Be honest, are you one of the people who believe that pineapple grows on palm trees? If yes, then this article will completely change your understanding of the fruit! You will not only discover a new side to the exotic fruit, but also learn how to plant a pineapple and grow it at home.
is an annual plant of the bromeliad family. Contrary to the prevailing stereotype, fruits do not grow on trees, but on herbaceous shrubs, no more than 90 cm high. In the center of the spiral of thick and long leaves there is an inflorescence, from which one new fruit appears. Immediately after ripening, side shoots are formed, and the mother rosette dies. Thanks to this life cycle, you can grow a pineapple at home from the top of a purchased fruit.
You can also grow pineapple from seeds. You will have to try very hard and find a wild, “not domesticated” plant - all cultivated varieties of pineapple are sterile.
Is it possible to grow pineapple at home?
Having learned how to grow pineapple at home, you can easily cope with this lengthy but not difficult process, especially if you have experience in floriculture. To taste sweet homemade fruits, you need to take the following steps correctly:
- Select planting material;
- Prepare the soil;
- Sprout the green top;
- Root the pineapple tuft into the container;
- Provide appropriate care
If you follow the instructions for growing pineapple step by step, after 2.5-3 years there is a high probability of enjoying the fruit. Of course, grown pineapple will be smaller in size than purchased ones, but will fully retain its unique taste and magical aroma.
Choosing a pineapple for planting
It is impossible to grow a fruit-bearing pineapple if you are careless in choosing planting material. When choosing, carefully inspect the selected fruit. It should be ripe, as the attractive yellow-brown color of the peel will tell you. A hard skin means unripeness, and softness when pressed, on the contrary, indicates that the fruit is overripe.
Do not trust the information that green pineapple ripens at home if you hold the fruit upside down for a couple of days or place it in a bag of apples. Without a doubt, the pulp itself, due to the processes occurring in it, will become sweeter. The starch will turn into sugar and be evenly distributed throughout the fruit. However, the rosette needed to grow the pineapple will begin to die off.
Choose pineapple with juicy, green, whole leaves with slightly dried edges. Gray spots indicate damage by worms; it is better not to purchase such a fruit. A small sprout may appear in the rosette - a guarantee of future flowering, allowing you to grow homemade fruit.
Smell is one of the main landmarks. To grow a delicious pineapple, smell the base. Suitable specimens attract with a sweet aroma. A sour smell means overripeness.
Buy pineapple in spring or summer to increase your chances of growing the fruit. To be on the safe side, purchase and root two fruits, but in different stores. There is a very high probability that at least one of them will take root.
Top preparation
Before growing pineapple at home, you need to prepare it for germination. For further propagation, only the top of the leaves, resembling a green crown, is required. You can separate it from it in two ways:
- Grasp the leaves with your hand and gently twist them, as if unscrewing the cap from a bottle. You will be left with a leafy top with a small, dense stem.
- Cut off the green rosette along with 1-2 cm of the fruit and remove the remaining pulp with a knife to prevent rotting of the planting material.
In both cases, a “tail” remains, ready for planting. If white dots are visible at the base, do not damage them - these are the beginnings of future roots. Clear the bottom of the rosette from 1-2 cm of leaves. Tear off the leaves perpendicular to the stem so as not to injure the small roots. Treat all sections with a saturated solution of potassium permanganate, epin or ground charcoal, which will reduce the risk of rotting and speed up the germination of the root system.
Leave the tops for a couple of days to dry and prevent the pineapple from rotting. It is advisable to hang the planting material so that it does not touch anything. This is believed to increase the likelihood of growing a pineapple.
It is unlikely that you will be able to grow a pineapple without forming roots. Be patient, place the container with the seedling in a bright place and change the water every 2-3 days. After 2-4 weeks, the roots will sprout and the pineapple can be transplanted into a pot, after drying the rosette for 2-3 hours on a paper towel.
Container and soil
Selecting a soil mixture and container is an important condition when growing pineapple. Choose a pot that is 2 cm larger than the cutting diameter of the planting top. Flowerpots with a diameter of 15 cm and a volume of 3-4 liters will do. The plant has a weak, shallow root system, so choose a container that is not too deep. To drain water, a drainage layer of expanded clay or pebbles, 3-4 cm wide, is laid on the bottom. This will protect the root system from rotting.
A universal mixture that does not require additional fertilizer, or special soil for palm trees or tropical (bromeliad) plants, is suitable as soil for pineapple. To grow pineapple, you can prepare the substrate for planting yourself by mixing peat and river sand in a 1:1 ratio. The main thing is that the soil is permeable to both moisture and oxygen.
To grow and protect a healthy pineapple, you need to disinfect or prepare the soil. Pour boiling water or potassium permanganate solution over it. After a day, the dried green rosette can be planted in a pot. For pineapple, slightly moist soil is considered optimal.
Planting a pineapple
Gradually we got to the main stage, where we learn how to properly plant and grow a pineapple. After the seedlings and future “place of residence” are ready, make a hole 5-6 cm deep, taking into account the dimensions of the cutting. It is not advisable to plant the bottom layer of leaves in the ground. The soil around the young plant is carefully pressed down, trying not to damage the underdeveloped root system. The planting hole can be sprinkled with a small amount of ash or crushed coal.
