Pineapple is a popular tropical plant that can be grown at home. An additional advantage, in addition to its exotic appearance, is its unpretentiousness. However, there are several rules regarding the proper planting and care of this crop.
Pineapple planting methods
In nature, pineapple is propagated by seeds and basal layers, and at home you can get a good plant from the top.
Tops
If you want to plant the top of a pineapple, then carefully consider acquiring a "mother" fetus. Such a fruit must be ripe. Carefully inspect the top. It should be fresh, without rot and defects and with a healthy core of bright green color.
Suitable tops can be found in late spring, early autumn and summer. The tops from the “winter” pineapples will not work - they are often exposed to cold temperatures, freeze and therefore cannot develop into a good plant.
The landing process involves several steps. First you need to remove the top. There are two ways to do this:
- Gently cut the top, grabbing the pulp 2-3 cm.
- Grasp with one hand the fruit, with the other - at the top and scroll it several times.
Then you need to prepare the top for landing. Try to do all the work carefully, otherwise the workpiece will rot:
- Thoroughly clear the top of the remaining pulp.
- Remove the lower leaves so that a light cylinder 2-3 cm long is formed.
- Disinfect slices to prevent decay:
- Prepare a bright pink solution of potassium permanganate (1 g of powder per 200 g of water) and place the top in it for 1 minute. Then rinse and dry.
- Sprinkle slices with activated charcoal (you need to crush 1-2 tablets).
- After processing, dry the tip for 5-7 days in an upright position (the slices should not touch the surfaces) in a dark, dry room at room temperature.
- Root (optional):
- To do this, place the cleaned part of the top in a glass filled with warm water, 3-4 cm. Try to change the water every 2 days.
- The blank must be kept in a warm, bright place, but not in direct sunlight, and drafts and temperature extremes should be avoided.
- As a rule, the roots appear after 2-3 weeks.
- When they reach a length of 2 cm, the top can be transplanted into the pot.
- To do this, place the cleaned part of the top in a glass filled with warm water, 3-4 cm. Try to change the water every 2 days.
After the preparatory work, you can begin to plant the top in the ground:
- Prepare a small pot (200-300 ml) and make drainage holes in it.
- Put drainage on the bottom (expanded clay, fine gravel), and then the soil:
- turf land (3 parts) + sand (1 part) + humus (1 part);
- turf land (3 parts) + humus (2 parts) + peat (2 parts) + rotted sawdust (2 parts) + sand (1 part);
- sand (1 part) + peat (1 part);
- ready-made primer for bromeliads or cacti.
- Moisten the soil and in the center make a hole 3 cm deep.
- Pour 0.5-1 tbsp. l charcoal.
- Carefully place the tip in the hole and spread the roots.
- Sprinkle the soil with soil, slightly compacting, and water again.
- Cover the planting with a plastic bag so that the leaves do not touch the film, or place it under a glass container, and then put it in a warm, bright place.
Florists planting pineapples, 2 days before planting, are recommended to spill the soil with boiling water to disinfect it and provide the desired level of humidity.
The fact that the top is rooted, says the appearance of new leaves. Until this time, keep the workpiece under cover, providing it first with small (10 minutes 2 times a day), and then all the longer ventilation until the cover is completely removed. Water moderately. Experienced growers are advised to moisten not only the soil, but also the outlet. Do not allow condensation to get on the leaves, wipe or change the film.
For all work and for further irrigation, only soft water is suitable - settled for a day, melt, rain or boiled.
Seeds
This method is rarely used, since there are almost no seeds in the pineapples on sale. In addition, in stores you can often find hybrids whose seeds do not carry the properties of the mother plant, so it is recommended to take material only from proven plants, for example, those that themselves were grown from seed and gave good results.
Pineapple Seed
In pineapple, the bones are in the pulp right under the skin. If they have a dark brown color and are hard to the touch, then they can be planted. Carefully remove the seeds with a knife and rinse in a solution of potassium permanganate (1 g per 200 ml of water), then remove, dry on a paper towel and start sowing.
