Homemade Living Series

These two bloggers are also posting today in our series.

Make sure you stop by!

Mary@Homegrown on the Hill

Tammy@Our Neck of the Woods

There are so many gardeners out there in blogland that I fully admire.

So many of you are seasoned greenthumbs

and I marvel (and sometimes drool) 

when I see your gardens and all that you are able to produce 

for your families to enjoy.

I, however, 

am a work in progress and have miles to go...

 

Although our veggies have thus far been hit or miss,

we do grow our own pineapples.

We get a lot of comments on them when they are featured.

They are one of the easiest plants to grow,

as they have a minimum of needs.

Lest you think you need to live in Florida to grow these babies, read this.

 It starts here.

Simply cut off the top portion of a store-bought pineapple

(organic if you can find it).

 You want to leave it exposed to the air to dry out a bit before planting.

A week should do the trick.

 

Then install the entire top with part of the crown into your soil.

 The plants grow fairly quickly, given a good dose of regular rain.

One thing I didn't realize when I started the ones in our backyard,

is how wide a berth they need.

They tend to get quite large, especially by the third or fourth year.

Give 'em room to grow!

 

Ours have been fertilized with fish emulsion at times,

and other times not.

They are pretty forgiving.

About the second or third season, 

you'll notice something like a blossom growing in the center of the spiky leaves.

 

The colors include an unexpected magenta 

around the lower portion of the fruit.

 

 Eventually, the purple shade disappears,

and it turns brown all over,

with the top beginning to grow taller and turning green.

 Here it is in an unripened state.

Gotta wait just a little while longer!

 

Here it is in all of its magnificence!

When it turns golden and smells sweet at the stem,

it's time to harvest.

Just give it a gentle twist at the base and it should come right off.

 You'll taste the sweetest, most delicate juicy flavor.

If you've only eaten pineapple from a can,

your mouth will be in for a real treat.

There's just no comparison.

Every time you harvest another piece of fruit,

cut off the top and start a new plant.

Each crop will give you several fruits,

so you may never have to buy pineapple again.

And really, why would you?

  Be sure to check back next Wednesday 

when these ladies will be posting in our series:

Amber@Making a Home

Meg@Bit of Life

Staci@Life at Cobble Hill Farm