After planting, water the pineapple with settled water at room temperature and provide it with a suitable microclimate. To grow a tropical seedling, a temperature of 20-25 °C is required. To do this, build a mini-greenhouse from polyethylene, a glass jar or a plastic bottle and place the pot in a well-lit place, avoiding direct sunlight.
A homemade pineapple takes root and survives in about 2-3 months. At temperatures above 25 degrees, the process will be reduced to 1.5-2 months. The appearance of new leaves is a sure signal of development and growth. The leaves of the rosette will dry out and be replaced by new ones. Try to carefully trim and remove dead parts of the plant.
To grow fruit, during the rooting period it is important:
- Protect the tuft from condensation, which causes rotting and mold formation;
- Water the soil once a week;
- Ventilate the greenhouse;
- Protect the plant from temperature changes and cooling;
- During the daytime, move the pot away from direct sunlight to prevent the pineapple from suffocating.
Plant care
Experienced flower growers often argue about the nature and whimsicality of homemade pineapple. One side believes that the plant is capricious and requires a lot of attention. On the other side there is a completely opposite opinion. You will be able to figure this out as soon as you decide to grow a pineapple yourself. And we will tell you how to care for it.
The basic rules of care include watering, maintaining temperature and light conditions, timely feeding and replanting. In addition to complying with these conditions, it is necessary to ensure the correct location in the apartment, depending on the season. For example, in summer the pot can be taken out onto the balcony. When it rains, it is better to bring the pineapple into the apartment, protecting it from excess moisture.
In autumn and winter, a pineapple will fit perfectly on a windowsill near a window. Make sure that the fruit is not exposed to a draft and is at a sufficient distance from the hot radiator. If the leaves begin to dry out and curl, it means that the pineapple is in a draft and needs to be moved to another place.
Temperature
As you already understand, temperature is one of the decisive factors in caring for pineapple at home. The plant is very afraid of the cold (at 18 degrees it goes into hibernation), at the same time, it has a hard time withstanding the heat. The optimal temperature conditions are as follows:
- In spring and summer from 22 to 30 °C;
- In autumn and winter from 18 to 21 °C. The maximum mark in winter is 27 °C
Watering
The fruit lives in the tropics, so it does well in dry soil. On the contrary, excess moisture can cause weakness and possibly death. The plant needs to be watered when the soil in the container becomes dry. The soil should not dry out completely, but it is better to avoid stagnation of liquid. Moisten the substrate once a week with settled or filtered water at room temperature.
In summer, a tropical guest requires more moisture (up to 3 times a week). In winter, watering can be reduced to once every two weeks. Unfortunately, you won't be able to grow a healthy pineapple unless you get a feel for the plant. For example, drying leaves indicate a lack of water, and an unpleasant odor in the container, or, even worse, the appearance of mold are sure signs of excessive watering. If mold is found, it is better to move the pineapple to another pot, otherwise it may die. If the trunk rots, stop watering until the condition stabilizes.
If the new home resident is standing in an open and ventilated area, you can lightly spray the greens. The leaves will absorb moisture, and the excess will simply evaporate. In other cases, it is good to irrigate the soil with a spray bottle and wipe the leaves with a damp cloth. This will protect the outlet from moisture accumulation and rotting.
Lighting
6-8 hours is the minimum required for proper development. In the summer, place the pot on the window or take it out onto the balcony or into the garden, shading it a little. It is optimal to place the plant on a warm, sunny, southern side, however, eastern and western windowsills are also suitable. In winter, you need to remember about the short daylight hours; it can be extended with the help of fluorescent lamps.
Pale leaves indicate insufficient lighting - the pineapple needs to be moved to another place and illuminated with a lamp.
Top dressing
Of course, to grow pineapple fruit in a pot, you need to add fertilizer to the soil. The plant itself cannot be called overly demanding when it comes to feeding, but during the growing season (from April to October) nutritional support is necessary. Enrich the soil with organic fertilizers 2 times a month. Special flower mixtures, a 0.01% solution of iron sulfate or humus from cow manure are suitable as recharge. If you intend to grow fruits without the use of chemicals, then use natural fertilizer. Read the information on the composition of the mixture on the packaging; alkali and wood ash negatively affect the growth of pineapple.
In winter there is no need to fertilize.
Transfer
A year after planting, move the pineapple to a larger pot. It is advisable to carry out this procedure at the beginning of summer. About a third of the new container should be occupied by a drainage layer. Fill the remaining volume with soil: peat, river sand and fertile soil in a ratio of 2:1:3.
Annual replanting and increasing the capacity of the container will allow you to grow a healthy pineapple. Carefully move the earthen ball with roots into a new pot using the transfer method.
Bloom
Along with how to grow, many novice gardeners are concerned with the question of how to make a pineapple bloom. In nature, the first flowers appear at the 26th month of the plant’s life. At home, this happens after 1.5-2 years, most often in the 3rd year.
The green rosette of leaves begins to grow and forms small root buds, which can later be used to grow new fruit. Over the course of several months, a bud forms and a flowering period begins, lasting about two weeks. Numerous blue-violet bright flowers open for just one day. At the end of flowering, remove the dried leaves, and the pineapple will enter the fruit development stage.