Stages of preparation and landing:
- Soak. Place moistened material (cotton cloth or cotton pads) on the bottom of the container or on a plate. Put the bones on it and cover them on top with the same material. Place the workpiece in a warm place for 18-24 hours. Seeds should swell a little.
- Sowing in soil. Fill the container for planting with a mixture of peat and peeled sand (they should be taken in equal parts), moisten the soil and plant seeds at a distance of 7-10 cm from each other, deepening them by 1-2 cm.
- After sowing, be sure to cover the container with film or glass and place in a warm place.
- The period of emergence of shoots depends on the temperature: at 30-32aboutThe seeds will germinate in 2-3 weeks, in colder conditions, the sprouts will appear no earlier than after 30-45 days.
Shoots usually appear within 3-4 weeks, while the temperature should be at least 30aboutC. Regularly ventilate the plantings (10 minutes 2 times a day) and water the soil as needed. If you sowed the seeds in a common container, then after the third leaf appears in the seedlings, peck them into separate containers:
- Prepare pots with a volume of 0.5-0.7 liters. Make drainage holes in them and fill 1/3 with chopped expanded clay or fine gravel.
- Pour the soil (turf soil (2 parts) + humus (1 part) + sand (1 part)).
- Well moisten the soil in a container with sprouts 2 hours before a dive.
- Before picking, moisten the soil in tanks and make holes in it 2 cm deep.
- Carefully remove the sprout, keeping a lump of earth on the roots, and place in the hole. Sprinkle with soil, slightly compacting it.
- Cover the containers with foil and place in a warm, bright place.
Keep the sprouts in the "greenhouse" until they root (the signs are the same as at the top), providing them with airing (20-30 minutes every day). Also do not forget to water the soil when drying.
Layering
You can plant pineapple this way if you already have an adult plant. Unfortunately, the pineapple bush dies shortly after it gives the crop, and if you want to continue cultivating the pineapple, you can very well do this with the help of layering.
For planting, layering is suitable, the leaves on which have reached a length of 15 cm.
Step-by-step process:
- Carefully break out the root layers.
- Dry in a vertical position with the outlet downside down for 5-7 days in a dark place at room temperature so that tissue forms on the slices. Remember that layering should not touch any surfaces.
- Take a 0.3 L pot and fill it:
- The drainage layer is 2-3 cm.
- Soil (turf land (3 parts) + humus (2 parts) + peat (2 parts) + rotted sawdust (2 parts) + sand (1 part)). Pour boiling water 1-2 days before planting.
- Make a hole in the moistened soil with a depth of 2-2.5 cm and plant layers in it, after sprinkling the roots with charcoal. Lightly compact the soil.
- Cover the landings with foil and put in a warm, bright place.
Sprouts must be covered until rooting.
Pineapple Care Rules
To get a quality plant, you need to follow several simple agrotechnical rules, paying special attention to lighting and temperature conditions, since it is from them that the health and development of pineapple depends.
Lighting
For proper development, pineapple needs about 12 hours of daylight. It is desirable to place the plant in a bright place, a partial stay in direct sunlight is allowed.
In winter, pineapple must be illuminated with a fluorescent lamp.
Temperature
Pineapple is a heat-loving culture, therefore it is necessary to carefully observe the temperature regime, otherwise the plant will not be able to develop correctly. In the summer, the temperature must be maintained within 25-30aboutC, in winter - 18-20aboutFROM. Also try to avoid sudden changes in temperature and drafts (especially in winter when airing), since hypothermia negatively affects the health of the pineapple and can provoke its death.
Transfer
It is advisable to transplant pineapple every year in the summer. An annual plant can be transplanted into a pot with a volume of 1 liter, a two-year-old with a volume of 2-2.5 liters, a three-year-old with a volume of 3-4 liters. Plant immediately in a large tank is not worth it, because the soil can quickly become acidic. When transplanting, use the transshipment method to preserve the earthen lump and not damage the root system: for this purpose, do not water the soil for several days when it dries, turn the pot over and remove the plant. At each transplant, sprinkle the root neck (the place where the trunk goes to the root) with 0.5 cm soil.
