant will use the nutrients to form the root system. Most often, after 2-3 weeks, the crest reaches the desired state, after which it is already possible to proceed to planting.
Capacity and soil
When growing pineapple at home, you will definitely need a special potting mix, as well as a container where you plant the pineapple.
The capacity can be any flower pot at hand. The main thing is that it should be slightly larger than the tuft in size. It is best if there are holes in the container through which excess moisture will be removed.- First of all, the pot must be filled with shards, on which a layer of expanded clay or pebbles is already laid out with a layer of about 2 cm. A mixture based on peat and river sand, taken in equal amounts, is used as a planting substrate.
- When a few days remain before planting the tuft, it is necessary to disinfect the substrate by thoroughly watering it with boiling water. Such processing will provide optimal soil moisture before planting a socket in it. You can place the outlet in the substrate without waiting for the complete absorption of moisture.
Planting pineapple
When all the necessary operations with the land have been carried out, the tuft begins to be planted. It should be placed in the ground so that the lower leaves are at the level of the soil. In conclusion, it is necessary thoroughly compact the soil.
After that, you definitely need water the ground well, spray, and finally cover the pot with a cap or pull on a plastic bag. The result is a kind of greenhouse.
Next, the pineapple pot is transferred in a warm and well-lit a place. Care must be taken to protect it from direct sunlight.
After about a month, the crest will begin to take root. However, until the first roots appear, the plant cannot be watered. To maintain moisture, you can only limit yourself to regularly spraying the leaves.
Transplant and watering rules
When the pineapple rosette takes root, it is transplanted 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 of the plant. After transplanting, the pot with the plant must be covered with a cap.
After two to three weeks, the shelter can be removed. For watering, you can only use 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. Given that pineapple tolerates long periods of drought and is responsive to light, with the arrival of summer it can be transferred to a sunny place or onto a balcony.
At the first sign of approaching rain, the plant must be removed inside. To create pineapple conditions as close to natural as possible, it can move to the greenhousewhere 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 - within 20-25 degrees.
In the process of development, the plant must be provided with fertilizers. They should be brought in no more than twice a month. Pineapple infusion can provide essential nutrients.
You can replace it and mineral fertilizershowever, in this case, their consumption rate must be halved 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 choose the most illuminated place for it.
How to stimulate pineapple flowering
During the first two years after 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, while providing proper care throughout the entire time, then you will have to spend special events to stimulate flowering.
- usually, the desired effect can be achieved with the help of ethylene, for its preparation it is necessary to take one teaspoon of calcium carbide and dilute it in 0.5 liters of water;
- when the solution is ready, it is insisted for 24 hours;
- further, it must be filtered, trying to separate the liquid from the sediment that forms at the bottom of the can;
- the resulting liquid must be treated with the central part of the leaf outlet once a day for a week.
As a result of this operation, pretty soon the pineapple will begin to bloom, which will last about 1-2 months.
Reproduction of pineapple after fruiting
When growing pineapple from the top, one should not forget that it is a herbaceous plant, therefore, after fruiting, it does not go into a state of dormancy, but dies. But often this process can take a long time and take several years.
The mother plant can form many small shootsthat can be used to get new plants. After waiting for the formation of young roots in them, 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, which were obtained from a tuft.
Seed propagation of pineapple
An alternative to growing pineapple from the top is to sow seeds. To do this, you need to choose enough ripe fruit and extract brown seeds from it. Further, they are placed in a weak solution of potassium permanganate, and after this treatment, they are allowed to dry.
Next, they prepare the soil for sowing. It is best to plant the seeds in a substrate made from a mixture of leaf earth, sand and peatto be taken in equal amounts.
When sowing, the seeds must be buried 2 cm. After that definitely need to water the substrate with warm water, and over the container with seeds, stretch a film 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 the appearance of the first shoots.
It is impossible to say exactly when the seeds will sprout. Therefore, you 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 water and spray them regularly, but also feedusing chicken manure or mineral additives as fertilizer.
Pineapple is one of the most popular exotic fruits that every one of us has probably heard of. But if you want, you can enjoy home-grown pineapple. You can master this task if you get acquainted with agricultural technology growing it.
The most popular method for growing pineapple is using the top of the fruit. To obtain a fruiting plant from it, you will have to not only prepare a suitable soil composition, but also create favorable conditions for growth.
First of all, this concerns the 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 regime.
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