It is possible that the flowering period will not occur, even if all conditions for proper development have been met. Don’t despair and give up trying to grow a homemade pineapple. Flowering can be stimulated by fumigation or treatment with an aqueous solution of acetylene and ethylene. In the latter option, ordinary apples, which emit ethylene during storage, will come to the rescue. Just put a couple of fruits in a pot with your house plant.
If these measures do not work, it means that the pineapple has not reached the required age or is susceptible to some disease that prevents flowering.
Fruiting
The fruit ripens within 3-7 months, depending on the care conditions and the pineapple variety. If you followed all the instructions in trying to grow a pineapple, you will be able to enjoy the sweet homemade fruit. Since the plant is herbaceous, it will die immediately after fruiting, leaving small side shoots suitable for propagation.
Everyone's favorite exotic fruit, pineapple, is known among adults and children. In countries with tropical and subtropical climates, it has long been very successfully grown on an industrial scale, but if you carefully read the claims of this crop, even in the harsh conditions of the Russian winter, you can plant and grow this amazing plant from the top in an ordinary flower pot at home on the windowsill.
Where does pineapple come from?
Pineapple is a perennial herbaceous plant, an epiphyte, with compacted, fleshy leaves collected in one strong, thick knot called a basal rosette. This rosette forms a massive stem with a peduncle at the top. The peduncle is usually formed high, up to 50 cm, with a spike-shaped inflorescence and a rosette with a bract.
Pineapple has a very exotic look and looks great in a pot.
Pineapple comes from Brazil, although this plant is cultivated in many countries with similar climates.
In countries with tropical climates, pineapple is grown on an industrial scale
It appeared in Russia under Catherine II and was grown in public greenhouses.
Pineapple variety MD-2 Decorative pineapple variety, large-tufted Pineapple variety Champaka 
Mauritius pineapple variety Cayenne pineapple variety
Video: growing pineapples in captivity
Table: seasonal maintenance of the plant
How to plant pineapple correctly
Surely every second person who has ever bought a pineapple at the market has thought about whether it is possible to grow this crop at home. This is possible despite the fact that pineapple is used to growing in tropical climates. But, before you start growing this crop, you need to select the desired fruit and root it according to all the rules in an acceptable container and soil.
Fruit selection
The fruit that is purchased for rooting the top should be moderately ripe with a beautiful and intact tuft. You should buy pineapple for planting in season - in summer or early autumn, since in winter the fruits are stored in refrigerators and the rosette may already be frozen and lifeless by the time of purchase.
The pineapple fruit or tuft should have dense green foliage, be firm to the touch, and healthy in appearance.
When choosing a pineapple fruit for planting, focus on the condition of the tops
If the leaves begin to turn yellow and dry, then it is better not to take this fruit for planting.
The center of the pineapple pulp should be yellow in color and not very hardened. The fruit of a proper pineapple usually exudes a pleasant aroma and has no dents or signs of disease.
Top separation
In order to separate the top of the pineapple from the fruit, you need to grab the fruit with one hand, and the pineapple tops with the other and turn the top towards yourself, as if twisting it out of the pineapple. The stem will gently come out of the pulp.
If difficulties arise with twisting, then the separation procedure can be done using a knife, cutting out the leaves from the fruit with a root.
You can separate the pineapple tuft from the fruit by twisting it
You will have to cut at an angle of about 45 degrees, and then, to avoid rot, remove the pulp from the tufted stem and the lower leaves, exposing the trunk.
The tuft is dried in a vertical position in a ventilated area for several weeks.
Before planting, pineapple cuttings must be thoroughly dried.
This procedure is necessary to heal all damage caused to the cutting when separated from the fruit. While the cuttings are drying, nutrients will be concentrated in the rooting zone.
How to root and plant the top
In order for the pineapple top to take root, it is placed in an opaque container with water at room temperature about 4 cm and left in a moderately lit place without drafts and temperature changes for a week.
The pineapple cutting will sit in water for several days before sprouting tiny roots.
Video: rooting the pineapple top
While the cuttings are taking root, there is time to select suitable soil and pot for the future pineapple.
The container will be any flower pot with drainage holes, the size of which should be quite a bit larger than the size of the cutting.
An impressive drainage layer of expanded clay or pebbles, about 4 cm, is laid on the bottom of the pot, and then a soil mixture consisting of sand and peat in equal parts is poured. Two to three days before planting, it is recommended to carry out disinfection procedures for the soil. To do this, you can simply pour boiling water over it.
This method of tillage will also moisten the substrate and make it at the desired temperature, since pineapple cannot be planted in cold soil. In such conditions, you can safely plant the tuft without first rooting it in water.
Video: planting the top in the ground without rooting
The tuft is placed in the prepared soil up to the lowest leaves. The soil around the cutting must be thoroughly compacted and the future pineapple should be thoroughly watered again with warm water. Next, the cutting is sprayed and covered with a bag to create a greenhouse atmosphere.
After placing the pineapple top in the pot, cover it with a bag to create artificial tropics
Such a greenhouse is left in a warm and well-lit place, but without direct exposure to rays, since we do not need the greenhouse effect.
The pineapple will be able to take root thoroughly in the soil only after a month, and it is not at all advisable to water it all this time, but the pineapple tuft will respond with gratitude to spraying.
Sphagnum moss is an excellent substrate for rooting bromeliads.
Sphagnum moss is an excellent substrate for epiphytes
It is hydroscopic and breathes well, and when it turns pale at the edges, it becomes clear that it is time to water the plant.