Step-by-step process:
- Prepare a pot of the required volume and fill it 1/3 with drainage material.
- Pour a little soil on top of it (you can take the same one that was used when planting).
- Remove the pineapple from the pot in the manner described above and put the resulting lump in the center of the new container.
- Fill the empty space between the plant and the walls of the pot with soil.
- Water the soil well and place the pot in a bright place.
Pineapple does not have a highly developed root system, so it is advisable to choose shallow wide pots for it.
Watering
There are several features that relate to proper watering of pineapple:
- For watering, you need to use water with a temperature of at least 27aboutC. It is also necessary to acidify it by adding citric acid (1/5 tsp. Powder to 250 ml of water).
- There is no consensus among gardeners on how to properly water a pineapple, so study different methods and choose the most convenient for you:
- Watering at a power outlet. If you want to water the pineapple in this way, then do it once every 7-10 days, and moisten the soil only when it dries up or put the pot in a tray with a moistened substrate. If the water in the outlet stagnates, then try to remove it, otherwise the leaves may begin to rot. A situation may also arise that the outlet does not absorb water at all. In this case, go on watering the soil.
- Watering the soil. It is carried out less often - about once every 2 weeks, while it is necessary to moisten all soil layers, while avoiding stagnation of water, otherwise the roots will begin to rot.
- Spray the leaves every 2-3 days or wipe them with a damp cloth. If the pineapple absorbs water well, then you can leave a small amount of it in the base of the leaves of the lower row, so as not to dry the roots.
- In winter, watering should be carried out 2 times less often than in summer. It is better to refuse spraying during this period.
Top dressing
Organic and mineral fertilizers can be used to feed pineapple. If you want to use natural fertilizer, then in this case a solution of mullein is best. It is prepared as follows:
- Mix dry organics (50 g) with water in equal parts.
- Leave to insist under the lid for 7-10 days in a warm, dry place.
- Before use, dilute the resulting solution with water, taking 1 part of the mixture to 1 part of the mixture.
You can prepare a solution for several top dressings at once and store it in a tightly closed container. For the season, 2 cans of 3 liters are usually prepared. For one feeding of a young plant (2-2.5 years), 10-15 ml of solution is required, for an older one - 20-30 ml, applied under the root into previously moistened soil. This method of feeding is suitable if it is possible to put a pot of pineapple on the balcony or in the greenhouse for the summer.
You can also feed pineapple with flower fertilizer (Agricola, Kemira, Azalea), having prepared it according to the instructions, but taking the powder 2 times less than recommended for feeding other plants. In this case, the outlet and leaves should be sprayed. It is also better to use the mineral complex during flowering, and then return to organics again. It is undesirable to use lime and ash as fertilizers. Pineapple needs to be fed after it reaches the age of 1.5-2 years, 1 time in 15-20 days from the beginning of March to the beginning of August.
Many flower growers recommend spraying pineapple with a solution of iron sulfate (1 g of powder per 1 liter of water). A similar procedure should be carried out once a month from the beginning of March to the end of September.
Flowering stimulation
Typically, pineapple begins to bloom in the 3rd year after planting. If this does not happen, then you can stimulate its flowering yourself by fumigating the plant with smoke or pouring it with a special solution. But be careful: the stimulation procedure can only be carried out with strong, well-developed plants, the leaves of which have reached a length of 60 cm, and the base of the outlet has a diameter of 8-10 cm.
Table: ways to stimulate the flowering of pineapple
Method | Technology |
Watering with calcium carbide solution (acetylene) |
|
Fumigation |
Repeat the procedure 2-3 times with an interval of 7-10 days. |
Use of plant stimulants |
This method works if the room temperature is 26aboutFROM. |
Pineapple care in the greenhouse
If you have a heated greenhouse, you can try growing pineapple in it:
- Prepare the ground. It should consist of a mixture of garden soil, humus, peat in equal amounts and sand (it needs to be taken 2 times less than any other component). The soil layer is 25-35 cm.
- Moisten the soil and drop rosettes or cuttings into it at a distance of 1 m from each other in holes 3-5 cm deep.
