Friday, August 22, 2014

Planting Pineapple


One of the easiest fruits to grow here in Central Florida
is pineapple.
The flavor of these homegrown beauties is unlike anything
you'll find in a can at the grocery store.
I've grown these myself, so you know it has to be easy.



This is a pineapple patch at Faye & Lynn's homestead.
They use the metal trash cans to cover the plant when it gets near pickin' time,
so that the raccoons don't get to it first.



Here is Lynn's method of assuring a healthy, productive plant.
The top of the pineapple is saved.
It can be dried for a couple of days in the shade outside,
but it's not necessary.



Lynn uses  needle nosed pliers to remove the bottom-most leaves
from the crown of the plant.
Gloves help protect hands from thorny leaves.


You can see the ones closest to the neck are the most dried out.




By just removing a small handful of leaves,
the pineapple has a better chance at becoming productive.



The small brown patch you see here is the beginning of roots.
By eliminating the outer leaves, the roots have more opportunity to attach to the soil
and thus, start growing.



See how many more roots there are now?
Lynn whittles down until a small knob is formed.
That's what gets planted.
Pineapple plants like full sun and are surprisingly drought-tolerant.
Give them space, 
because many times, they will quadruple in size.
They can also be grown in containers.


This tropical wonder loves the heat!
The plant produces one fruit at a time,
but will continue to produce,
treating the gardener to sweet, juicy pineapple over and over.




When the base of the fruit turns from green to mostly brownish-orange,
it's ready to harvest.
Simply twist at the base and it will come right off.
You're set to enjoy one of the most delectable and refreshing tidbits
that ever came across your plate.
Enjoy!






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14 comments:

  1. Daisy, I bet that's one thing you will miss growing when you move. The first time I saw an actual pineapple plant growing was in Nicaragua. I was amazed that it grew on the ground. Some how I had gotten the impression that it grew on a tree. I do like pineapple but don't eat as much as I probably should. I expect as with almost any thing that fresh picked tastes so much better than store bought.

    Have a great fresh pineapple day.

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    1. I won't miss it because I plan to grow some in pots in the garage, if need be. There's just nothing like fresh pineapple!

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  2. That's pretty cool. I'm with David on that I thought they grew on trees. Interesting. I wonder if there is enough light in my house to try one in a container. Wouldn't that be a conversation starter of a houseplant!

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    Replies
    1. Try it and let me know how it goes! If you mist it, it would probably do fine!

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  3. Did I miss this info? How long does this take to grow a Pineapple?
    and did I understand...the same plant produces again and again after this?
    I live in Texas where I winter weather can unexpectedly turn quite cold...with snow, but some years, it can remain quite warm for winter time. I wonder how well these will do in extreme temps...ice and some snow? I don't live in South Texas, but in NorthEast TX . The trash cans would come in handy for those times for sure. ... I'll check back for answers here in the thread.
    Thanks in advance... :)

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    Replies
    1. If you're starting with a cutting, as I've shown here, it would probably take about a year to get the first fruit. And yes, you read right. The same plant puts off shoots once harvested where a new fruit will grow. I think it'd be worth a shot in Texas. You may have to winter it indoors, but you definitely have enough heat! I hope you'll give it a go!

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  4. Mmmm.....I love pineapple!! :) On a side note - for some odd reason your blog keeps removing itself from my blog reading list. So if you see me continually popping up as a new subscriber, that's because you disappeared again! :) Strange, right?

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    1. Hmmmm, wonder why that is?! I'm just glad you're here! ;0D

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  5. So cool! I think I just may try growing one! Thanks for the pictures and information.

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  6. Stopping by from the Tuesday Garden Party // This post was so interesting! We can't grow pineapple where I live (too cold), so it was awesome seeing how it works. Best of luck with your pineapples this season!

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  7. I'm not having much luck with my pineapples. We had fruit last year but our rooster ate it! I need to get some small trash cans. I've planted quite a few more but our neighbor decided to let his rabbits loose and they have eaten some, then my boys mowed over the ones I had in the fenced garden area...sigh...one day I hope to have a home grown pineapple.

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    Replies
    1. The trash cans might be the ticket. It's really worth the effort, trust me!

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