Successful rooting of the tuft entails transplanting the plant to a permanent place, where exactly the same soil awaits it as the one used for rooting. After transplantation, the pineapple is again covered with a cap for a couple of weeks, kept in a more illuminated place and continues to be sprayed.
Since the homeland of the pineapple is the tropics, it is accordingly accustomed to light, warmth and humid air. Pineapple can withstand drought, and growing it indoors is not a labor-intensive task and anyone can do it.
How to care for decorative pineapple at home
Pineapple is a light-loving epiphyte, so it is best to place the pot with the plant on a south or south-east window, but even if your window sill is well lit for about 12 hours a day, being cold it can destroy the root system of the plant from hypothermia, because you can even water the pineapple only with very warm water. To prevent cooling of the roots, a pot with pineapple can only be placed on an insulating substrate or an insulated window sill, and the safest thing is not to place it on the window at all, but to install a flower stand or table next to the window.
You shouldn’t place a homemade pineapple too far from the window, it will lack light
You shouldn’t think that having gotten used to the tropics, pineapple will feel great in an apartment with central heating; this is not so. This crop does not tolerate heat and dry air, so it is necessary to maintain the air temperature during the day within 22°-28°C, and at night it should not fall below 18°C.
What to feed and water
Water the pineapple only with warm or even hot water. It is necessary to water rarely, but abundantly, and only after the earthen clod has completely dried.
During the period of active growth of pineapple from April to September, proper watering is a very important condition for maintenance. It is necessary to water pineapples exclusively with warm or hot water, settled, and best of all, rainwater that does not contain lime impurities. Watering should be rare but plentiful, and only when the soil is dry.
If you do not let the soil dry out, the roots of the plant will rot, and if the pineapple does not have enough moisture, its tips will dry out and the pineapple will begin to lose its decorative effect.
When watering a pineapple, you can pour water from above so that it gets into the axils of the leaves and stays there. This moisture will serve as additional nutrition for the roots and ensure the plant’s well-being due to evaporation.
Hooligan lovers will love watering the pineapple, since you can start doing it right from the top.
In addition to watering and foliar irrigation, the pineapple will appreciate regular wiping of dust from the leaves with a damp swab.
It is recommended to fertilize pineapple no more than twice a month, and the ideal fertilizing solution is considered to be a solution of mullein, which is infused in warm water for a day and then diluted 10 times. A liter of the resulting solution will last for a month and a half.
Mineral fertilizers for indoor plants or complex fertilizers for bromeliads are also good for pineapple, but the concentration of fertilizing should be half that according to standard instructions.
After the pineapple has flowered, it should be fed mainly with nitrogen-containing products for rapid fruit formation.
How does an indoor pineapple bloom in a pot?
The flowering time of home-grown pineapple is usually unpredictable. About 3 years after planting the pineapple, a flowering period begins, which lasts about two weeks and is accompanied by a light aroma.
The bud forms at the very top of the central stem. Flowers can be bright blue, pink or purple, they can change shade; arranged in a spiral, opening one after another and only for one day.
Pineapple blossoms are inconspicuous and are unlikely to surprise anyone, but exotic lovers cannot fail to be impressed by this process.
Pineapple blooms brightly, but very briefly
After flowering, the fruiting period begins, and small fruits are formed that are easy to root. It is worth noting that these rooted fruits will bloom even faster than their parent.
A small pineapple fruit can quickly take root and bloom before its parent.
One fruit left on the mother's rosette can grow quite large. Its ripening period can range from three months to six months and depends on the variety of pineapple and the conditions of its maintenance. The most favorable period for pineapple fruiting is summer.
After the fruiting stage, the pineapple dies. This is a normal natural process for the bromeliad family.
It happens that even with good care, pineapple does not bloom. In such cases, it can be forced to bloom by artificial stimulation using ethylene gas. To do this, dissolve five grams of calcium carbide in a half-liter container and leave it closed for a day. Afterwards, the liquid is drained and only sediment is left. This precipitate is an ethylene solution, which must be gradually placed into the core of the pineapple rosette over the course of a week. A month or a month and a half after such stimulation, the plant should enter the flowering phase.
Video: flowering and growth of pineapple at home
Pineapple hibernation
In winter, pineapple hibernates, but this does not mean that it does not need to be watered. Pineapple watering should be moderate. One abundant watering per week or two waterings per week, but in a smaller volume, will be enough. The soil should not be wet all the time, since the pineapple's dormant period occurs at a temperature of about 15°C, and at low temperatures, flooding can turn into rotting of the roots or rosettes.
Feeding is not carried out until March-April and the lighting will also have to be reduced a little, as well as the temperature, otherwise the pineapple will not fall asleep and will suffer from a lack of nutrition and warmth.
In spring, the pineapple will gradually wake up on its own: new leaves will begin to appear. If awakening does not occur, it is necessary to increase the amount of light and transplant the plant into new soil.
If you want your pineapple to stay awake in winter, it is important to provide the plant with additional lighting (at least 10 hours a day) and maintain an average temperature of 22°C-23°C. In addition, it is necessary to continue to feed the pineapple at least once a month.
Diseases and pests
Precisely because the pineapple has long and very firmly established itself among other indoor plants, it, just like everyone else, has become susceptible to attack by insect pests. These and other troubles that beset pineapple in an apartment are discussed in the table along with preventive measures and prevention.
