How to plant a pineapple top or seeds and grow
Lovers of exotics often experiment with tropical plants at home. Popular among plants is the cultivation of pineapple. This culture is capricious, but with a great desire and armed with knowledge, you can become the owner of a beautiful exotic plant. How to plant pineapple, what care does it need and when can you collect the first fruits?
Is it possible to breed pineapple at home?
Home pineapple has a smaller size than the one that grows in the tropics. While the fruit itself can be grown at home, the purchased fruit is not, a little smaller and tastes different than the real tropical fruit. Growing a pineapple at home using seeds or tops consists of several steps, for which you will need:
- Fruit or seeds;
- Planting material;
- Floors and their preparation;
- Germination of the tops;
- Rooting the tops;
- Care.
Growing a pineapple will take a long time, but you will end up with a beautiful and unusual houseplant that bears fruit and delights with its delicious, small fruits.
How to plant a pineapple from seeds at home
Pineapple seeds can be extracted from a ripe fruit or bought at a flower store. Externally, they have a dark brown color and are about 3-4 mm in size. They need to be prepared for planting:
- Wash with a solution of humus potassium, and then dry them;
- Insert for one day in a humid medium: sponge, cloth.
- Wait for the first roots to appear.
- Prepare the pot and the bottom.
- After planting the plant creates a greenhouse effect – the floor is covered with film or polyethylene.
It will take about 3 weeks for the pineapple seeds to germinate, provided that they were stored from the ground at 30 ° C.
How to plant a pineapple from above at home
A more popular and more accessible way is to plant pineapple tops. This option is the easiest. What needs to be done:
- Remove the top with leaves from the base.
- Peel 2-3 cm.
- The slices are sprinkled with crushed charcoal.
- Sämmen remain dry at room temperature for 1 week. They can be hung on a template. This will help to speed up root growth.
- After a week, the seedling is dipped in water and wait for the first roots to appear.
- It is recommended to keep the plants in a dark and warm place. It is important to exclude the location of the seedling in a structure or where there are temperature changes.
- When the processes appear, the plants are taken outside.
Strengthening on average takes 6 to 8 weeks. During this time, the leaves of the pineapple begin to wither, so it is better to cut them off. In place of the cut leaves will grow new greenery, indicating that the home system is well rooted.
Before planting pineapple tail, you need to prepare the floor, create a pot and all the necessary conditions for the normal rooting of the plant. If the process is disrupted, the houseplant may die.
Buy fruit
Amateur farmers believe that home pineapple can be planted and grown from the fruit. However, experts assure that pineapple should not be bought in winter, but in summer or fall. The fruit should have a pleasant fruity flavor, it should not have any rot or spots on it. Pinecones have green with somewhat yellowish leaves.
Particular attention should be paid to the top crown, which is used to grow the plant at home. It should not show signs of rot.
If the fruit is too hard and there is no pleasant smell, the pineapple is probably not ripe and not suitable for planting. The fruit with dry leaves should be discarded.
As a rule, plant moderately mature fruits. You can check this on your hand. If the exot is ripe – too soft and hard, then it is not yet ripe. Normal ripeness can be determined by the pineapple scales, which should pop when you press down. A muffled sound when pressed is also a good indicator of maturity.
germination
The plant material is placed in water when growing overhead or in a moist environment when using pineapple seeds. The first roots may appear after 2 weeks.
When the roots appear, the homemade pineapple seedling should be taken out of the water, placed on a paper towel, wait 2 hours and only then can the seedlings be planted in the ground. The whole trunk with the roots, but without the leaves, is transferred to the ground.
Pot and floor for plants
After the roots have sprouted, the house plant can be planted in the ground. A pot is needed small (0,5 l), but when the plant grows, its size should be increased. At the bottom, be sure to lay a drainage of pebbles or an elongated shoemaker. This will help protect the roots from rotting. The pot itself should have a hole at the bottom, so that excess liquid is removed from it. If there is no such hole, the roots will rot.
For the soil itself, it is best to take a universal mixture, which does not require fertilizer and is ideal for house trees and tropical plants. Before planting, the floor should be disinfected with hot water. Then the floor is dried and only after that the seedling is planted.
How to cuttings properly
Pinopetus is prepared for roots and root buds. First, the leaves of the upper part are cut off, leaving 1-2 cm of fruit near the rosette. It is important to remove the pulp of the fruit, as it will lead to rotting.
When the top is done with, it should be placed in water for the sprouting of roots. The homemade plant should not be in the structure. If the first medium-length roots appear on top, they can be planted in the ground. To protect the roots of the homemade pineapple, pour a few pieces of crushed activated tablets when planting the plant. This will help eliminate the spread of germs and pus.
How to care for pineapple at home
In order for the home plant to successfully take root and the first fruits appeared, care is important, which is the choice of soil, soil, temperature and quality lighting.
Temperature
Pineapple is an exotic plant, so it likes heat. In order for the exot to grow well, the optimal temperature should be between +22 +23 OS.
Watering
Water the pineapple with moderately warm, settled water, which can be acidified with lemon juice. Water is poured directly into the rosette. In summer, flower spots are watered 2 – 3 times a week, in winter – once. The interval between waterings promotes drying, and the roots do not succumb to rot.
Lighting
Pineapple likes good lighting, so it should be in the sun for at least 6 hours a day. In summer, the flower pot can be in the garden or on the balcony, and in winter, when the day is short, the home exot is warmed with fluorescent lamps.
Feeding
As a fertilizer, cow or horse manure is ideal. With it, the plant is treated once every 14 days. Organic fertilizers can replace this type of fertilizer. They should not contain alkali, otherwise the plant can die.