The main condition is that the air temperature should not be lower than 25aboutC, soil temperature - not lower than 20aboutFROM.
Pineapple is best grown in large boxes mounted on stands to hold heating appliances under them.
Landing care is the same as at home. Try to water the plants with acidified with citric acid water, the temperature of which is not lower than the temperature in the greenhouse. Acetylene, rather than fumigation, can be used to stimulate flowering so as not to harm other plants.
Pest and Disease Control
Pineapple is a plant with a fairly strong immunity, but there are several problems that you may encounter when breeding this crop:
- Drying leaves. This usually happens if the plant is in direct sunlight or the temperature is excessively high. Move the pot to a cooler or shaded place and spray it with water.
- Blanching of the leaves. A sign of a lack of light, so rearrange the plant in a bright place.
- Decay of the base. This is due to increased humidity and cold. Put the pineapple in a warmer place and let the soil dry. Continue to moderate watering.
Table: Pineapple Pest Control
Pest | Signs of defeat | Control measures |
Shield |
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Spider mite |
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Mealybug | Typically, symptoms appear in winter when the plant is in the least favorable conditions (dry air, lack of light). Only the aerial part of the plant is affected.
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Root worm | This pest affects the root of the plant, it is difficult to recognize it by external signs. One should be wary if, with proper care, the pineapple stops growing and yellowness appears on its leaves (subsequently they shrink and die off). In this case, remove it from the pot and carefully inspect the roots. If you notice small white insects, then start treatment immediately. |
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Photo gallery: who threatens pineapple
- Scale shield affects many home plants, pineapple is no exception
- Pineapple stops growing due to rootworm activity
- A white waxy coating on the leaves is a sign of the appearance of a mealybug
- A spider mite is invisible to the naked eye, but traces of its activity are visible on plants
When controlling pests, it is advisable to use chemicals, not limited to manual processing. The fact is that otherwise only adult insects are destroyed, and the eggs remain intact. Carefully read the instructions for the drug: it is possible that you will need to re-process. If you have other plants, rearrange the pineapple in a separate place to reduce the risk of infection. The place where the pot of pineapple was standing should be washed well with laundry soap or bleach.
Popular Pineapple Varieties
At home, you can grow pineapples for various purposes. Reproduction and care in all cases are the same.
Bract pineapple
A popular pineapple variety with a remarkable feature: from exposure to the sun, its leaves acquire pinkish-reddish hues. Leaves reach a length of 1 m, have white and yellow stripes. Unlike other pineapples, this species lives about 7 years. Often used as an ornamental plant. Suitable for breeding at home.
Pineapple Caena
The bush reaches a height of 0.3-0.5 m, has many dark green leaves. Suitable for planting a house, does not take up much space, and propagates well by layering. Prefers porous, well-drained soils. Fruits form small, no longer than 7-10 cm long and weighing within 0.5 kg, which can be used as food.
What I just didn’t grow on my windowsill, but now I want to tell you about the Caena pineapple. This pineapple was presented to me in the spring of March 8th. The pineapple was beautiful, thick, with a beautiful rosette of red small flowers. After a certain period of time, a small pineapple fruit began to appear, first green, then it began to turn yellow, probably half a year passed from the falling of flowers to the appearance of the yellow fruit. Pineapple fruit tastes very very sweet, soft, not the same as that sold in the store. Of course, after peeling, almost nothing was left there, but my whole family was able to try and evaluate. Pineapple (greens) in itself is not high, 20-25 cm. And the fruit was about 7 cm.
Raspi//irecommend.ru/content/frukt-vyrashchennyi-doma
Pineapple Champaka
The bush reaches a height of 0.8-0.9 m, forms long green leaves with a bluish coating and spines along the edges. At home, it is mainly used as an ornamental plant, without forming an edible fruit.
Growing a pineapple is not difficult, it is enough to properly prepare it for planting and follow the simple rules of care. Follow all the recommendations, and you will get a wonderful plant that will not only serve as a decoration for your home, but also delight the crop.