Table: possible troubles and solutions
Photo gallery: what pineapple suffers from
Dry spots on pineapple foliage appear due to heat or insect attack. The death of the rosette after fruiting is a natural process in pineapple. Scale insects provoke yellowing of the leaves. Aphids are an insect that drinks plant sap. Spider mites love dry air. 
Yellowing of pineapple leaves can be caused by pests such as mites or scale insects. The tips of the pineapple dry out if it is not sprayed. Yellowing of the lower tier of pineapple foliage occurs due to drafts. The rosette of the pineapple will rot if you flood the pineapple in the cold season. The mealybug leaves a white mealy discharge on plant
Pineapple propagation
Pineapple, like a true herbaceous plant, dies after fruiting, but this does not happen immediately and can even last for several years. At the same time, during this time, the mother bush gives birth to many small shoots around itself, which can be successfully planted in independent pots. These shoots will bloom much earlier than the attached tops.
Reproduction by shoots
Even before flowering, the pineapple forms a number of lateral shoots - basal shoots.
Tiny shoot on the mother rosette of a pineapple
They can be cut off or broken off from the mother's rosette once they have grown to about 20 centimeters in height. The cut areas are sprinkled with ash or crushed coal and left to dry for a week in a cool and ventilated room.
Shoots should be rooted in a vessel with water or in prepared soil only when cuts or breaks on the shoots are completely healed.
The optimal soil for rooting is layered. To do this, 3-4 cm of turf soil is poured onto the bottom of the container, then there is a layer of leaf humus and then about 10 cm of river sand. This is one of the rooting options; many gardeners plant shoots in mixed compound soils.
The soil should not be cold; its temperature can fluctuate between 24°-28°C.
After planting the shoot, the pot is covered with film or shoot, but so that the polyethylene does not touch the leaves.
When the pineapple shoots take root, they will soon begin to grow.
To do this, you can place supports on three or four sides by inserting sticks into the pot around the shoot.
You need to place a young pineapple in a sunny and warm place with diffused but bright light and a high level of air humidity.
Video: transplantation of lateral processes
Propagation by seeds
The seed propagation method is not the easiest, but quite accessible.
Seeds can sprout both in the second month and in the sixth: the seed method is therefore considered difficult, as it requires time and patience.
This is what a pineapple shoot looks like at the second leaf stage
The seedlings can be fed with bird droppings, diluting a teaspoon of dry matter per liter of water, at the age of the third leaf.
Picking of young seedlings usually occurs when they reach six to seven cm in height.
Growing a pineapple from its top may seem like an exciting adventure, and the very presence of such exotic things in an apartment can infect friends and acquaintances amazed by the pineapple splendor with this idea.
Of course, it has not reached the size it reaches in natural conditions, but it is a real little pineapple! Perhaps someone else will want to bring a southern corner into their home.
Pineapple naturally grows in the tropics, that is, it is a heat-loving plant that prefers sun and high temperatures. At the same time, pineapple tolerates drought quite easily.
In Russia, this fruit appeared in the 18th century, and it was usually grown in greenhouses. However, even in an apartment it is quite possible to get real pineapple fruits.
How to choose a pineapple to grow at home
Planting material - pineapple fruit - can be bought at the market or in a regular store. At the same time, the fruit that you purchase not just for food, but also for further cultivation, must be ripe, not green, but also not overripe.
It is advisable to choose a fruit with a dense peel of a dark golden color, without any stains or damage, and not very soft.
Additionally, the pineapple you bring home should have vibrant green leaves that stick out from the top. Lush greenery on its top is a prerequisite for you to be able to grow a pineapple. The leaves should not have any damage, brown spots, or yellowness.
If you buy pineapples in winter, be careful - there is a high probability of purchasing a frozen fruit, and it does not matter whether you bought it at the market or in a store. It will be impossible to grow a pineapple from it at home.
Thus, planting material is very important. It should be:
- young;
- healthy;
- ripe, but not overripe;
- have no damage, stains or cuts;
- not to be frostbitten, to have bright, healthy fruit (that’s what the top of a pineapple with leaves is called).
It is best to purchase a pineapple whose top you are going to root in summer or early autumn. In this case, it is advisable to buy not one pineapple, but two or three, to increase the chances of rooting.
How to prepare a pineapple for planting
Of course, it is not the entire fruit that needs to be planted in the ground, but its top (the so-called tuft). That is why you need to be very careful in choosing the fruit and the condition of the leaves.
The top should be carefully cut off with a very sharp knife to avoid damage, and then the lower leaves should be removed from it - about 4 rows so that the “stump” is visible. The size of this “stump” should be approximately 1 cm.
The leaves from below can also be cut off or simply plucked off about 2-3 cm from the base. After this, you should very carefully remove the pulp from the inside so as not to damage the leaves. You can carefully pull it out with a teaspoon, being careful not to scratch the walls of the fruit.
The cut on the pineapple should not be made completely straight, but at an angle of 45 degrees. If the fruit you purchased is ripe enough, then you don’t have to cut off the top, but simply, holding the leaves with your hand, carefully unscrew the fruit from the pineapple. As a rule, with this separation of the tuft from the fetus, there is less damage, if, of course, you act carefully.
