Pineapples

[sthrngypsy]

I had read the thread about the avacados with interest as I know many people who grow avacados from seed, probably more as a hobby than anything else, since I don't know how many of them have ever produced fruit. How about growing pineapples from the top of the pineapple from the grocery store? And is there any way to keep these things alive this far north? Plankets? Some other type of warming device?

 

[helagumamela]

I heard that this is possible. I haven't actually tried it though. There's a pineapple plantation in one of the cities near the capital. I should try asking if this is a verified method.

 

[Pat]

I did cut the top off of a pineapple plant about 2 years ago. I still have the plant but it did not do well this summer. Our summer was either too wet or too cool for the plant to really get a good growth period. I have brought the plant indoors during the winter. It did not grow much this year or produce any little pineapples. I hope the plant will do better next summer.

 

[firelily99]

It is a doable thing although I have never done it. Make sure the pineapple is not too ripe. This can be determined by pulling gently on the leaves; if they come off then pick another one. Slice off the top of the fruit and pull off some leaves to expose some of the stem. Turn it upside down and let it take a week or so to dry. Get a jar of water that is big enough to hold the pineapple but small enough to prevent it from falling into the water. Use toothpicks to make this happen. The leaves should not be in the water but the stem should. Change the water every couple of days and make sure that you don't have the pineapple in temps that are too variable or too extreme. Once you have got some roots you can then plant it in potting soil that has at least thirty percent organic materials. Good luck with it!

 

[Twinsmommy31]

I have never even thought of planting a pineapple plant. I just need a little information about this. My kids love pineapple. How long does it take this plant to mature?

 

[Lauren Chaste]

Pineapples are so good. I wish I could eat more of them, but they are a bit too sugary for my diet. I love to keep pineapple cold though- fruit tastes better when it is cold, in my opinion.

 

[ReadWriteLearnLove]

I have a pineapple plant that I've been growing since last May. I kept it outdoors all summer where it really felt the Texas heat and I moved it inside before our first frost. I have it in a sunny spot and it's really doing well and getting big. It'll need to be re-potted soon. I'm not sure how long it will take before I actually get a pineapple, but the plant itself is really pretty.

 

[Bee]

I just recently volunteered on a farm in Puerto Rico and Pineapple was one of the fruit we decided to plant.We just cut off the tops of the pineapples we already had and planted them in the moist soil.Even though it will take a while for the Pineapple tree to grow....it will be much worth it when it does spring up.Pineapple is one of my favorite fruit and it is so tropical.I could add pineapple to almost any smoothie that I make because it gives it that much added sweetness.

 

[jeuxydizzer]

My family grew pineapples in our island. Our experience was that pineapple is a more-or-less slow investment, taking a year or two to grow. Pineapples grew best in sandy places in our yard.

Another application which you may want to look at is the use of pineapple leaves as source of textile or cloth material.

It is a labour intensive process but the cloth produced is both soft and very, very light. Once you harvest the pineapples, you may want to consider experimenting on the leaves.

 

[Shimus]

I knew many of their uses, but I didn't know a fabric could be created out of it. Just goes to show you the ingenuity of people using up 'spare' parts of the plant. And you can replant? I'll have to try in the summer here to just get an idea. It's hot and humid enough I think I could keep it well handled. It might die off; but I love pineapple so it's worth a shot.

 

[PrideKidd]

I've tried growing pineapple, but to no avail, I do not know where I go wrong but Pineapples will not grow for me. After reading the replies in here I will take some of the information and try again. Having fresh pineapples would be a great addition to our garden

 

[ChanellG]

I have two pineapple tops from last year I am growing. My mother has some from the year before and will more than likely get fruit before I do. My father has grown pineapple in flower pots beside his pool! He offered me a plant last year, but I was too busy and wasn't sure I would have the time to look after it properly.

 

[ChanellG]

After seeing this thread yesterday I decided to read up a bit. Just found this:

Induction of flowering is undertaken to control the time of harvest and maturity in pineapples. Use of chemicals to control the natural and 'organic' growth of any plant is artificial and unnatural; however, cultivators tend to practice it to avoid excessive fruit production during peak periods. Earlier, ethylene gas was commonly used to control the fruiting process. Today, hormones such as a-naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA) are used. When a pineapple plant is 6 months old, it is treated with hormones to induce flowering.
Read more at Buzzle: http://www.buzzle.com/articles/growing-pineapple-plants-how-do-pineapples-grow.html

If that's not reason to grow your own, I don't know what is.

 

[grouie]

When we had shifted to this semi rural town with trees that we planted were still at the growing stage there was enough sun for pineapples to grow. We had good results but now they do not grow well. I just spotted one but the growth is not what we used to have in our earlier days.

 

[zigs]

Nice one Grouie