Did you ever look at pineapples and imagine where do these fascinating looking fruits grow? Do pineapples grow on trees?
Unlike what we imagine when we hear the word “fruit”, pineapples don’t grow on a tree. They grow on plants that are closed to ground.
These fruits are tropical. What is even more fascinating about this fruit is, one plant can grow only one fruit at a time, until you harvest the fruit.
How does pineapple plant look?
They are 4 feet by four feet in height and width. After maturing, a giant flower will grow in the top-middle center of the plant. The flower results from many fruit-producing flowers merging together. Later pineapple will replace the flower. The pineapples have a crown with layers of wild-looking green leaves on the top of the fruit.
How long do pineapples take to grow?
On average, pineapple usually takes 12 months to 36 months to produce fruits, depending on the route are you taking for cultivation. Pineapples can be grown from parts of pineapples like ‘suckers’,‘ slips’, ‘crowns’ or seeds. Each of these needs a different length of time and procedures to grow fruits.
Suckers: Takes 17 to 18 months to produce pineapple from suckers.
Slips: Takes 12-24 months to produce pineapple from slips, depending on the weather.
Crowns: Approximately 23 to 26 months to get pineapple if you plant crowns. In some cases, if you are lucky, you will get fruits in one year!
Seeds: Takes about six months for seeds to sprout. It’s the slowest process. In 2-3 years you will have edible pineapples in your garden.
Procedure for planting Pineapple
From ‘suckers’‘ slips’ ‘crowns
In the main stem, you will see some side shoots grown between leaves which are called suckers. They are adjuncts of the main plant. Sometimes they also grow pineapples, one in each extension.
At the bottom of the pineapple, the small plantlets are called slips. They can also produce pineapples like suckers
Like the crowns, you can also pluck slips and suckers and replant them to grow more plants. You can follow these procedures for plantation:
Direct plantation in soil
- Cut off the top of a mature pineapple. You can choose to use the pineapples we get in shops.
- Make sure there’s no fruit residue remaining.
- Remove the top-bottom and small leaves.
- Don’t put slips or suckers in water, it’s unnecessary while growing from slips or suckers.
- Try to keep them dry for at least a day.
- You can then plant the suckers and slips.
Usually, pineapples grow faster if you plant suckers or slips rather than the crown. So they are the best choice if you want to grow pineapples in less time.
Growing roots in water
- Cut off the top of a ripe pineapple and remove a few layers of leaves. Also, remove leaves that are yellow or rotten. You will see some small white nubbins already.
- Don’t use the stem if it’s even a little rotten, Try cutting it out or using a fresh stem.
- Pick up a utensil filled with clean water to sink the stem.
- Stick a few toothpicks in the stem, so that they can hold the plant upright. Make sure they are long enough to rest on the rim of the utensil.
- Make sure the stem doesn’t touch the bottom of the utensil. In a week the roots will grow. Then you can transfer it to the soil.
From seeds
To grow a pineapple from seeds, you need to do certain things
- Choose ripe pineapple and collect the seeds after peeling the skin,
- Rinse out sticky residue from the seeds and then pad them dry with a paper towel.
- Keep the seeds sealed in a plastic bag until they sprout.
- After they sprout, plant them in a small pot filled with soil.
Necessities of pineapple plants
Soil
Well-drainage and frost-free soil is needed for pineapple plants. Sandy-loam soils are the best choice. Your soil can’t have fungus, as it will damage the plants
Watering
They need watering even though they have a high tolerance of drought. But over-watering or water clogging should be avoided at a cost. You can check the inner portion of leaves to know if the plants need watering. If The inner parts are wet, you don’t need to water them.
Temperature
Temperature should be over sixty-five degrees Fahrenheit, Warmer weather than this is better for pineapple plants. They need to be kept outside in sun to avoid lessening of foliage growth and flower production.
pH
pH of the soil should be 4.5 to 6.5 as pineapples plants need slightly acidic soil. If the soil is not up to that pH, use sulfur to lessen the alkaline nature of the soil.
Fertilizers
Pineapple plants thrive off nitrogen. Any fertilizers need to be diluted in .5 Mole/liter (just dilute with twice the amount of water if you have trouble measuring) before using. In every two or three months make sure to use well-balanced fertilizers for proper fruit development.
Do pineapples have seeds?
Usually, Pineapples don’t have seeds. It is very rare to see pineapple having seeds. Because pineapples are harvested before the seeds get enough time to mature.
Even if they have seeds,
- They are very tiny.
- After peeling off the skin of the pineapple, we can see the seeds.
- The color of these seeds is black or dark brown.
When pineapples are grown from seeds, the quality of fruits is not up to the market. That’s why commercial variety pineapples are not usually grown in that way. So, most pineapples in commercial varieties are not self-fertile from the beginning.
Where do pineapples grow in the world?
Pineapples are the native fruits of South America. Brazil, Thailand, Philippines, Costa Rica, China, and India are the highest producers of pine pineapples. Among these countries, Costa Rica produces the highest amount.
Pineapples will surely test your patience to grow. But once one pineapple grows, you can use the suckers and slips to grow yards of pineapples! So go buy a pineapple, cut at the top, and plant your own tropical fruit plant!
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Thanks to TreeHauger