Pineapples

[philm00x]

Does anyone here besides me grow pineapples? They are my favorite fruit to eat and also to grow, since they were the first thing I learned to grow. I haven't been able to grow more than one or two at a time because I've never had a yard to grow several at a time before. My success growing them has come from using crowns off of store-bought fruit, rather than starting from seeds.

[lorax]

Absolutely I grow pineapples! My favourite fruit, and one of my favourite bromeliads.

I grow a local variety called 'Abacaxi' which are white-fleshed and have very little core in the fruit; I started them from tops as well. Seeds are notoriously difficult to germinate.

What variety are you growing?

[philm00x]

I believe mine is of the smooth cayenne variety if I'm not mistaken. The one I'm growing at the moment is still very young, only being in its pot for about a couple months. It was the crown from the fruit of another plant, which managed to also produce a sucker that I've been trying to grow since, but the sucker doesn't seem to have as good of luck as the crown has.

[img]https://i30.tinypic.com/6ezndv.jpg[/img]

[Mini Mango!]

Heyya Ananas Gardners!

Could your please explain how you exactly grow them from tops?
I've wanted to try one but didn't know how..

Thanks in advance!

MM

[lorax]

Twist the crown out of a storebought pineapple, and sit this in a weak fertilizer solution (I use 1/2 tsp soluble seaweed emulsion in 1 gal of water, which I then use as the "water" you sit the crown in) until roots develop. Once you've got roots, plant into loose, free-draining soil, and voila! You've got a Pineapple bromeliad growing. After that it's just a waiting game until it blooms and sets you a fresh pineapple.

[Mini Mango!]

Thanks!!
Hehe... I just wonder what my husband will say this time..
He keeps hinting that I should stop for a while with my experiments because we are getting less space on our terrace and the kitchen window is full. But "I" don't think so. I think there is space on the terrace for all of us and lots of more! And we still have 3 rooms with free window space .

He is just not an 'plant person', so he doesn't understand..

MM

[philm00x]

when you twist the crown off of the fruit, you'll want to pull off about an inch layer of leaves from the bottom to expose the center. roots will grow from the very bottom where the core starts, and also from the sides of the base. I like to use 1/4 teaspoon water soluble plant food (15-30-15 npk) per one gallon of water, instead of lorax's seaweed extract solution.