After this, the top without pulp should be turned over and left for a while to dry. This is done so that the wounded and knife-damaged tip heals. In about a week to a week and a half, both the cut of the infructescence and the sections of leaves on it will become hard and change color.
This means that the top is ready for further manipulation. Please note that you can only dry pineapple in a vertical position!
This is done to ensure that all the nutrients from the leaves pass to the part of the top in which roots will form and contribute to good root formation.
How to sprout pineapple roots
After the top has dried, it should be placed in an opaque container with water. You need to lower the top into the water so that it sinks a few centimeters there, approximately to the level of the lower leaves.
The water should be at room temperature and should be changed every two to three days without allowing it to become cloudy. The water must be settled.
The container with the top should be placed in a lighted place where there is no danger of drafts or direct sunlight. Now you need to wait until the roots appear. As a rule, this happens after 10 days.
You can do it differently and root the pineapple directly in the ground. To do this, you need to take a small pot, the diameter of which is slightly larger than the diameter of the top, and fill it with a substrate consisting of peat and coarse sand.
You need to put drainage at the bottom of the pot, and then bury the top of the pineapple there, inserting it into the ground up to the lower leaves. Two or three days before you are planning to plant a pineapple, you need to pour boiling water over the soil in the pot to disinfect it.
Immediately after planting, you need to spray the pineapple crest with warm water and put cellophane on it to create a greenhouse effect. Instead of cellophane, you can use plastic bottles.
You need to place this structure, like a container with water, in a bright place, but avoid exposing it to sunlight.
After about three to four weeks, the pineapple will begin to develop roots. and it can be replanted. While the top of the fruit is taking root, there is no need to water the substrate; you just need to generously sprinkle warm water on the tuft every day, removing the cellophane.
How to plant a pineapple correctly
Once roots have appeared at the top of the pineapple, it can be planted directly into the ground. You can purchase regular soil mixture for indoor plants; it is quite light and loose.
You should immediately take a pot of sufficiently large size, with a height of at least 20 cm and a diameter of at least 30 cm. In a smaller pot, the pineapple will very quickly become uncomfortable, the leaves will begin to turn yellow and dry, and the flowers will not appear, not to mention the fruits. Therefore, a large capacity for planting is very important; this rule cannot be neglected.
A pot for planting pineapple must have holes for water drainage, because pineapple roots do not tolerate excessive moisture. Therefore, drainage of at least 3 cm poured into the bottom of the pot is also required.
The pot is then filled with soil, and the top of the pineapple is planted in it, deepening it 2 - 3 cm to the very bottom leaves. After making sure that the soil does not get on the leaves, the soil around the plant should be lightly compacted.
If you rooted your pineapple not in a container of water, but in the ground, you first need to make sure that the roots have already appeared, and only then replant. Making sure that the pineapple has taken root is not difficult at all.
You just need to slightly pull it up by the tuft and bend it to the side. If this requires some effort, it means that the tuft is holding onto the ground with its roots, and it can be transplanted to a permanent place.
How to care for pineapple
The pot with the seedling should be placed in a well-lit place, because pineapple is a light-loving plant that needs sunlight.
The soil in the pot should always be moist, but overwatering should be avoided because the pineapple roots may rot. Water the plant with warm, settled water. ideally rain. Watering should be regular and moderate - this is how you can achieve constant light moisture in the soil in the pot.
The plant should also be regularly sprayed with water, and its leaves should also be wiped with a damp cloth. If the leaves begin to turn yellow, it means the plant does not have enough moisture. Do not be afraid to spray water on the leaves - the accumulation of water in the lower axils is very beneficial for the plant, the water is absorbed by additional roots.
Pineapple needs feeding. About once every two months it needs to be watered with mullein solution - this feeding works great for a young plant. Pineapple can also be fed with mineral fertilizers for bromeliads.
In summer, the pineapple can be placed on the balcony or taken to the dacha, but it must be protected from rain. Pineapple loves sunlight, so if your summer is cloudy, as well as in the autumn-winter period, the plant needs additional lighting. The pineapple must have at least 12 hours of daylight, otherwise you will not see any flowering or fruit.
The temperature in the room where the pineapple lives should not fall below 18-20 degrees, otherwise the plant will feel very uncomfortable, and this will again affect its growth and flowering. The roots of the plant also love warmth, so the pineapple should not stand on a cold windowsill or ceramic covering, otherwise the roots will begin to freeze.
After about two and a half to three years, with proper care, the plant should bloom. Flowering lasts an average of two weeks, during which the flower changes color and smells like pineapple. The fruit ripens for about six months, depending on the variety.
Please note that after the pineapple bears fruit, it will die, but will leave behind many small shoots that can be grown further. The plant does not die immediately, it can last more than two years, but this death is inevitable.
The children that remain after a pineapple are much easier to grow than from a tuft, while they are much stronger, and develop and bloom faster. As they grow, they should be separated from the mother plant and planted in pots.
Homemade pineapple cultivation is very simple. It is enough to buy this fruit in the store and properly root its top. The plant looks very attractive, so even before the first fruits appear, it will undoubtedly be a wonderful decoration for the home. 
Is it possible to grow it at home and how to grow a pineapple at home from the top step by step, how to root it correctly - we will tell you in this article. Pineapple belongs to the bromeliad family and has the same appearance and requirements as other plants in this family. The size of the fruit depends on the method of cultivation and place of origin, as well as on the conditions prevailing there.