Home pineapple can be sprayed with a solution of vitriol. Dilute 1:1 with water. Frequency of use is once a month.
transplanting
Pineapple – a rather unpretentious indoor plant, so you need to transplant it often, at least once a year. For a full flower pot, a container of 5 liters is enough. In this case, the envelope method is used. It must be done very carefully, without disturbing the soil clump. It is better to transplant the flower pot at the beginning of summer.
pineapple blooming
With proper care, the first flowering can be expected in 2 years. Leaves by this time reach a size of up to 90 cm with a diameter of up to 10 cm. A sign of an inflorescence is the appearance of a bud on the top. The flowering period is 2 weeks, then fruits begin to form. If the pineapple does not flower for a long time, it can be stimulated. There are several possibilities for this. It is best to use hard metal. It takes 15 g of carbide, it is dipped in 1 liter of water. With the prepared solution, water the plant from the socket. Repeat watering every other day. In 2 months after such treatment, the pineapple will surely bloom. It is better to carry out such manipulations in the spring or summer.
fruiting
On the lateral layers of the adult palm often appear shoots, on which you can sit. The process can be carried out in the same way as for the top. If the gardener has the desire and ability to grow pineapples, good fruiting and planting can help you own a whole pineapple plantation. When flowering ends, the fruit is formed, which can weigh from 300 g to 1.5 kg. At this time you can fertilize the plant with organic matter and minerals.
Determine that the pineapple is ripe by the sweet aroma of the fruit and a rich yellow color.
diseases and their symptoms
Exot requires special attention, as parasites can infect it and cause disease and death. Most often the plant is attacked by spider mites, mealworms, scale insects or phylloxera. To protect the flower pot, it is treated regularly with a soap solution. It is sufficient to wipe the leaves of the palm or you can purchase a special pesticide. It should be used in accordance with the instructions for use. Several signs indicate that the plant is diseased:
- Desiccation of the leaves.
- The pale color of the vegetables.
- The upper part of the leaves is brown.
- Slow growth and lack of flowering.
- Leaves curling up.
- Rotting at the base.
The causes of such symptoms are not only pests, but also poor care of the plant. At the first signs of the disease, you should go to a flower store, where there is a remedy to save the plant.
Growing a pineapple at home is not easy, but if you follow all the rules, you can become the owner of a beautiful tropical representative at home and even taste its fruits.
How to breed a pineapple from above
Have you always wanted to grow something new and exotic in your home? The easiest way is to plant a pineapple, or rather, its top. It is likely that you can even taste their fruits. Here is a simple guide to breeding a real pineapple from a cut sultana on your windowsill.
A pineapple can be grown on a windowsill in an ordinary flower pot
The well-known pineapple that we buy at retail is the fruit of a perennial tropical plant of the true pineapple species (pineapple comosus) in the bromeliad family. There are six species of pineapple that grow naturally in South America, but numerous varieties of only one true pineapple are grown as fruit crops in tropical countries around the world.
Technology for lengthening a pineapple top
To successfully root a pineapple top, you must first choose the right fruit – it must be ripe and have juicy leaves of a ruddy green or golden color.
How to separate the top of the pineapple correctly
It is necessary to separate the top from the fruit, for which there are two options: you can simply twist them out of the bottle, like a cork, or cut with a knife with part of the nearby skin. In the latter case, the pulp must be carefully removed from the stalk without damaging the skin and the fruit. When the pulp remains, the top begins to rot.
The lower part of the stem should be peeled at a distance of 2-3 cm from the end of the leaves. Treat the damaged areas on the stem with a solution of potassium dressing, crushed charcoal or a solution of root-forming stimulant (such as Epin). Then allow the stem to dry at the top for about a week.
With the help of the market in stores, you can find a suitable product to stimulate root formation and plant growth. Compare the prices of online stores and choose a stimulant.
Root and plant.
If the slices are covered with a ball of shell and have become hard, the top of the pineapple for 3-4 cm should be lowered into a clear container with water at room temperature for the formation of roots. The water should be changed every two days to avoid clouding. For 4-6 days, keep the dish with plenty of diffused light without draughts and water temperature variations.
The water in the beaker should be changed regularly.
After the formation of white roots in the area of the stem where the leaves were removed, the pineapple should be planted in loose and nutritious soil in a preferably large pot (30-35 cm in diameter). The bottom of the pot should be equipped with at least 3 cm thick drainage and a hole for draining excess water.
If you plant the top in a small pot, the system can be replanted after a year. When doing this, it is important to try not to damage the root clumps. The best way is to transplant into a larger pot with poured substrate. From spring to fall, the pineapple should not be fertilized during the break.” width=”100%” />
The appearance of roots is a signal to planting
Water moderately but regularly, at room temperature but regularly, and keep the soil in the pot moist but not wet. It also makes sense to fertilize the pineapple with a uterine candle once a month.
If all pineapple rooting measures are done correctly, your pet should bloom in 2 to 2.5 years.
Useful tips for growing pineapple on a windowsill
- Choose medium-sized fruits so that there is a better chance of harvesting from the top.
- Sometimes you can acidify the water for irradiation with lemon juice. A drier soil will suit the tropical guest.
- During the dormancy period (from autumn to spring), the pineapple agrees to a lower temperature – up to +18ºC. The rest of the time it will feel comfortable at +25. +30ºC.
- If you plant the top in a small pot the plant can be replanted after a year. It is important to try not to damage the root balls. The best way is to transplant into a larger pot with poured substrate. From spring to fall, the pineapple should not be fed during the break.
- In summer, pineapple can be “started” in a pot on the loggia, balcony or garden.
If you’ve already tried breeding pineapple from above, share your method in the comments. Did you manage to get the fruit?
Andrey Babitsky, biologist, specialist in indoor and greenhouse plants