There are fruits on sale whose weight ranges from approximately 1 to 2 kg, however, on plantations some samples reach a weight of five or more kilograms. In Brazil, the plant grows up to 1.5 m in height, but in other conditions it can be much more compact.
The largest plantations are located in China, Mexico, Hawaii and the Philippines.
When grown in a pot, the fruit usually reaches a small size (just over 50 cm in height). It forms a rosette of long leaves arranged in a spiral. When grown correctly, you can get a fairly large plant that can bloom and even bear fruit.
Three forms of pineapple are grown at home and in greenhouses.
- The A. comosus variety is characterized by green, narrow leaves and bears fruit well.
- The A.comosus Variegatus cultivar has shorter and wider striped leaves. This plant looks very beautiful in the interior, decorating it, but rarely bears fruit.
- The variety A. bracteatus Striatus is the largest plant compared to the above. Characterized by green-yellow leaves.
Growing pineapple - step by step, instructions with photos and videos
To grow this beautiful plant with tasty fruit yourself, first of all, you should buy the fruit along with a rosette of leaves located on the top of the fruit. This rosette is relatively easy to root. We will tell you how to do this below, starting with purchasing the fruit.
Buying fruit
First you need to choose the right pineapple in the store. You should pay attention to whether it has a full rosette of leaves along with the center. It is important to choose a fruit that is ripe and healthy, with beautifully colored green leaves. The plant should not have a brownish top. A flower sprout should protrude from the rosette - this will give us a guarantee that the plant will bloom.
How to root correctly?
To germinate roots, it is important to properly prepare the tail for planting so that the plant takes root. First, you should cut off the rosette of leaves at the top, leaving 1-2 cm of the fruit near the rosette; a photo of the correct cut is shown below.
The fruit fragment must be peeled with a knife in the form of a slightly rounded heel. Then we cut off the remaining pulp with a knife so that the fibrous part remains. It is important when preparing seedlings to remove all the pulp, otherwise it will begin to rot. If white dots are visible on the cut, these are root nodules; it is advisable not to damage them when cleaning.
Growing ponytail fruit, photo Leaves should be torn off from the bottom of the rosette in an area of about 2 cm. To avoid damage to the roots growing from under the leaves, clear the leaves from the trunk, tearing them off perpendicular to the trunk. On some pineapples, after removing the leaves, already at this stage we can see small sprouted roots.
Germination and planting
Soak the planting material obtained in this way in water up to half of the fragment of torn leaves. After about 1-2 weeks they begin to take root. When the roots reach a few centimeters in length, remove the seedling from the water and place it on a paper towel. Let it dry for 2-3 hours. After drying, the seedlings are planted in soil intended for growing palm trees. The soil in the pot should not be too wet, but only slightly moistened. The entire section of the stem without leaves must be buried in the ground.
Growing pineapple - video
Of course, our little palm requires proper care.
Diseases and their symptoms
- Pale leaves: This means that the plant is not receiving enough light. It should be moved to a more illuminated position.
- No flowering: You should help the plant a little. Some pineapples take 18 or even 30 months to bloom. Such a long period on an industrial scale is not economically justified. However, people have learned to speed up this process. Wise scientists have noticed that pineapple blooms much faster if it is treated with ethylene gas. This gas is released, among other things, by some fruits. At home we can get it using apples. To do this, cut the apple in half, place one half of the fruit flat on the ground (cut to the soil), and place the other half on a leaf rosette. Cover the entire plant with a plastic bag and leave for 2 to 4 weeks. At this time, the apple will begin to release ethylene, which, entering the roots, will stimulate the appearance of flowers. When we see the first flowers, we should remove the bag and remove the apple pieces.
- The lower leaves dry out, wrinkle and curl: this usually means that the plant is standing in a draft. It should be moved to a place more protected from drafts.
- Dust on the leaves: Leaves should be wiped with a damp cloth.
- Leaves are wrinkled and dying: This always occurs after fruiting. The pineapple dies after fruiting, but new plants can be grown from the socket.
- Slow growth: may indicate that there is a lack of micronutrients in the soil. The plant should be fed with fertilizer for flowering plants.
- Drying leaves usually appear if the plant is in a too hot and dry place. It should be watered and moved to a cooler place.
- Yellow spots on leaves usually associated with the fact that our exotic plant was attacked by scale insects. This manifests itself as follows: brown spots begin to appear on the underside under the leaf. Pests can be removed with a cotton swab or cotton swab soaked in soap.
Beneficial features
This fruit is valued for its tasty, juicy and very aromatic fruits, which are eaten both raw and after cooking. We can buy it canned, in jams, compotes, juices and many other forms. A very important feature is that pineapple contains the enzyme bromelain, which facilitates digestion and helps you lose weight. Fresh fruits contain the most vitamins. Fruits from jars lose some of their beneficial properties during processing.
- Pineapple is a great fruit for people who are on a diet because it contains a lot of fiber. Fiber speeds up digestion and removes toxic metabolic products.
- Bromelain, found in pineapples, promotes weight loss and also acts as an anti-inflammatory, anti-edematous and analgesic, preventing the formation of blood clots.
- The fruit is used auxiliary in the treatment of cardiovascular diseases, arthritis and other inflammatory diseases.
- The fruits contain disinfectants and also have the ability to remove dead tissue without damaging new ones, therefore they are used to heal wounds, treat burns, bites, bruises and swelling.
- As an aid, they can be used in the treatment of allergies and respiratory diseases, as well as digestive problems.
- Pineapples are also used in cosmetics. Vitamin C contained in the fruit removes age spots and brightens the skin.
- This fruit strengthens blood vessels. Organic acids and bromelain contained in the fruits gently exfoliate dead skin cells, and minerals nourish it. Pineapples are especially recommended for people with skin pigmentation and acne.
- Pineapple is often used as an aphrodisiac.
Helper in the fight against snoring
If there is someone in the house who snores heavily, there is an ideal solution. Peaceful sleep will be ensured by a pineapple in a pot. Statistics show that snoring affects one in four adults – usually men.
According to NASA research, pineapple plants produce oxygen and improve air quality throughout the night. Thus, they help you sleep better and more quietly. For anyone who has had to run from the bedroom to another room because of their partner's snoring, this discovery may be a godsend.
Plants take 21 months to 2 years to grow and eventually produce a small fruit. If there are no snoring problems in the house, they can simply bring a little exotic into the interior.
Pineapple is one of those exotic fruits that we can grow ourselves. It is enough to cut off the top leaf rosette and plant it in a pot. It is very important that this part of the pineapple, which we put in the ground with the leaves, is dry, without pulp, otherwise the plant will rot. As a result, we will get an ornamental plant that improves the air and can even bear fruit.
Pineapple is one of the most favorite exotic fruits. You can grow your own pineapple plant at home. Learn how to grow pineapple at home. Find out how easy it is, just follow the instructions in our article. Growing pineapple at home can really be a lot of fun.
Real pineapple
True pineapple (crested) Ananas comosus belongs to the Bromeliad family (Bromeliaceae), a perennial plant rooted in the soil and incredibly resistant to drought and heat. The real pineapple comes from tropical Brazil. Christopher Columbus was the first to bring the plant to our world. Pineapple cultivation has moved to Hawaii and is grown in large quantities today. The fruits ripen all year round and are available in stores at any time of the year.
The leaves are oblong and narrow, forming a rosette, with spiny teeth at the ends. Between 10 and 20 months of cultivation, a fleshy shoot develops from the center of the rosette, and an inflorescence with numerous purple flowers forms at the top. The fruit is formed from about 100 small flowers.
Reproduction by apex
Pineapples are best propagated from the tops; they can be easily obtained from store-bought fruit. Pineapple fruits are sold with a leaf rosette (apex) located at the top of the fruit. It is the rosette that can root and grow a pineapple.
When choosing a pineapple in a store, pay attention that the fruit is fresh and ripe, the top is not damaged, and there are no signs of rot or mold.
To grow a pineapple from the top at home, cut off the leaves of the upper part of the fruit (the so-called plume of leaves) with a pulp 2 cm thick. Or simply take the fruit with your hand, grab the rosette with the other hand, separate the top, twisting it out of the fruit. Carefully remove the pulp and lower leaves from the rosette until 2-3 cm of bare stem is exposed, on which small roots are sometimes visible.
How to root the top?
If the roots are visible, the plant can already be planted. If the roots are not visible, a root former, a drug that facilitates the rooting of cuttings, will be useful. The lower end of the top of the seedling is immersed in the root former. Then they are planted in moist, light soil with an alkaline pH, soil mixed with sand in a 1:1 ratio. The seedling is planted in a pot large enough so that after planting the cuttings there is approximately 2 cm of free space around the plant. As a rule, they start with pots with a diameter of 12-14 cm.
Before planting, place the top in a dry place for 2-3 days. This drying will prevent the development of fungal diseases and rotting of the rosette after planting.
Then the pot with the seedling is placed in a warm place (21-27 °C) so that the substrate is constantly slightly moist. Spray the leaves with soft water from a spray bottle; the plant likes a little moisture inside the rosette.
New leaves have appeared in the center of the rosette, which means the pineapple has taken root well and is starting to grow. After rooting, the plant is placed in the sunniest place. Reduce the amount of watering; the substrate may dry out between waterings. The plant is replanted every year at the beginning of summer. You need to leave a 2 cm margin in the pot around the plant.
Growing
Pineapple is not a very demanding plant. Moderate watering is required, the soil needs to dry out between waterings. In summer, every 2 weeks, feed with liquid multi-component fertilizer, pour into the soil and into the leaf rosette, the plant also receives nutrients through the leaves. Do not overdo it with the amount of fertilizer! As a rule, we use half the dose recommended by the manufacturer.
In summer, the plant loves warmth of 20-30 °C - the optimal temperature. Below 20 °C growth stops. In winter, the temperature should not fall below 15 °C. Cold air, frost, damages and dies the plant.
Fruiting
At home, pineapples begin to bloom after 1.5-2 years after planting. If the flowers do not appear on time, you will have to help the plant. Take a ripe apple and cut it in half. Place half of the apple on the ground (cut side down). The second half is placed on a leaf rosette, the plant is covered with a plastic bag. The ethylene vaporized by the apple should stimulate the pineapple to produce flowers. After 2-4 weeks the first flowers should appear. After the first flowers appear, remove the bag and remove the apple. For full flowering it takes 4-6 months. In a sunny place, a fruit grows from a flower.